Clause 11 - Interpretation of Chapter 1
Violent Crime Reduction Bill
6:15 pm
Hazel Blears (Minister of State (Policing, Security and Community Safety), Home Office; Salford, Labour)
Our current view is that it is appropriate for only the police and local authorities to be relevant authorities as defined in the Bill in terms of applying for drinking banning orders. However, in future we may wish to extend the provision to others, and it is therefore helpful for the Secretary of State to have the power in clause 11(3) to do that by order rather than having to await a further legislative slot to amend the Bill.
Such matters are commonly dealt with by secondary legislation and there is a range of precedents. It is sometimes difficult to get primary legislative slots—although it sometimes seems that the Home Office is legislating for the whole Government. I ask the hon. Lady to consider the matter on the practical basis that we may need to amend the Bill, so the order-making power is appropriate.