Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

I have one quick question, which arises from the Minister's response to my question on clause 19. Do the Government currently expect the people who will be authorised to undertake entries into premises to be officers of the SIA or will the authority authorise others to carry out inspections on its behalf?

Mr Charles Clarke (Minister of State, Home Office; Norwich South, Labour)

The phrasing leaves it open to the authority to decide how best to proceed. My expectation—if that is what the hon. Gentleman is asking about—is that the authority is likely to use its own inspectors. The nature of that arrangement will evolve during the process. I can certainly envisage the authority deciding to retain other inspectors, such as local government officers, to carry out its functions. It might conceivably retain private companies, although I cannot quite imagine that. I do not want to prejudge precisely how those functions will be carried out, which is why the clause is phrased openly. However, my expectation is that the key inspection function will be with the authority, which has the power to address the relevant matters.

With that, I urge that clause 20 stand part of the Bill.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 20 ordered to stand part of the Bill.