Clause 8 - Scotland
Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill
12:15 pm
David Howarth (Shadow Minister, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Cambridge, Liberal Democrat)
I shall add to the hon. Gentleman’s points an additional point that brings us back to a point that we made previously: since the Bill can apply to the Scotland Act 1998, the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament can be changed by order under this Bill. Although the Minister will say that it is a controversial matter, that it will not be brought forward under the Bill and that there are protections in the Bill against it, it is still a serious aspect of the debate about the Bill’s powers and those that it gives Ministers. The Bill allows structural change by that mechanism.
My only other point, which I could easily make under clauses 8 or 9 is a point that my hon. Friend the Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) was going to make. Unfortunately, he cannot be present for this part of the debate. Why are there clauses about Scotland and Wales, but none about Northern Ireland? Is that a gap in the Bill that the Government intend to fill on Report?