Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [HL]

Lord Lansley Excerpts

3rd reading
Wednesday 12th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Rooker (Lab)]

My Lords, so that we do not gloss over the constitutional aspects of this Bill, I remind my noble friend that, when he said that he appeared before the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee last October, that was the first time in the three years that I was a member of the committee that we ever summoned Ministers, because we were so disturbed by the Bill’s transfer of powers from Parliament to Ministers. I am very pleased to see the Attorney-General here, because it is his job to stop this kind of thing turning up in Bills. I am not blaming anybody for this one; it is early days and he has plenty of time to get going, but he must be firm that this Bill went too far. This has been debated before in this House. We have to watch it at our peril, because there has been a massive transfer in the last few years of powers from Parliament to Ministers, and it has gone too far.

[Lord Lansley (Con)]

My Lords, I also thank the Minister and his officials for their considerable time, patience and responsiveness as we have raised issues during the Bill. I will briefly note three things.

I hope the Minister and his colleagues in the other place will look at Clause 1, because this Bill should be about product safety but does not mention it. It does not say that products should be safe, even though it repeals and replaces Section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, which does. I hope they might still look at the purpose, so that Clause 1 says that one of the purposes should be that products should be safe, such that risks associated with their use are minimised or mitigated. That would be much clearer for those reading the Bill.