Commenting ahead of the House of Lords vote on the Corporate Manslaughter Bill today, Liberal Democrat Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Spokesperson, Lord (John) Lee said:

"The Government will try to blame the opposition if this Bill does not become law, yet in reality ministers have only themselves to blame. For the last decade the Government's approach to Corporate Manslaughter has been disappointingly half-hearted.

"This Bill was included in Labour's 1997 manifesto, but only came before Parliament in the dying days of the Blair Government.

"The Liberal Democrats are committed to the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, but a weaken Bill will not work. Ministers must include a firm date for deaths in custody to be covered by this legislation."