Member

Clearly, there remain many other loose ends in this Bill, with much consultation remaining and many statutory instruments to come. Your Lordships will have a role in incentivising consultation and helping to focus that secondary legislation. There can be jeopardy in secondary legislation only if there is a genuine chance of a statutory instrument being killed; otherwise, the process of secondary legislation in your Lordships’ House is a routine exercise, punctuated by occasional meaningless regret Motions. Unless His Majesty’s loyal Opposition embrace the possibility of voting for fatal Motions on statutory instruments, the pressure on the Government to consult and the pressure on statutory instruments will be minimal. All of the words that were spoken during primary legislation have to be backed up in secondary legislation.