Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Bills
Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2023
Bills
Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2023
Statement of compatibility
Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (10:44): In accordance with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 I table a statement of compatibility in relation to the Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2023.
In accordance with section 28 of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006, (Charter), I make this Statement of Compatibility with respect to the Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2023 (the Bill).
In my opinion, the Bill, as introduced to the Legislative Assembly, is compatible with human rights as set out in the Charter. I base my opinion on the reasons outlined in this statement.
Overview
The Bill amends laws across a range of ministerial portfolios to:
• create a mechanism for the Secretary to authorise persons without the requirements to obtain a licence, warrant or permit by amending the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981;
• amend the Meat Industry Act 1993 to:
o clarify that the Act does not apply to online sale of dried meat;
o clarify licensing for the transport of seafood and requirements for licensing of vehicle-based meat processing facilities;
o update references to the Commonwealth Export Control Act 2020 (Cth) to remove duplication of Commonwealth and Victorian regulatory requirements for branded meat;
o remove audit requirements for export facilities audited by the Commonwealth government;
o include a power for PrimeSafe to rescind Codes of Practice to help maintain the contemporariness of the codes;
o remove requirements for poultry or game processing facilities to include information about quality assurance programs in licence applications that are not necessary in determining a licence application;
o remove an impractical requirement for issuing of licences for vehicle-based meat processing facilities;
o allow for delegation to the Chief Executive Officer of PrimeSafe to occur through electronic means rather than made under common seal;
o clarify that Parts 2 and 5 of the Act apply to poultry and game;
o update references in the Act to reflect machinery of government changes;
o provide an additional ground for PrimeSafe to refuse applications for licence renewals; and
o remove redundant provisions and correct typographical errors;
• amend the Seafood Safety Act 2003 to clarify that only one type of licence is required to transport both meat and seafood, and to provide an additional ground for PrimeSafe to refuse applications for licence renewals where a person has failed to comply with a licence condition;
• amend the Casino Control Act 1991 to remove a requirement for casino special employees (CSE) licence applicants to provide evidence of certain former employment that is not relevant to the licensing criteria;
• amend the Social Services Regulation Act 2021 to enable streamlining of mandatory notifications by registered social service providers to the Social Services Regulator.
• amend the Environment Protection Act 2017 to clearly enable the Environment Protection Authority to authorise transportation of waste in an emergency situation;
• amend the Gambling Regulations Act 2003 to provide licensees with remote access to keno systems, allow for a single approval for linked jackpot arrangements installed at the same venue, and correct a statutory reference;
• amend the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 to:
o remove burdensome requirements for ESC to provide notice of price determinations to all regulated entities;
o remove requirements of Codes of Practice and their amendments to be published in full in the Government Gazette;
o update the definition of “civil penalty requirement” to allow the ESC to use its enforcement provisions to improve outcomes for consumers within embedded networks;
o ensure that the ESC can use information gathering notices and powers in respect of the Water Industry Act 1994; and
o clarify the scope of delegated functions and powers;
• amend the Regional Development Victoria Act 2002 to update the Regional Development Advisory Committee membership and meeting frequency, update references to Melton City Council, and update references to the name of the relevant government department;
• amend the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 to make consequential and transitional amendments to account for changed arrangements under the new social services regulatory scheme;
• amend the Sale of Land Act 1962andLand (Goonawarra Gold Course) Act 1988 to update references to Homes Victoria;
• amend the Food Act 1984 to:
o enable orders to be made on additional grounds prescribed by regulations
o prescribe infringements for breaches of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, specifically Standards 4.27, 4.2.8 and 4.2.9;
o ensure the Minister for Agriculture has adequate regulation-making powers
o allow the regulator to issue directions to the proprietor of a food premises to revise a food safety program;
o clarify and modernise notice requirements to allow for the addition of electronic transmission and publication of closure orders following the recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry into the closure of I Cook Foods Pty Ltd;
• amend the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 to update references to restricted information sharing entities, and clarify the Secretary’s power to delegate for restricted information sharing entities under the Child Information Sharing Scheme;
• amend the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 to:
o clarify processes where an authorised officer is unable to discover the identity of a person when seizing documents or items;
o clarify requirements for commencing prosecution proceedings for offences relating to apprentices;
o clarify when the VRQA must notify an affected person of its intention to publish certain non-compliance information on its website and provide an opportunity for a person to make a submission in response and for the VRQA to consider that submission before the decision to publish is made;
o clarify when the VRQA must publish certain information;
o expand the circumstances in which an application for reinstatement of registration may be submitted to the Victorian Institute of Teaching (the Institute); and
o clarify references to Ministerial Orders with respect to the discipline of students in government schools;
• amend the Monetary Units Act 2004 to:
o allow regulations in Victoria to prescribe small fees in the form of fee units; and
o clarify that fee units can be used not just for regulations but other types of legislative instruments that may set fees.
