Member

I thank the noble Viscount, Lord Colville, for Amendment 35, which would require an international standards body to be consulted in preparing the trust framework. The non-statutory published framework that already exists references the World Wide Web Consortium’s standards, along with other relevant international standards, in its body of rules. The Bill provides for the consultation of such bodies as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. The Government are keen to focus the consultation on those bodies that are most appropriate at a given time. Although it is perfectly likely that the World Wide Web Consortium’s standards would be consulted, committing to one specific body could undermine this flexibility and it might be that we want to take broader soundings on the issues being considered.