Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. I find the Government’s defensiveness on this issue curious. Let us be clear: I very much hope that a time will come when my own party is in government. I have no idea where my destiny will be—it might be the Back Benches or outer darkness—but my colleagues and anybody who holds ministerial office, particularly in the Home Office, would, if the amendment were accepted, have to face the consequences of it. One consequence would be that the Prison Service or the police might have to plead guilty to corporate manslaughter as a result of the death of somebody in their charge. I am completely comfortable with that prospect, which would not bring the operation of the police or the Prison Service to a halt. It might mean that careers at the top end of the Prison Service—or, indeed, at ministerial level—come to a halt, but that is not necessarily the worst thing that could happen in the great scheme of things. One has to face the fact that that is precisely what the Minister intends in respect of directors, as we know from our previous discussion of certain companies. If the amendment were accepted, public confidence would be increased. If the general standards that have prevailed through Governments of all parties in the operation of custody are maintained, the chances of such a situation arising would be very slim. However, where it is clearly shown that there has been a corporate failure leading to death in custody, I cannot think of a good reason why a prosecution should not follow.