Energy Bill [HL]

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 5:17 pm on 22 March 2004.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Lord Jenkin of Roding Lord Jenkin of Roding Conservative 5:17, 22 March 2004

My Lords, I have a horrid suspicion about the reason why the Clause is drafted in the way it is, with this extraordinarily wide provision, as my noble friend Lady Byford has said. I suspect it is because of the well-known legislative convention that if you seek to legislate in a public Bill to deal with a private right it is then open to those affected to insist on going through the private Bill procedure, with a committee to examine the Bill, and for it then to be reported back to the House.

However, I think it is being less than frank if the Minister does not actually tell us that that is the reason. It may be a clever wheeze to make the provision apply to any number of undertakings, which might or might not be given in the future in order to avoid that legislative trap. But I think that the principle of openness and transparency, to which Ministers so frequently appeal, requires them to tell the House whether that is the real reason.