Protection of Freedoms Bill

My Lords, I would just like to add a few points to those made very effectively by my noble friend Lady Hamwee. I regret to ask the Minister some questions, because it always seems churlish to spring technical questions upon a well meaning Minister, but I hope he gets advice from his rear quickly. First, Clause 34 ““Commissioner in relation to code”” states that in Clause 34(2)(b) that the commissioner has the function of, "““reviewing the operation of the code””." I agree with my noble friend Lady Hamwee that that does not, on the normal reading of those words, extend to consideration of the exercise of power to specify new bodies to be caught by the code under Clause 33(5)(k). Secondly, will the Minister confirm that there is nothing in Clause 35 ““Reports by Commissioner”” that appears to authorise the commissioner in making reports to consider the point of extension of the code, which I would have thought justifies Amendment 113? Finally, all those arguments would count for nought if in Clause 33(5)(k) the proper construction of ““any person”” is to confine ““any person”” to bodies comparable to ““relevant authorities””. My own view is that it does not. In view of the opaqueness of the drafting of this part of the Bill and, as I said earlier, the fact that Clause 29 refers twice to ““persons”” but not at all to relevant authorities, I feel we need to be very clear of our ground here. In my humble view, there is a lot more concern about the operation of CCTV cameras by private interests than by public ones. I cannot think, for example, that the Sub-Treasurer of the Inner Temple is likely to abuse the CCTV cameras within his or her purview, but I am afraid I can foresee that some private operators might get up to things that are extremely undesirable. The end of all that is whether the Minister can say to us now that he will take this away, look at it and if necessary bring forward his own amendment at the next stage of the Bill. I hope he might do that. I apologise again for springing this rather nasty group of questions upon him, but I was unprepared for the debate as it has evolved.