Human rights issues
Some of the proposed measures will or may engage one or more of the following human rights under the Charter:
• right to life (section 9);
• right to freedom of expression (section 15);
• property rights (section 20);
• fair hearing (section 24); and
• rights in criminal proceedings (section 25)
For the following reasons, I am satisfied that the Bill is compatible with the Charter and, to the extent that any rights are limited, those limitations are reasonable and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society having regard to the factors in section 7(2) of the Charter.
Right to life (section 9)
Authorize exempt persons to obtain a license to obtain controlled substances
Part 5 of the Bill includes a proposal to amend the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (DPCSA) to create a mechanism for specific classes of person (entities) to be authorised to purchase or otherwise obtain certain poisons or controlled substances without the requirement for a licence or permit to use for a variety of purposes including health or industrial services, or to manufacture or supply by wholesale. Section 9 of the Charter provides that every person has the right to life and has the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of life. The proposed measure engages this right because it safeguards Victorians from harm that might arise from unauthorised access to and use of controlled substances. To do this, it establishes a mechanism for appropriate oversight of entities that are authorised in relation to controlled substances, including a risk assessment before they are legally authorised. The proposed authorisation model would also ensure that those entities are subject to requirements under the Act and Regulations about how those substances are managed (for example requirements relating to record-keeping, storage).
Closing loophole on licence renewals
Parts 11 and 13 of the Bill promotes the right to life by the inclusion of a proposal to remove a loophole in the Meat Industry Act 1993 and Seafood Safety Act 2003 where applicants that are refused a licence renewal can obtain a licence by instead applying for a new licence. Section 9 of the Charter provides that every person has the right to life and has the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of life. This proposed measure may engage this right as it improves the health, wellbeing and safety of Victorians. This is because the measure will prevent applicants that may have been in breach of various health, wellbeing and safety related legislation from obtaining a licence for the handling of meat or seafood. This can result in reducing the risk of Victorians consuming meat or seafood that is not safe for human consumption.
Right to freedom of expression (section 15)
Clarifying and modernising notice requirements under the Food Act 1984
Part 9 of the Bill includes a proposal to clarify and modernise notice requirements in the Food Act 1984 to allow for the addition of electronic transmission and publication of closure orders. Section 15 of the Charter provides that every person has the right to freedom of expression which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds. This proposal engages this right as it will provide for additional ways that the regulator can provide notice to relevant parties including via posting on the internet, serving by email and affixing an order to the physical premises.
Clarify when the VRQA must publish non-compliance information
Part 6 of the Bill includes a proposal that clarifies when the VRQA must publish non-compliance information on its website. Section 15 of the Charter provides that every person has the right to freedom of expression which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds. This proposal engages this right because it will require the VRQA to follow a specific and consistent process for publicly publishing information. A consistent public approach to publication will provide for an improved opportunity for relevant persons affected by decisions of being informed of the publication.
Property rights (section 20)
Clarify the requirements and processes authorised officers who seize documents must follow
Part 6 of the Bill includes a proposal to amend the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 to clarify the requirements and processes which authorised officer must follow when seizing documents or items in the custody of another person when they are unable to discover the identity of the person. The proposal will create a requirement for the authorised officer to leave a receipt of the document or thing they have seized from a person at the premises if they cannot identify the lawful owner or person who has custody of the document or thing.
