Clause 62
Policing and Crime Bill
6:30 pm
David Ruffley (Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Bury St Edmunds, Conservative)
I briefly want to confirm that the Opposition attaches as much importance as the Government to the safeguarding of vulnerable groups. I do not therefore have an issue of principle, but I have a query that I hope is not trivial.
Will the Minister explain why it was absolutely necessary to rename the Independent Barring Board? I ask that for two reasons. First, that original title has an element of stigma and sanction, which is a good thing—“barring” is a good word. Secondly, the Opposition are often struck by the remorseless amount of change that we see from the Government. I forget whether it was Bolingbroke or Halifax who said:
“When it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change.”