My Lords, we support the amendments put forward by the noble Lord, Lord Paddick. On Amendment 74, we believe it is vital that the Government should consult front-line organisations on the content of the guidance. They are the ones who know how this will, or will not, work in practice and their expertise is the driving force behind the duty. The Government have of course published draft guidance on this, and I ask the Minister whether this guidance is being consulted on.
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Amendment 73, as explained by the noble Lord, Lord Paddick, is a recommendation of the DPRRC. The committee said it was unconvinced by the reasons given by the Government on why, throughout the Bill, guidance should not be subject to parliamentary procedure. It raised the potential power of this type of guidance, which authorities are told in statute to have regard to. The committee said:
“The guidance could … go much further than simply assisting those to whom it is directed: it would allow the Secretary of State to influence how statutory powers and duties are exercised”.
Will the Minister accept the committee’s recommendation?