Clause 7 - Short title, commencement and effect
Promotion of Volunteering Bill
3:30 pm

Ms Fiona Mactaggart (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Race Equality, Community Policy and Civil Renewal), Home Office; Slough, Labour)

I beg to move amendment No. 61, in clause 7, page 4, line 22, at end insert—

'(1A) This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may appoint by order and different days may be so appointed for different purposes.'.

I do not intend to press the amendment, but I tabled it because it is important to consult on how to make these things work in practice. That has become clear in our debate. Everybody in this Room believes that there is a problem that ought to be addressed, but we have had disagreements about how to deal with it and concerns about to make it work in practice. That is why the Government have tabled a common type of amendment.

One of the reasons why the hon. Member for Canterbury and I have not been able to find a common position is that in order to try to find ways of resolving the matter the Government need to address issues such as consultation. It is important that bodies affected by new legislation should be given sufficient notice to prepare for the smooth implementation of its provisions.

However, I have seen the hon. Gentleman's notes. He is concerned that the Government should not be at liberty to determine when or whether the Bill comes into force. As he was not willing to allow us to consult on the range of providers that should be within the scope of the statement of inherent risk regime, and to include them in secondary legislation, I do not see a great deal of point in moving the amendment at this stage. We need to undertake further consultation if we are to make the proposals work. However, I do not want to pick a fight on an issue on which the hon. Gentleman has no trust in me.

Mr Julian Brazier (Shadow Minister, International Affairs; Canterbury, Conservative)

I shall be most grateful to the Minister for withdrawing the amendment.

Ms Fiona Mactaggart (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Race Equality, Community Policy and Civil Renewal), Home Office; Slough, Labour)

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 7 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Question proposed, That the Chairman do report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

Mr Julian Brazier (Shadow Minister, International Affairs; Canterbury, Conservative)

I should like to place on record my thanks to you, Mr. Amess, for your hard work in chairing the Committee and to the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor) who chaired an earlier sitting. I particularly thank the Clerk, Mr. Harrison, who has performed his role outstandingly, and the Hansard reporters who have worked so hard while we have shovelled paper at them. I want to thank the Minister for keeping her temper in spite of our several disagreements and, above all, I

want to thank every member of the Committee who has volunteered to be here—this is our fourth sitting, and some of them took place in very hot weather. It has involved a great deal of hard work and I cannot thank them enough. I very much look forward to seeing the team again on Report.

Mr Lembit Öpik (Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Affairs; Montgomeryshire, Liberal Democrat)

On a point of order, Mr. Amess. I should like to add that since the hon. Member for Canterbury did not give any of us a

written statement of inherent risk for being on the Committee, and since it has gone on far longer than he promised when we started, he might be hearing from my lawyer.

Mr David Amess (Southend West, Conservative)

That was an ingenious point of order.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.

Committee rose at twelve minutes to Four o'clock.