Mr John Denham (Minister of State, Department of Health; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)

On a point of order, Mr. Maxton. It may be helpful to you and the Committee if I say something about the Government amendments that were tabled last night and others that will be tabled later today. The Government need to table a number of technical amendments to clauses that we shall be debating on Thursday. I regret that they should have been tabled so late in the day.

I shall be writing to right hon. and hon. Members today, setting out the nature of the amendments and explaining their purpose. I shall also endeavour to produce by 7 pm a consolidated version of the Bill, so that Committee members can see the amended version. If, on considering the amendments, right hon. and hon. Members wish to propose that the Sub-Committee should meet to consider extended sittings within the timetable, we would certainly consider it.

Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge, Conservative)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Maxton. The Minister has outlined a problem that the Committee will face on Thursday. The difficulty is that the Opposition may wish to table amendments to the Government amendments once we have seen them. Would it be possible for you to say whether, in such exceptional circumstances, you would be willing to call starred amendments on Thursday amending the Government amendments that will be tabled later today?

Mr John Maxton (Glasgow, Cathcart, Labour)

On that last point, it would be a matter that I should have to consider at the time. Obviously, I would not rule it out at this stage. Clause 16 Intervention orders