Member

I take the amendments in the spirit in which they are intended, which is to improve the Bill. I start with the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, which seeks to add a clause defining the purposes of the Act. As the noble Baroness will know, this is not standard drafting practice. It is not clear what legal purpose such a clause would have. The Bill’s Long Title already sets out what it does and the Government have published extensive guidance—I have it on the table in front of me and I have read it, so I know how extensive it is—which outlines in detail the purpose of the Bill and explains the effect of its provisions.