It is helpful.

The rationale given was simply that the amendment would change the title in the way that I described. It rightly refers to the report published last September by the Government strategy unit on the charitable and not-for-profit sectors and to the consultation period.

That is relevant to all industrial and provident societies because the report reviewed the legislative framework of their businesses and made several key recommendations, which may transpire in future Government legislation. One of them was that we should now refer to ''co-operatives and community benefit societies'' and that the umbrella term ''industrial and provident society'' should no longer be used.

It is felt that the term ''industrial and provident society'' is old-fashioned and meaningless in a modern business context. Indeed, no societies call themselves by that term, choosing to use the more public-friendly terminology, ''co-operatives and community benefit societies'' instead. It is a modest request, which simply seeks to bring the name of the legislation, the subject of clause 5—