Clause 5

Part of Fraud Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:45 pm on 20 June 2006.

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Photo of Mike O'Brien Mike O'Brien Solicitor General, Law Officers' Department 12:45, 20 June 2006

I am happy to look into that, and to write to the hon. Gentleman on the point, but how does he deal with the issue of section 34 of the Theft Act? We might end up with a situation in which there were two charges with two different definitions on the indictment, which the judge would then have to explain to a jury. The assumption is that if Parliament changes the wording, it intends to make a change in the substance. What change in substance is he making? It seems that he is not seeking to make any such change, in which case it is a recipe for confusion in court.