Trusts (Capital and Income) Bill [Lords]

Monday 7th January 2013 Commons Chamber

Bill, not amended in the Public Bill Committee, considered.

Third Reading

Queen’s consent signified.

15:39

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mrs Helen Grant)]

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

This is a short technical Bill that implements, with minor modifications, the recommendations of the Law Commission. The Government are grateful to the Law Commission, the Charity Commission and the leading experts and stakeholders who have worked with them and the Ministry of Justice to prepare the reforms. The provisions of the Bill are to be brought into force on a date or dates to be specified by order made by the Secretary of State and I will make a statement on the timing of commencement following Royal Assent.

The Bill will simplify and modernise the law and I commend it to the House.

15:40

[Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

I do not wish to add a great deal to what the Minister has said. The Bill started its life under the previous Labour Government, which in itself means that it must be well founded. It is of course a Law Commission Bill and has therefore been subject to special procedures. Indeed, when it was considered in the other place and in Committee in this House, it was not amended. There are no amendments today and I have heard no adverse comments from any source outside these Houses.

I merely repeat what I said to the Minister in Committee: if the Bill is found in practice to have any unintended consequences, to cause any problems or to do anything other than follow the processes we wish it to use, I urge her and the Government not to tarry in any way in bringing it back to the House to give us the opportunity to correct it at the earliest opportunity. I wish to add nothing further.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed, without amendment.