Nick Ainger (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire, Labour)

I beg to move,

That—

(1)Â Â Â during proceedings on the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [Lords] the Standing Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday 27th June) meet—

(a)Â

at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 27th June;

(b)Â

at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 29th June;

(2)Â Â Â the proceedings shall be taken in the following order: Clause 1; Schedule 1; Clauses 2 and 3; Schedule 2; Clauses 4 to 6; Schedule 3; Clauses 7 to 22; Schedule 4; Clauses 23 to 30; new Clauses; new Schedules; remaining proceedings on the Bill;

(3)Â Â Â the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 29th June.

May I extend a warm welcome to you, Mrs. Dean? I am sure that our deliberations will not be too controversial, as the Bill has general support. I also welcome all members of the Committee. As I explained on Second Reading, the purpose of the Bill is to provide powers that will enable the National Assembly for Wales to establish an independent champion for older people. The post will be the first of its kind in the UK—possibly in the world—and follows in the footsteps of the post of Children’s Commissioner, which was another successful first for Wales.

The idea of having such a commissioner was among the recommendations made by the advisory group on a strategy for older people in Wales in its report entitled, “When I’m 64...and More”. The idea was then translated into the firm commitment to establish a commissioner which was made in the Welsh local manifesto in the 2003 assembly elections.

Janet Dean (Burton, Labour)

Order. Perhaps the Minister could deal with that under clause 1.

Nick Ainger (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire, Labour)

Indeed. In that case I shall just add that the programme motion has general support.

Cheryl Gillan (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Wales; Chesham & Amersham, Conservative)

May I add a warm welcome to you, Mrs. Dean? I believe that this is the first time that you have chaired a Standing Committee of this nature, and I am sure that all members of the Committee are united in hoping that you enjoy your chairmanship and in wishing you well. We hope that you go from strength to strength, and we shall try not to give you too much difficulty.

The Minister is right that the Opposition have no problem with the resolution of the Programming Sub-Committee. I should like, however, to offer the apologies of my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb), who is a member of the Committee and who cannot attend today. He has been chosen for a debate on police authority mergers in Westminster Hall, which coincides with our sitting. I am sure that all of us in the Committee would have liked the opportunity to speak on that subject and I am sad that the timing of the Bill’s examination in Committee has caused a problem for an Opposition Member, and possibly for others. I wanted to put that on record so that anyone who reads the transcript of our sitting will be able to note that, no matter how assiduous one is as a parliamentarian—as is the case with my hon. Friend—it is impossible to be in two places at once.

Having said that, and bearing in mind your admonition, Mrs. Dean, to keep introductory remarks on the Bill to stand part debate on clause 1, I have great pleasure in acceding to the programme motion.

Janet Dean (Burton, Labour)

I remind the Committee that there is a money resolution in connection with the Bill, of which copies are available in the Room. I also remind Members that adequate notice of amendments should be given. As a general rule, neither I nor my fellow Chairman intend to call starred amendments, including starred amendments tabled during an afternoon sitting of the Committee.