Clause 2 - Statements of Inherent Risk
Promotion of Volunteering Bill
10:45 am
Ms Fiona Mactaggart (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Race Equality, Community Policy and Civil Renewal), Home Office; Slough, Labour)
That is exactly what I have sought to do. The hon. Member for Canterbury, being such a very honourable gentleman, will ''fess up'' to the fact that when I came to the conclusion that the legislation would not achieve the ends that we wanted and that it risked achieving the opposite by creating additional litigation, costs and bureaucracy, I offered alternative proposals that would include progress on insurance and other things.
I shall be completely honest. This issue is being pursued by a relatively small unit in the Home Office, which is providing me with the bits of paper that I am using today. We had to make a choice when the hon. Gentleman decided to pursue his Bill, and I have not said that that there is no way in which I would continue to work on proposals. I believe that the issue should be addressed. I am not putting resources into addressing it at the moment, because resources are properly being put into dealing with other legislation that is before the House. That is what hon. Members would expect a Department to do. Nevertheless, I have offered a range of solutions, including substantial progress on insurance, which I believe is possible.