Crime (International Co-operation) Bill [Lords]

Mr Bob Ainsworth (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Coventry North East, Labour)

I beg to move,

That—

(1) during proceedings on the Crime (International Co-operation) Bill [Lords] the Standing Committee shall meet when the House is sitting on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.10 am and 2.30 p.m.;

(2) the proceedings shall be taken in the following order, namely Clauses 1 to 15, Schedule 1, Clauses 16 to 31, Schedule 2, new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Chapters 1 to 3 of Part 1, Clauses 32 to 51, remaining new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 1, Clauses 52 and 53, new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 2, Clause 54, Schedule 3, Clauses 55 to 79, new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 3, Clauses 80 to 89, Schedule 4, Clause 90, Schedules 5 and 6, Clauses 91 to 95, remaining new Clauses and new Schedules, remaining proceedings;

(3) the proceedings on Clauses 1 to 15, Schedule 1, Clauses 16 to 31, Schedule 2 and new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Chapters 1 to 3 of Part 1 shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 5.15 pm on Thursday 12th June;

(4) the proceedings on Clauses 32 to 51, remaining new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 1, Clauses 52 and 53, new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 2, Clause 54, Schedule 3, Clauses 55 to 79 and new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 3 shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 6.55 pm on Tuesday 17th June;

(5) the remaining proceedings on the Bill shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 5.15 pm on Thursday 19th June.

I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Benton, and members of the Committee to our proceedings. I understand that there have been extensive discussions between all three parties. I am not sure whether the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon) was included in them, but I hope that she will go along with the consensus that has been reached about how we divide our time to enable us properly to scrutinise the Bill. I wish to repeat the assurance given to me by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East (Mr. Heppell) that, if we have difficulty about how time has been allocated, we will consider appropriate changes to be made to accommodate the Committee and give it the maximum ability to scrutinise the Bill.

Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)

I repeat the Minister's welcome to you, Mr. Benton, and members of the Committee to what will be fairly short, but no doubt sharp, proceedings. I welcome the Minister back to his accustomed place in Committee, when debating other Bills. We have no criticism to make of the motion. As the hon. Gentleman said, it has been the subject of discussion. We are happy with it. There are only two knives in it, so there is scope for variation in our progress as long as we meet the criteria.

I welcome the Minister's commitment to a review, if that were necessary. However, I am sure that we can proceed with the Bill. It will not be the most exciting measure that we have debated, but I am sure that members of the Committee will do their best to make up for what the Bill lacks in excitement. A few issues will certainly give rise to contention. We shall endeavour to make them as contentious as possible so that members of the Committee will not think that their time has been wasted. We are happy with the motion, and I suggest that we proceed with the Bill.

Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)

I, too, welcome you to the Committee, Mr. Benton. For those of us who are involved regularly in the legislative incontinence of the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department, it is nice to be back in the Room, albeit for a slightly briefer time than that we spent considering the Criminal Justice Bill, in which so many of us were involved.

I am also content with the programming motion. We have had the benefit of constructive discussions. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Nottingham, East, whom I fear that I constantly embarrass by saying how co-operative he is in such matters. He did a good job of ensuring that we had as good a run at the Criminal Justice Bill as was possible within the confines of a restricted timetable. I am confident that he will take the same action on this Bill.

We have serious matters to discuss about the English and Welsh jurisdictions as well in the Scottish jurisdiction. I am glad that my hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) is a member of the Committee. He knows about Scots law, as a result of which he is potentially unique in Committee. I hope that he will be listened to, especially in respect of Scottish matters. It is now best to proceed with the Bill with due dispatch.

Question put and agreed to.

Mr Joe Benton (Bootle, Labour)

I remind hon. Members that adequate notice should be given of amendments. As a general rule, my co-Chairman and I do not intend to call starred amendments, including any that may be reached during an afternoon sitting of the Committee. I also remind members of the Committee to switch off their mobile phones.Clause 1 Service of overseas process