Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

I beg to move amendment No. 23, in

clause 22, page 12, line 35, leave out subsection (2).

Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central, Labour)

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following amendments:

No. 58, in

clause 22, page 12, line 39, leave out subsection (3).

No. 59, in

clause 22, page 13, line 5, leave out subsection (4).

No. 60, in

clause 22, page 13, line 11, leave out subsection (5).

Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

Because of the extent of our debate on amendment No. 57, which applied to clause 21, I can deal with these probing amendments quite briefly. Amendment No. 23 is linked to amendment No. 57 in seeking to delete the requirement that the UK would have to have won the bid in 2005 before the licence could commence. We hope at least to persuade the Government to adopt a version of amendment No. 57, perhaps in a Government amendment, before the Bill has finished its passage through both Houses and perhaps persuade them to launch a kind of Team GB-related lottery to coincide with the 2004 Athens Olympics and Paralympics. Clearly we do not know whether our arguments will be successful. It did not sound as if they would be a few minutes ago, but stranger things have been known.

Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)

You never know.

Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

Indeed. As I have said, we shall continue to pursue the matter.

I shall not seek to repeat the debate that we have just had on amendment No. 57; you would not allow me to do so, Mr. Illsley, even if I so wished. If the Government introduced a version of amendment No. 57, they would also be modifying subsections (3), (4) and (5) of clause 22, which Opposition amendments Nos. 58, 59 and 60 would delete. This group of amendments stands or falls with the decision on amendment No. 57. I am probing the same issue, however, and that is all I need to say at this stage. I shall listen to the Minister with interest. I am sure that his officials will have told him to point out that there are probably some drafting weaknesses in this group

of amendments, but his comments may inform our future debates.

Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)

We have had the debate and I shall now give the technical reasons for rejecting the amendment.

Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

Briefly.

Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)

I have three pages of brief.

Mr Don Foster (Bath, Liberal Democrat)

The Minister has three pages of technical brief on why the hon. Member for Surrey Heath made a drafting error. As we are all in favour of adult and continuing education, perhaps he would agree to give a copy to the hon. Gentleman at the end of our proceedings so that he can learn some lessons. The rest of us have not made such mistakes, so we do not need to see a copy.

Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)

In that case, I ask the hon. Gentleman to withdraw the amendment.

Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

I look forward to receiving the written tutorial of the Minister and his officials. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 22 ordered to stand part of the Bill