Serious Crime Bill [Lords]

I am grateful to the Minister if that is what is intended, but new clause 1(6) states that it does not operate"““in relation to an order””." While it may continue"““so far as the order contains terms of the kind envisaged by subsections (4) and (5) above””," it does imply that it could apply to orders more generally. However, I welcome the Minister's intervention to make it clear that the provision is intended to deal only with the monitoring aspects, not the aspects of wider concern. Even so, in terms of monitoring, surely the orders should be intended to prevent crime. Otherwise, why are they there? He has said that the provision is not intended more generally, but it is still questionable whether the removal of the sections in question will cause problems with compliance with the European convention on human rights. Perhaps he can reflect on that point in further detail when he winds up. The Minister said that the costs will be dealt with in secondary legislation, so we do not yet know how they will be assessed. How will appeals against the costs work? New clause 2 states that costs could be subject to appeal, and that"““Such provision may, in particular, include provision about appeals.””" Can the Minister shed any more light on the Government's intentions relating to appeals against costs? The costs could be significant and the regulations could have a damaging impact on businesses. The proposals note that the steps an enforcement agency can take to recover costs will also be covered by secondary legislation, but again the Minister has not talked in great detail about the Government's intentions in that regard. Will the relevant enforcement agencies have the right to bankrupt and wind up a company that is unable to pay for monitoring costs—however damaging their impact might be? The Government have decided to introduce these provisions hurriedly at a late stage, and there is a lack of detail in terms of costs, how the courts will assess companies, whether appeals against the costs will be allowed and how they will operate, what the time scales will be and what the rights of challenge will be. Once the costs are in place, what rights will enforcement agencies have and how will they operate in practice? What discretion will the agencies have in recovering the costs? I accept that if costs are levied it is right, on the face of it, that the company should pick them up, but there is a duty on law enforcement to deal with its monitoring. The proposals could place a significant burden on companies and the House is not yet clear about the context for the provisions or their scale and nature. Based on the information we have been given, I remain concerned about the risk of injustice due to the lack of clarity and certainty in new clauses 1 and 2.