I beg to move amendment No. 510, in page 190, line 39, leave out paragraph (c).

As we discovered in Committee a week or so ago, the shortest amendments often elicit the greatest debate on matters of principle. This amendment is a case in point, because it goes to the issue of retrospection. Ministers or members of the Committee of any party will not be surprised to learn that there are concerns of principle about legislation having retrospective effect. I anticipate that the Minister will accuse us of being soft on money launderers. I will listen carefully to what he has to say on the special reasons why retrospection is justified in this case. Despite that, and the fact that I understand that he may have more of a case for retrospection in that field of law than in others, it would not be right to the let the matter go through

without at least discussing it, because it is rather like legal professional privilege.

Governments of all parties are always tempted to chip away at the traditional principle that provisions should not have a retrospective effect, and that is a danger. I am not making a partisan political point.