Section 20 of the Charter provides that a person must not be deprived of that person’s property other than in accordance with law.
These measures comply with section 20 of the Charter as the proposal does not deprive a person of their property other than in accordance with law. This is because the seizure of any item is for investigative purposes and will be in accordance with laws permitting seizure of property. Further, any seizure will require officers to leave a receipt for the item at the premises it was seized from allowing for persons the ability to retain their property at a certain time. This proposal will also be consistent with similar provisions in other legislation which requires a receipt to be left if the owner of the property cannot be identified at the time of seizure.
Fair hearing (section 24)
Clarify when the VRQA must notify an affected person of its intention to publish certain non-compliance information on its website and provide an opportunity for a person to respond before the decision to publish is made
Part 6 of the Bill includes a proposal that clarifies what the VRQA must do before it decides to publish non-compliance information about an affected person on its website. The VRQA currently conducts an informal show cause notice process before making a decision on whether to publish such information. The proposal will amend the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 so that the VRQA is formally required to give an affected person notice of the intention to publish such information (along with the proposed reasons and an opportunity to respond) before the VRQA decides whether to publish the information. Section 24 of the Charter provides for a right to a fair hearing including that all judgments or decisions made by a court or tribunal in a criminal or civil proceeding must be made public.
This proposal engages this right because it will explicitly provide a process to follow after an adverse finding against a person is made and when the VRQA intends to publish this information. This ensures that a person affected by a decision to publish non-compliance information will be informed of the intended publication, the reasons for the decision and a time frame in which they have an opportunity to make a submission in response, before publication. The VRQA will be required to consider those submissions before making the decision to publish.
Rights in criminal proceedings (section 25)
Ensuring that the Commission can use information gathering notices and powers in respect of information the Commission may require from a person under the Water Industry Act 1994
Part 8 of the Bill includes a proposal to allow for the Essential Services Commission to use the information-gathering powers under the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 instead of the Water Industry Act 1994 for the investigation of Water Corporations.
Section 25 of the Charter provides for rights to individuals in criminal proceedings including that an individual cannot be compelled to testify against themselves or to confess guilt. This proposed amendment will engage this right because directors of Water Corporations will now be subject to clearer protections against self-incrimination in the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 compared to Water Industry Act 1994.
The Hon. Danny Pearson MP
Assistant Treasurer
Second reading
That this bill be now read a second time.
I ask that my second-reading speech be incorporated into Hansard.
Incorporated speech as follows:
The Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2023 (the Bill) before the House today is not just a collection of more than 50 opportunities to reform regulatory legislation across 14 Acts and 10 ministerial portfolios. While they may appear to be a collection of relatively simple and straightforward reforms, continuous finetuning of legislation is essential to the Victorian Government’s vision of a high-performing state and local regulatory system that supports increased productivity, makes it easier to do business in Victoria, and protects consumers, community health and safety and the environment.
The Department of Treasury and Finance estimates that the reforms will provide over $2.6 million in annual savings to businesses in Victoria by removing licensing and permit fees and making regulatory compliance easier.
Regular omnibus bills on regulatory issues help modernise legislative frameworks, reduce regulatory burden on businesses, and make other improvements to regulation. This particular Bill, following on from the Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Act 2022, is an example of collaborative efforts across government to finetune regulatory systems, including amendments across fourteen Acts – and ten ministerial portfolios. The Bill has many more benefits which can be found across the four main objectives of the Bill.
Firstly, the Bill will modernise and streamline requirements for businesses and social services providers – without compromising the effective management of harms.
