New clause 7 - Regulations
Housing Benefit (Withholding of Payment) Bill
5:15 pm
Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South, Labour)
I shall have the last word from the Chair and perform the necessary duty of expressing my appreciation to the Committee members for their demeanour. Although there was general feeling of frustration at several points, I appreciated their control and, when control was lost, the disciplined way in which the frustration was expressed. It was appreciated and helped me in chairing the Committee. I express my thanks to all concerned for their assistance to me in conducting what was not the easiest business.
I thank also those on my left. I shall name three clerks: Mr. Lloyd, who has been invaluable by my side for most of our proceedings, Mr. Cranmer, who has helped on other occasions, and Mr. Poyser, who has come in at the back of the Room. We owe a great debt to him for laying the procedural minefield that we have managed to negotiate. It was not an easy job, and I thank him for that. I thank also the Hansard reporters, who have coped with not the easiest of tasks, and the attendants, who have not had the most difficult job of keeping things in order, but they would have helped if we had needed them. I am sure that they anticipated that the frustration would break out into direct action.
I also thank those on my right. They are traditionally seen but not heard, but on this occasion they had a particular role: I was very grateful on several occasions to be able to borrow their highlighter to help me to identify key points and keep us in order.
The hon. Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East has now left the Room, but he referred to my propensity to quote Latin. I did not intend to, but I made several remarks in Latin. I was musing. I often turn to Juvenal for the apposite quotation. He said,
''Quis tulerit gracchos de seditione querentes.''
I shall explain that: the brothers Gracchi were tribunes of the people in ancient Rome. They were noted for
direct action. Juvenal was saying, ''Who takes any notice of the Gracchi if they complain about action that was out of order?''
That theme has underlined much of the Committee's debates. We have reached the end of a Bill that deals with a delicate subject. I appreciate the principles of the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton, but I was pleased to hear him say that, although I had to rein him in on occasions, I did my
best to give him the full opportunity to express his views. With those words of appreciation, I shall perform my last duty to the Committee.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, to be reported.
Committee rose at twenty-six minutes past Five o'clock.