Clause 1 - Withholding of housing benefit on grounds of anti-social behaviour
Housing Benefit (Withholding of Payment) Bill
9:00 am
Mr Edward Davey (Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)
On a point of order, Mr. O'Hara. I listened with interest to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) and I, too, shall not speak to all the amendments that I tabled to the original clause 1. However, I shall speak to some of them because they raise general issues that need to be debated and have not been. The Minister's letter to you of Tuesday 9 July states:
''I hope that you will accept my apologies for this unavoidable delay''
in tabling amendments
''and look sympathetically at any other amendments that will be consequently delayed.''
That suggests that the Government believe that they may need to table further amendments. I, too, believe that that is necessary. My intention in speaking to some of the amendments to the original clause 1 is to bring out some points that the Government must consider. They must table amendments to their own amendments to ensure that those points are dealt with in the Bill. I hope that that will be in order.