Currently, under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 there is no general mechanism for the Secretary of the Department of Health to authorise a health service or another entity type to obtain, possess or otherwise deal with medicines, where this is considered appropriate and does not create a risk. The Act currently requires each entity to apply for and be granted a licence or permit. The Bill will amend the Act to create a mechanism for the Secretary to authorise a class of entity. In doing so the Secretary will be required to make a risk assessment as set out in the proposed provisions, and authorised entities will still be required to comply with provisions in the Act and Regulations, including medicines requirements relating to storage, record keeping, access and administration. This streamlined mechanism will reduce unnecessary regulatory burden on entities and allow regulatory oversight to appropriately focus on high-risk entities. It will also support safe and timely access to medications for Victorians. For example, Victorian Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) cannot currently be supplied or possess antiviral medicines from the National Medicines Stockpile unless they hold a permit.
The Bill will also reduce regulatory burden for businesses to sell dried meat online. The Bill includes an amendment which will clarify that the Meat Industry Act 1993 does not apply to the online sale of dried meat, which the Act was never intended to do, ensuring that online retailers are treated the same way as bricks and mortar retailers – both being of low risk to consumers. It won’t mean that dried meat sale will be unregulated – it will still be regulated under the Food Act 1984.
Other amendments to the Meat Industry Act 1993 include updating Commonwealth and Victorian licencing and inspection requirements to avoid duplication and making it easier for Prime Safe to rescind outdated Codes of Practice allowing for a more efficient way to keep them up to date.
The Bill will also streamline licensing requirements in the Meat Industry Act 1993 and Seafood Safety Act 2003 to recognise that refrigerated vehicles are often used to transport multiple commodities. Issuing one type of licence to transport meat and seafood will reduce the regulatory burden on businesses transporting both products. The Bill will also amend the Meat Industry Act 1994 to remove a requirement that poultry and game processing facilities provide information to PrimeSafe and that PrimeSafe does not actually need or use to assess licenses and license conditions. The Bill will also remove an impractical requirement in the Meat Industry Act 1994 for PrimeSafe to refuse a licence for vehicle-based meat processing facilities where an application is inconsistent with applicable planning schemes.
The Bill will amend the Casino Control Act 1991 to remove a requirement for casino special employees (CSE) licence applicants to provide evidence of certain former employment that is not relevant to the licensing criteria, ensuring that there is appropriate alignment between the application process and legislative criteria.
Currently under the Social Services Regulation Act 2021, registered social service providers must notify the Social Services Regulator about changes to information provided on registration. The current notification requirement is broader than necessary and may unintentionally result in an over-capture of information being required to be provided to the Social Services Regulator. In addition, the Social Services Regulation Act 2021 requires registered social service providers to notify the Social Services Regulator of any “serious incident” that has occurred or may pose a serious risk to service users during the delivery of a social service. The Social Services Regulator may exempt a provider or class of providers from this requirement if they are required to give notice of the incident to another body. However, the exemption provision in the Social Services Regulation Act 2021 is unintentionally broad, as it only enables the Social Services Regulator to exempt a provider from notifying about all rather than some, serious incidents.
The Bill will amend the Social Services Regulation Act 2021 to enable the streamlining of mandatory notifications by registered social service providers to the Social Services Regulator. The amendments will ensure better targeting of information provided to the Regulator, by only requiring providers to notify the Regulator of changes to information provided on registration that “materially impact service delivery.” The amendments also enable the Regulator to exempt a provider from notifying about particular types of incidents, rather than only having the option of exempting providers from all notification requirements, which is unlikely to be workable in practice. By ensuring the exemption provisions work as intended, this is expected to reduce the notification burden on registered social service providers.
The Bill will improve food safety compliance – and improve food safety for Victorian consumers – by amendments to the Food Act 1984 to ensure that the Secretary of the Department of Health and local councils can direct a business to undertake improvements to an inadequate food safety program prepared for a specified food premises.
The second objective of the Bill is to improve emergency preparedness. It will do this by amending the Environment Protection Act 2017 to clearly enable the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to authorise transportation of waste for the purposes of meeting a temporary emergency, providing for the temporary relief of a public nuisance or community hardship, or enabling the commissioning, repair, decommissioning or dismantling of any item of plant or equipment. This amendment will assist the EPA in emergency response contexts, such as in an emergency animal disease situation, floods or fires and allow the EPA to set proportionate regulatory requirements relating to the transportation of waste in these circumstances.
