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Criminal Law (Amendment) (Protection of Property) Bill

My hon. Friend makes a good point and I can add nothing to it. I was not planning to raise that issue so I am grateful to him for doing so. Lord Morris went on to say:"““If there is some relatively minor attack it would not be common sense to permit some action of retaliation which was wholly out of proportion to the necessities of the situation.””" That is what the Bill would create: a situation in which a relatively minor attack could be met by something completely out of proportion. Lord Morris continued:"““If the attack is all over and no sort of peril remains then the employment of force may be by way of revenge or punishment or by way of paying off an old score . . . There may no longer be any link with a necessity of defence.””" That position is not covered by the Bill, but many people may think that it was and they could be criminalised. Under the present law, they may hold back.