Schedule 1 - The Commission: Constitution, &c.
Equality Bill [Lords]
11:30 am
Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)
I do not recall that discussion. It must have passed me by. The requirements for the appointment of commissioners and the chief executive are as set out in the Bill.
Amendments Nos. 54 and 59 seek to enable the commission to determine, without the need for the Secretary of State’s approval, the numbers of staff, their location and the terms and conditions of their appointment. The location of the commission and the numbers of staff will be key determinants of the overall cost of the new body.
The hon. Member for Epping Forest put me on notice on Second Reading that the Conservative party at least will continue to probe the subject of costs very persistently in Committee. It is therefore right that the Secretary of State, who is accountable to Parliament for the commission, should be required to approve such matters, as they will account for the largest slices of the new body’s overall budget. The requirement will ensure that the budget continues to cover reasonable expenditure; it does not include detailed approval of the terms and conditions of each individual. The Secretary of State’s financial accountability to Parliament for the CEHR is the issue. I therefore suggest that it is not sensible to remove that role, which I repeat involves the Secretary of State’s approving decisions taken by the commission, rather than taking decisions himself.