Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2009

I also welcome the explanation offered by the Minister on the order. We welcome what he has said. Obviously, the order is sensible enough, and a good case is made out for the five various exemptions that the Minister has specified. I raise this matter because I have shown considerable patience since the Home Office first produced its consultation paper on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Having cleared it with the Public Bill Office, I am now in a position to promote a Bill on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. I am delighted that the noble Lord, Lord Henley, has offered the support of his party and that the Minister said that this matter remains a priority for the Government. I look forward to their co-operation in the matter. The Minister mentioned that the Office of Immigration Service Commissioners regulate immigration advisers as defined in Section 82. I think that we are talking of the solicitors who offer people advice. Now the Government want to bring in other people who may not necessarily be qualified in legal matters and yet do valuable work advising on immigration, asylum and so on. I hope that I am right on that. If I am, can the Minister explain whether that is limited simply to immigration advisers operating in this country? What happens to people who come from abroad and are attracted to work with solicitors who are qualified in immigration matters? Is there any way to determine their status through the CRB and others before they work with vulnerable groups? Does a similar system exist in other parts of the world from which immigrants or asylum seekers come to this country? I am also delighted that the order provides for sensitive occupations, such as work with children and vulnerable adults, to remain exempt from the proposals. That exemption will, to a great extent, reduce the scope of discrimination against former offenders and, because employing offenders reduces reoffending, it will also increase public safety. It will be very helpful if the Minister can take the lesson from this exercise that, while we support the order, it would be in the interests of the Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, rather than tinkering again and again with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act by making exemptions now and then, to look at the whole provision and see whether parliamentary time permits either to introduce legislation or at least support my Private Member’s Bill, which I hope to introduce soon after the Summer Recess.