My Lords, I wonder if I may raise a point which is not strictly on the amendment that is being moved but on new Section 31A(9) in Clause 26, because the wording is really rather clumsy. It reads:"““Once it appears to the Commission that the retention of any document or device has ceased to be so necessary, it shall arrange for the document or device to be returned as soon as is reasonably practicable””."
It goes something like this: ““Joe, when you are next in the area of such and such, would you mind dropping in this bundle of papers?””. It is really a rather careless way of dealing with the issue.
I am not asking for an answer now because I am throwing a fast ball at the Minister and it is late at night. But could he please have a look at this and make the wording far more positive, such as ““the commission shall return the document””, not ““arrange”” for it ““to be returned””? The wording on the Bill is not firm enough and it does not put the onus on the commission to make sure that the documents or devices are returned. I know that this cannot be dealt with in this House at this stage, and cannot be dealt with at Third Reading because it would be a new matter, but perhaps the Minister could have a look at it and have the matter seen to in the other place.
Charities Bill [HL]
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Swinfen
(Conservative)
in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 12 October 2005.
It occurred during Debate on bills on Charities Bill [HL].
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674 c401 Session
2005-06Chamber / Committee
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