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.