Mr Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)

I beg to move amendment No. 309, in

clause 76, page 50, line 32, at end insert—

'(d) any recorded convictions on the sex offenders' register'.

This amendment concerns a test of fitness and is part of a theme we introduced earlier in the Bill, which is that one ought to pay regard to people having convictions or being on the sex offenders register. This is something that ought to be considered as part of the criteria.

I do not intend to go on, as it is almost dark and I am interested to hear what the Minister has to say about our well-crafted amendments.

Mr Keith Hill (Minister of State (Housing and Planning), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Streatham, Labour)

Clause 76 is almost the exact counterpart to clause 55. The Committee will recall that, in our discussions on clause 55, I accepted that a local authority needs to be aware as best it can of the actions of licensed managers whose actions might

subsequently make them unfit to be a licence holder. I undertook at the conclusion of our exchanges to give further consideration to adding sex offences to the list and I do so again in connection with clause 76.

Mr Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 76 ordered to stand part of the Bill.