Clause 24 - References to Community instruments
Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill
1:30 pm
David Heath (Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs & Shadow Leader of the House, Law Officers (Constitutional Affairs); Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
I concur entirely with the point made by the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire—it is important that we understand the context.
As we move to this part of the Bill, may I have permission, Sir Nicholas, to ask the Minister a more general question? Clearly, there is an interrelationship between the changes that the Minister is introducing, in terms of the way in which European legislation is translated into British—I should say English—law, and the way in which the House scrutinises those matters in order to ensure that Parliament has proper control over what is enacted, either directly or indirectly.
We have been waiting a long time to hear substantial plans from the Leader of the House for improved European scrutiny. We are told constantly that they will arise soon, but “soon” never actually arrives. Will the Minister tell us what discussions his Department has had with the Leader of the House, because those two things are clearly linked? The legislative process cannot be treated in isolation from the process of European scrutiny, or vice versa. I hope that the Minister will confirm that there is joined-up government in that area and that there has been debate between the two, and I hope that he can give us an indication of whether any conclusions have been reached that ought to be brought before the House at the appropriate moment.