Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [HL]

Debate between Lord Hunt of Wirral and Baroness Brinton

Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons
Thursday 10th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Brinton (LD)]

I wonder if I might gently intervene. The noble Lord was not present, but my noble friend Lord Fox and others from our Benches reminded the noble Lord, Lord Epsom, and others from those Benches that this Bill was drafted by the previous Government with the Henry VIII powers as they appear in the Bill today. While I understand that times have moved on and seats have changed, much of the Bill that we see now is the one that had been drafted for the previous Government and was delayed because of the general election.

[Lord Hunt of Wirral (Con)]

I am happy to respond to the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, who referred to Lord Epsom rather than to my noble friend Lord Sharpe of Epsom.

[Baroness Brinton (LD)]

I am sorry: the noble Lord, Lord Sharpe.

[Lord Hunt of Wirral (Con)]

She is also under a misunderstanding. I was very proud to chair the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. If she had done her homework, she would have seen that I led the opposition to the previous Government’s attempt to try to pass secondary legislation powers that would not be subject to proper scrutiny in this House. I do not want to engage in party politics, unlike the noble Baroness, but I think that it is wrong for Governments to do this. I just wish that we still had some of our previous Members, particularly Lord Judge, who taught me that whatever the complexion of the Government, Governments should not overreach themselves by abolishing legislation through secondary legislation.

[Baroness Brinton (LD)]

The noble Lord is absolutely right. I very carefully talked about his predecessor on this Bill. I think that the work that he and his Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee did was admirable and I quoted from it frequently.

[Lord Hunt of Wirral (Con)]

Thank you.

Operation Conifer

Debate between Lord Hunt of Wirral and Baroness Brinton

Tuesday 8th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Brinton (LD)]

My Lords—

[Lord Hunt of Wirral (Con)]

My Lords—