Member

I turn to Amendment 88, which would require the independent reviewer not only to assess how the powers under this Bill are being exercised but to report explicitly on expenditure and recovery, and to provide Parliament with a cost-benefit assessment of the operation of the Act. These measures are not intended to frustrate the Government’s ambition to tackle fraud; we have reflected this in giving the Government five years to get set up and running before an initial report is required. Amendment 88 strengthens that ambition by ensuring that it can be demonstrated beyond doubt that the policies are working. This is paramount to any democracy, and I hope that the Minister recognises the importance of this in her response. I beg to move.