New schedule 2 - Limited liability partnerships: investment LLPs and property investment LLPs
Finance Bill
6:45 pm
Ms Dawn Primarolo (Paymaster General, HM Treasury; Bristol South, Labour)
On a point of order, Dr. Clark. As we appear to be moving swiftly to the 7 o'clock guillotine, I thought that it would be appropriate to put on record the Committee's thanks to you and to your Deputy Chairmen, Mr. O'Hara and Mr. Hood, for steering us expertly through the Committee. I thank the Clerks, the police, the attendants, and the Hansard staff. I also thank the civil servants of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise for their assistance encouragement, patience, forbearance and tolerance. They sat silently through the proceedings without wishing to enter into the discussion, which demonstrated their great reserve.
I also thank the Opposition team led by the hon. Member for West Dorset, especially as we have progressed through the Finance Bill in unusual circumstances. I cannot promise that we will proceed through it as swiftly in future years, but if he is prepared to assist us from the Opposition Benches next year, we will do our best to make similar progress.
All Opposition Members, including the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton and his team, have participated in the proceedings with patience and good humour. Some of them have displayed a little irritation with the Government on occasions, but Opposition Members are allowed to do that. The hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs is nodding. I do not understand why. He fell asleep in the Committee this afternoon and had to be woken by his hon. Friends, so he should be careful. However, he is about due for his nicotine fix, and a Committee would not be a Committee if he was not told that he should give up smoking, as it is bad for his health.
I also thank my hon. Friends. They are an excellent collection of politicians, and many of them are Members of Parliament of great experience. They have patiently assisted the progress of the Bill, and are now raring to leave the Committee to return to more pressing considerations, following the Prime Minister's announcement earlier today—except for my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham (Mr. Banks), who is desperate for a beer, and can now escape to the Terrace to drink it.
Finally, Dr. Clark, I again thank you for your support during the proceedings.