Rating (Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Bill
10:30 am
Ms Hilary Armstrong (Minister of State (Local Government and Housing), Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions; North West Durham, Labour)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Benton. The Bill is short, but we always need good chairing in Committee. I know that you will provide precisely that, and I hope that our proceedings will not mark the last occasion on which I work with you on a Bill in Committee.
I beg to move,
That—
(1) in addition to the first sitting this day at half-past Ten o'clock, one further sitting, to be held this day at half-past Four o'clock, shall be allocated to the consideration of the Rating (Former Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Bill;
(2) the proceedings on the Bill shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at Ten o'clock this day.
The Programming Sub-Committee met at 10 o'clock. The resolution before us is simple, proposing that the Committee meets twice today and concludes consideration of the Bill by 10 pm. That is consistent with the programme motion to which the House agreed immediately after Second Reading on 30 April. The hon. Members for Ashford (Mr. Green) and for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) spoke against the programming motion then. However, they were co-operative this morning, so I hope that they will not detain the Committee too much on the motion.
We have 14 amendments and a new clause, marshalled into seven groups, to consider on this six-clause Bill. The resolution gives us about eight hours to consider them, which provides adequate time to debate the issues fully. I hope that it finds favour with the Committee.