Part of Orders of the Day — Enterprise Bill – in the House of Commons at 7:52 pm on 30th October 2002.
It is a matter of making the obligations clear and not of altering the time scale. If anything, the process would be speeded up, not hindered.
Lords amendments Nos. 145 and 146 were made in response to an amendment tabled in the Lords Committee which the Government agreed to consider. When clause 224(5) left this House, it read:
XIf the OFT is preparing advice or information".
The amendment recognised that those words were inconsistent, given that the section in fact requires the OFT to produce such advice and information.
Lords amendment No. 147 is a technical amendment to clause 227, which concerns the supply of goods and services. The definition of the arrangements for supply when the Bill left this House mirrored that currently in section 138(3) of the Fair Trading Act 1973. That section refers to Xdocuments" and Xcorrespondence", which do not take account of today's world of internet transactions and other forms of electronic communications and commerce. Lords amendment No. 147 updates those provisions to include arrangements made by electronic means. Lords amendment No. 143 makes a minor drafting change in the title of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland.
Lords amendment agreed to.
Lords amendments Nos. 144 to 147 agreed to.