The third objective of the Bill is to support technology neutral legislation. It will amend three Acts to do this.
Keno licensees will be able to authorise remote access to Keno systems under the amendments to the Gambling Regulation Act 2003, reflecting the advancements in technology that mean that access is not required to be physical. The Bill will also make amendments to that Act so that only a single approval is required for linked jackpot arrangements installed at the same venue. A linked jackpot arrangement is two or more gaming machines linked to a device recording a winning result. Currently such arrangements require both the monitoring licensee and the venue operator to obtain approval for one arrangement. This amendment will mean the monitoring licensee can obtain approval for both which keeps the level of regulation but reduces the number of applications.
In line with the recommendations of the parliamentary Inquiry into the Closure of I Cook Foods Pty Ltd, the Bill will amend the Food Act 1984 to clarify and modernise notice requirements to allow for electronic transmission and publication of closure orders. The Act will also be clarified so that such orders can be given or served by email.
The Bill will also amend the Meat Industry Act 1993 to allow for delegation to the Chief Executive Officer of PrimeSafe to occur through electronic means rather than made under common seal, ensuring more practical and modern governance processes.
Last and certainly not least, the Bill seeks to make simple and uncontroversial amendments to support an effective and efficient regulatory system through amendments to a variety of Acts.
The Bill will remove an unnecessarily burdensome requirement for the Essential Services Commission (ESC) to serve price determination notices to commercial passenger services resulting in ESC needing to send over 8,000 notices to individuals, resulting in a significant administrative burden that absorbs time that could be devoted higher-value activities. The original policy intent was for these notices to be sent to water and energy businesses where the number of notices that needed to be sent was relatively low. The Bill will amend the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 (ESC Act) to remove this requirement whilst still requiring the ESC to provide determinations should any regulated entity request it.
Another reduction in administrative burden for the ESC is an amendment to the ESC Act to remove the requirement that entire Codes of Practice and their amendments to be published in full in the Government Gazette. The ESC has been remaking and amending Codes of Practice with compliance to this provision resulting in a significant number of pages being published in the Gazette at a large financial cost to the ESC. Instead, the ESC will be required to publish notice of the change in the Government Gazette with the full changes published on ESC’s website. This is also practical for regulated entities and the public noting that the Government Gazette primarily has a more legal or technical audience.
The Bill will make some changes to the ESC’s enforcement provisions and its information gathering notices and powers. Currently the definition of “civil penalty requirement” under section 3 of the ESC Act does not include any orders made under section 17 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 nor under section 24 of the Gas Industry Act 2001. Consistent with recommendations from the Embedded Networks Review, the amendment will allow the ESC to use its enforcement provisions to improve outcomes for consumers within embedded networks. The Bill will also amend the ESC Act to clarify that the delegation power under section 26(1) extends to powers or functions that are set out in orders as well, thereby clarifying the ESC’s scope of delegated functions.
Another amendment will allow for the ESC to use the information-gathering powers in Part 4 of the ESC Act rather than rely on section 4G of the Water Industry Act 1994. This helps to support compliance while ensuring better checks and balances for licensees against self-incrimination. This will also allow the ESC to exercise a consistent set of information-gathering powers across all its regulated sectors.
The Bill will amend the Regional Development Victoria Act 2002 to update the membership numbers and meeting frequency of the Regional Development Advisory Committee (RDAC). An increase to the membership of RDAC from nine to 10 people ensures that each region is formally represented. The current model, which includes nine Regional Partnerships chairs and an independent chair, has been managed by requiring one member to temporarily stand aside from formal appointment, including voting rights. A reduction in the number of required RDAC meetings from six to four per year aligns RDAC meeting arrangements with other similar advisory groups.
The Bill will include consequential and transitional amendments to the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 arising from changes to the Social Services Regulation Act 2001. The amendments relate to definitions in the Children Youth and Families Act 2005, such as the definition of “community-based child and family service” to reflect that from 1 July 2024, these providers need to be registered under the Social Services Regulation Act 2021 rather than the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005. Without these amendments, there may be a lack of clarity about the ability to place children at existing services, such as out of home care services.
