Clause 104 - Short title and extent
Childcare Bill
10:30 am
Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families), Department for Education and Skills; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
On a point of order, Mr. Amess. I want to express my sincere thanks to you and Mr. Benton for the way in which you conducted the Committee proceedings. You kept us on the straight and narrow, with good humour and a helpful approach, as you displayed just now. That helped to create a good foundation for our deliberations.
I also thank Opposition Members for their penetrating and probing amendments, which have required us to think more clearly, deeply and quickly about what we intend. I hope that, for the most part—if not entirely—they have been satisfied with our responses, and at least satisfied that everyone was on the same side as far as the Bill’s objectives were concerned, although we may have had slight differences about the best ways of getting there.
I should also like to thank my hon. Friends for their forensic interventions and for constituency stories, which helped to colour the rather dry language in the Bill. Their interventions were always good natured. They have been a formidable team and have certainly been supportive, for which I thank them.
I should also like to thank the Whips. They have obviously conducted their negotiations in a fruitful fashion, which has helped us. I am also grateful to my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for her support.
Last but not least, I thank the Clerks who have assisted us and all the officials who have been involved with the Committee from time to time. I also thank my Bill team, without whom we would not have managed so well.
As we come to the end of the Committee stage of this pioneering and radical Bill, I once again thank you, Mr. Amess, and Mr. Benton. I wish hon. Members a happy Christmas and give them my best wishes for the new year.