Member

In addition, I would like the Minister to identify how the future statement will set out the process of assessing new regulations before secondary legislation is laid. I hope it includes how some products may be considered to present a higher risk than others, and considers enforcement and sanctions, taking into account the marketplaces and the changing issue of liability—which would be where Amendment 28, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, could find a home. This process should be proportionate and appropriate. As well as the level of risk, the consultation should consider environmental issues, supply chain accountability, and compliance and penalties—be they criminal or civil sanctions, which the noble Lord, Lord Jackson, mentioned and my noble friend Lady Brinton has raised on a number of occasions. The issue of criminal sanctions needs to be addressed somewhere, and this may well be the place to do it. Finally, the consultation should consider the impact of any new regulation on SMEs and businesses in general.