Clause 2 - Provision
Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill
2:00 pm
Oliver Heald (Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs & Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Assisted By Shadow Solicitor General), Constitutional Affairs; North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
I do not think so. The hon. Gentleman makes his case in a much more coherent way than the Minister, and makes the fair point that there have been difficulties in deregulation. He will have seen the consultation document that the Government put out, which suggested a way of broadening the definition of burdens, introduced simplification without the burdens test and suggested that non-controversial Law Commission Bills should go through. We all agree about that, and that is what is so ludicrous. Business wants the Bill, yet it is in danger of losing it because the Minister will not introduce the changes that would make it acceptable to all reasonable people in the House of Commons and the other place. He is wrong to force us to suggest that he might be able to use the amendment to abolish the Church of England or disestablish it. I am anti-disestablishment, but we are making a serious point. These matters are at the very high end of important House of Commons considerations, and they should not be dealt with by a fast-track procedure that cuts parliamentary corners.