New Schedule 2 - Discharge of fines by unpaid work
Courts Bill [Lords]
11:15 am
Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
Further to that point of order, Mr. O'Brien. We seem to have done too many of these mini Oscar ceremonies in this Session, although, of course, I concur with everything that the Minister and the hon. Member for Surrey Heath said. I extend our thanks to you, your co-Chairman and everyone else who has been involved with the Committee. It has been an extremely good Committee and has starred what has become, during this Session, almost a repertory company of hon. Members with an interest in home affairs and legal matters.
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk for taking time out from his Treasury duties to fill in so ably for me while I was creating peace and security across Europe on Tuesday. Indeed, I thank all the members of what has been a good Committee. The Bill is a better measure than when it started its passage through the House and, indeed, through this Committee. We hope for further progress yet, but at least the Bill is different from the one that caused so much concern when first published. That has happened as a result of scrutiny by Parliament, which shows that sometimes this place can do its job properly.