Steel Industry

Baroness Laing of Elderslie Excerpts

2nd reading
Saturday 12th April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Con)]

My Lords, I had not intended to speak in this short debate. However, I feel compelled to do so as a member of the Constitution Committee, because the Government have not answered all of the questions that the committee, in its report, Fast-track Legislation: Constitutional Implications and Safeguards, set out as ones that ought to be answered when the House is being asked to approve fast-track legislation and the normal processes of scrutiny are being truncated.

In the Explanatory Notes, which in these circumstances become more important than usual, there are 14 questions in all—it is all right; I am going to ask just two of them—set out very specifically. Two of them have not been addressed, and I hope that the Minister will be able to address these specific questions in summing up the debate.

The first question is:

“Does the Bill include a sunset clause … If not, why does the Government judge that their inclusion is not appropriate?”


The answer given in the Explanatory Notes is that the Bill does not include a sunset clause—that is obvious in the Bill—but there is no explanation as to why there is no sunset clause. The second question that has been omitted is:

“Are mechanisms for effective post-legislative scrutiny and review in place? If not, why does the Government judge that their inclusion is not appropriate?”


Again, the answer given is that the Government decided that such scrutiny and review were not needed, but there is no explanation as to why. It would assist the House if those questions could be answered before we are asked to make decisions.