§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses to the consultation on involuntary manslaughter were received from(a) hon. Members, (b) trade unions, (c) employers organisations and (d) members of the public; in each case, how many (i) broadly supported and (ii) broadly opposed the creation of a new offence of corporate killing; and if he will make a statement. [136937]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeWe received 166 responses to the consultation paper we published in May this year. Of these, 11 were from hon. Members, five from employers associations, three from trade unions and 27 from members of the public. The remainder were contributions from individual undertakings, pressure groups, other representative bodies, lawyers and other Government Departments.
Of these, five hon. Members broadly supported the creation of an offence of corporate killing. The other six confined their comments to the reform of the individual offence. Four of the employers associations indicated their broad support; one was opposed to the creation of a new offence. All trade unions that responded were in support of an offence of corporate killing. Of the members of the public who contributed to the consultation, all who commented on corporate killing were in broad support of the proposals.
We are now carefully considering all responses and will publish a digest of them in due course.