Clause 29 - Amendment of Automatic conditions
Hunting Bill
5:30 pm
Mr Alun Michael (Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Cardiff South and Penarth, Labour/Co-operative)
The hon. and learned Gentleman has a remarkable talent for overstatement and for getting things out of proportion, which he has just exercised again. I understand why my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood has moved the amendment. He wants to satisfy himself as to the nature of the measure that is being passed and to be certain that the clause will not allow major changes to be made later. I hope that I can reassure him on that point.
My hon. Friend will know from his ministerial experience how often legislation that looks perfect during its passage through the House turns out, despite all the careful scrutiny that it receives, to contain anomalies. He will know also how difficult it is, to put it mildly and politely, to sort out even small items of primary legislation, even when there is unanimity on both sides of the House about the fact
that something unintended has happened. I am sure, Mrs. Roe, that you will have presided on many occasions when such an unintended consequence has been discussed.
I urge my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood to accept that it is sensible, in case unforeseen circumstances arise, to allow a capacity to adjust or remove a condition, and to establish a mechanism for doing that. The alternative course would be to require primary legislation as the only way to bring about variations. The Bill, of course, contains a failsafe, in that any change under clause 29 requires the approval of both Houses of Parliament under the affirmative resolution procedure. That, especially with respect to a contentious measure, is sensible, because it means—if I may read my hon. Friend's mind—that major changes cannot just be slipped through, but must be considered by the House. All hon. Members will thus have an opportunity either to accept that the change relates to an unintended wrinkle, or to changed circumstances, or to take the view that it goes beyond what the House wants.
I hope that I can also reassure my hon. Friend that the Government do not have in mind any changes to the Bill's operation. I appreciate that he was discussing what might happen under another Government; presumably far into the future. It is always as well to look as far ahead as possible. I hope that, now that he has probed the question of what is intended, my hon. Friend will agree to withdraw the amendment.