Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

I regret slightly the fact that the Minister and I are disagreeing when a disagreement does not really exist. I have never suggested that there is a massive problem with our prison system whereby a large number of people are dying unnecessarily. However, 15 preventable deaths—if we can now agree on that figure—if they were preventable, is 15 too many. I find it slightly odd that in addressing the House on the need for a corporate manslaughter provision the Minister pointed out the number of deaths that occur in the construction industry, for example. Big construction industry companies employ thousands of people, and we are talking about the deaths of one or two employees over a five-year period, but I doubt whether the Minister would ever use that as a justification for exempting the construction industry from the Bill’s provisions. If such exemption is to apply to the construction industry, I should point out that he has yet to make the case—I shall listen to him in a moment, however—as to why the Prison Service, the police or anybody else who detains people in lawful custody should be exempted. As I said earlier, the detaining of people in custody puts a peculiar responsibility on such organisations to ensure that they do not suffer preventable harm when so detained. For those reasons, the hon. Member for Hendon makes a cogent argument. I am happy to give way again to the Minister if he wants me to.