Back-door Legislation

Philip Johnson has penned a good article about Labour's tendency to re-announce & re-hash policy, constantly tinkering with laws like someone picking at pox scabs. He pays particular attention to how myriad Statutory Instruments are applied and how they affect the NIR and ID card legislation.

"Unknown to many (including, it sometimes seems, to MPs), these statutory instruments (SIs) are now the principal way that law is made. Most Acts contain powers that Ministers can then trigger at some point in the future by way of secondary legislation. They are required to table them in the Commons for approval and this is obtained from a delegated legislation committee that meets about twice a week to consider the various measures.

"What they do, according to an explanatory memorandum accompanying the SI, is to "outline how applications relating to the National Identity Register and the issue of ID cards should be made and the information that must accompany such application when they are being submitted… They introduce a requirement on an ID card holder to update subsequent changes to certain information held about them on the National Identity Register and report a lost, stolen, damaged, tampered with or destroyed ID card. They also establish the validity of an ID card."."

It's worth reading in full for a better understanding of how this damned disgrace of a government has eroded Parliamentary scrutiny and debate in the House and in so doing has undermined and stolen the voice of the people.
Article here

Back-door Legislation