Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Lorely Burt (Shadow Minister, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Solihull, Liberal Democrat)
Last but not least, I welcome you to the Chair this morning, Mr. Chope. I add my thanks to the bodies that so kindly advised our team, including the CBI, the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services and the British Retail Consortium; they have helped us tremendously in understanding some of the practical implications of the Bill. As my Conservative colleague said, the Bill has been much improved in the Lords. The contribution of my colleagues in the Lords has been a valuable help in making the Bill stronger, so that it will balance the needs of business with the local requirements of enforcers on the ground—at the coal face—and the practical requirements with the needs of local democracy.
I am looking forward to a concise debate on the outstanding issues that we have to discuss. The Liberal Democrats have tabled only a small number of amendments and we look forward to taking the debate forward in a spirit of constructive criticism.