Evan Harris (Science, Non-Departmental & Cross Departmental Responsibilities; Oxford West & Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)

Is it possible for the Minister to explain why the amendment is being made? I am not sure that it is one we have debated before.

Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)

I am happy to explain the purpose of the amendment to any members of the Committee who may not have had the privilege of dealing with what is known as a privilege amendment before. It completes a formal piece of parliamentary procedure. When a Bill is introduced in the Lords, as this one was, at Third Reading in the Lords a ''privilege amendment'' is moved formally by the Government. The reason for the Lords making the privilege amendment is that it is the privilege of the Commons to control charges on public funds. To avoid infringing this privilege, the   Lords therefore formally declare that nothing in a Bill starting in their House involves such a charge.

The amendment removes the House of Lords self-denying privilege amendment in subsection (2) of clause 93. The Bill involves a charge on public funds—for example, in relation to the cost of the commission—which it falls to the Commons to control. I hope that that has clarified the purpose and effect of the formal piece of parliamentary procedure completed by Amendment No. 20.

Roger Gale (North Thanet, Conservative)

I am sure that the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) will take comfort from the fact that the rights of the Commons remain inviolate.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 93, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.