Member

If the Government believe that reform is needed, I look to the Minister to make the case. It certainly has not been properly made in the Explanatory Notes, or in our discussions in the run-up to Committee. I anticipate that the Minister will respond by saying that the Government intend to consult before any regulations are made, but that puts the cart before the horse. If the need for reform is not certain—and if the impact on private prosecutions for charities and access to justice has not yet been assessed—why are the Government seeking such broad regulatory power now? Why not conduct the review first? A consultation should inform whether a power is necessary in the first place. It should not be used to justify taking the power and deciding later whether to exercise it.