Lord Rentonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ensure that in future legislation avoids enacting too much hypothetical detail but instead contains statements of principle, as recommended in the report of the Committee on the Preparation of Legislation.[HL5331]
§ Baroness AmosStatements of principle have their uses and examples can be found in various Acts in recent years. Parliamentary draftsmen will continue to use this technique where it is helpful to do so. But where detailed provisions are required the addition of general statements can cause uncertainty and ambiguity. The Government agree with paragraph 11.5 of the 1975 report of the Committee on the Preparation of Legislation that draftsmen should not sacrifice legal certainty for simplicity of language.