Clause 28
Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords]
4:15 pm
Lorely Burt (Shadow Minister, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Solihull, Liberal Democrat)
The area of greatest discomfort for me is that the clause will bestow on one local authority the power of veto over another authority’s enforcement decisions. That not only is undemocratic, but gives the primary authority de facto powers of legal interpretation that are the proper function of the courts. The amendments and the new clause that I have tabled would remove that veto and leave it to a court rather than a primary authority to decide whether enforcement action was unjustified in the light of advice given to a company by the primary authority. I should be grateful if the Minister would try to give some reassurance and a little more information on that matter.