B

Baroness Finn (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 15 October 2025

Debate

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill

Contribution

My Lords, we on these Benches warmly welcome these amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Sherlock. They reflect the very same concerns that we raised in Committee about the scope and strength of the independent reviewer mechanisms provided for in the Bill, specifically the ability of those reviewers to request and be granted access to the information they need to do their job properly. We are grateful that the Government have recognised this point in relation to the Cabinet Office section of the Bill. The amendment before us to Clause 66 ensures that, where information is reasonably required for the purposes of an independent review under Clause 65, the Minister “must” provide it rather than “may”. That is a critical distinction, as the noble Lord, Lord Vaux, pointed out. A reviewer cannot be independent or effective if their access to information is discretionary, subject to the good will or convenience of the department being reviewed.

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