Final Stages Of The Public Bodies Bill

This is entry No.45, first published on 21 November 2011, of a blog on public bodies reform. Click here to view the whole blog. If you would like to be notified when the blog is updated, with links sent by email, click here.

Wednesday 23 November sees the Lords consider the Commons' amendments to the Bill and, assuming they are not all accepted, the commencement of to-ing and fro-ing between the Houses on the inclusion, omission or modification of those amendments, a process which is now known even in official circles as ping pong. Royal Assent can therefore be expected before the Christmas recess.

So far, motions tabled by Baroness Finlay of LLandaff, Lord Ramsbottom and Lord Newton of Braintree give notice that the Commons Amendments 47, 49, 50, 51, 53 and 54, will be challenged. These relate to the provision made for the Civil Justice Council and the Youth Justice Board and the ongoing debate concerning whether the Government should now bring forward, as it