The Bill will improve information sharing arrangements in respect of the Child Information Sharing Scheme under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 by updating references to restricted information sharing entities and clarifying the power to delegate for restricted information sharing entities under the Child Information Sharing Scheme. The Bill will enable regulations to be made empowering restricted information sharing entities to delegate their powers and functions by instrument in the same way as information sharing entities, which will be administratively more efficient and timely.
The Bill will make several amendments to the Food Act 1984. It will update the Food Act 1984 to enable orders to be made on additional grounds prescribed by regulations to address food safety risks. The Bill will also update the Food Act 1984 to prescribe infringements for breaches of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, specifically the horticultural primary production and processing standards 4.2.7, 4.2.8 and 4.2.9 approved by the Food Ministers’ Meeting later in 2022. The Bill will allow implementation of these standards by providing the Minister for Agriculture with adequate regulation-making powers to enable a registration framework for horticulture businesses.
The Bill will amend the Meat Industry Act 1993 to clarify that Parts 2 and 5 of the Act apply to poultry and game processing. This will simplify the legislation and help ensure consistency in regulatory requirements.
A loophole currently found in both the Meat Industry Act 1993 and the Seafood Safety 2003 will be amended by this Bill. Currently, licence applicants under both Acts that are refused for a licence renewal can obtain a licence by instead applying for a new licence. The Bill will close this loophole and allows the regulator to refuse licence applications where a person has failed to comply with a licence condition.
The Bill will amend the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 to improve the operations of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) and the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). The amendments will improve the efficiency of investigations, prosecutions, registrations and notification functions. The amendments will:
• simplify the process of reinstating expired teacher and early childhood teacher registrations;
• ensure that requirements for commencing prosecution for offences relating to apprentices are consistent with other provisions in the legislation;
• ensure that provisions in the legislation that relate to Ministerial Orders function properly;
• ensure that authorised officers are able to appropriately seize documents or other things as required by their roles; and
• clarify that the:
o VRQA must notify an affected person of its intention to publish certain non-compliance information on its website and provide that person an opportunity to make a submission in response and for that submission to be considered by the VRQA before the decision to publish is made; and
o VRQA must publish the original date on which that information is published.
The Bill provides greater flexibility under the Monetary Units Act 2004 in fee setting. This is achieved through amendments to allow regulations in Victoria to prescribe small fees in the form of fee units by removing an unnecessary prohibition that means a fee less than the equivalent of one fee unit (currently $15.03), cannot be fixed in fractions of a fee unit. This change will ensure that fee units can be set for small fees and thus indexed annually to keep up with inflation, contributing to more sustainable regulatory systems from a cost recovery perspective. The Bill will also clarify that fee units can be used not only for regulations but other types of legislative instruments that may set fees, thus recognising that fees are set not only by regulations by other instruments.
Finally, this Bill will make minor ‘housekeeping’ amendments to correct inaccurate or outdated legislative or machinery of government references to the Sale of Land Act 1962 and the Land (Goonawarra Golf Course) Act 1988 to update references to Homes Victoria, Regional Development Victoria Act to update references to Melton City Council and reflect machinery of government changes and the Meat Industry Act 1993 to remove redundant provisions, reflect machinery of government changes and correct typographical errors.
In summary, this Bill covers a wide range of matters but its objectives are clear and focused on supporting regulatory clarity, flexibility, and sustainability. This includes reductions in regulatory burdens and inefficient processes, where appropriate. As noted earlier, the Bill provides over $2.6 million in direct savings to businesses, but these direct savings are in addition to other benefits that more difficult to estimate – such as clearer, more modern laws, enhanced food safety and improved outcomes for consumers with embedded electricity networks, and easier access to medications for residents of aged care facilities.
I commend the Bill to the House.
James NEWBURY (Brighton) (10:44): I move:
That debate be adjourned.
Motion agreed to and debate adjourned.
Ordered that debate be adjourned for two weeks. Debate adjourned until Wednesday 13 December.