Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

On Second Reading, I said that the Bill was half-baked and we hoped to take it further. Let me now say that I believe it is baked, but baked lightly. I congratulate the Minister and his officials on the way in which they have worked with—among others—the Opposition, the trade unions, Labour Back Benchers and families who have suffered as a result of the deaths of loved ones. This is an extremely serious subject, but we have taken what was a reasonable Bill and, collectively, made it better. My hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd) mentioned a number of key issues that we would like to be addressed further. I take heart from the Minister’s warm words, and indeed his intent. I welcome his offer of support in regard to the key issue that we have still to resolve: what can sensibly be done about duties and the spectrum of penalties, perhaps through the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act or any other relevant Act. The hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) gave a full assessment of the Bill’s passage, and the Chairman who presided over the final Committee sitting in the last Session said that he considered both the Bill and the way in which it had been handled by all concerned to be exemplary. I am reminded of a conference on citizenship and democracy that I chaired. The key speaker was Professor Bernard Crick. One of the sixth-form delegates—a young person—asked me for my definition of politicians. I said that I concurred with Professor Crick’s definition: politicians were imperfect people trying to run an imperfect system. The sixth-former then asked me for my definition of politics, and because I was in such eminent company as Professor Crick, I found myself developing a rather flowery definition. Politics, I said, is the art of the visionary. We all need people to push the boundaries of ideas, but the doing of politics is the art of the negotiator, and we must achieve the most sustainable and appropriate settlement in the circumstances. I believe that tonight we have achieved the most sustainable and appropriate settlement in the circumstances. I hope—indeed, I know—that the Minister will be true to his word, and I feel sure that we shall be able to make this an even better Bill in the future.