Fraud Bill [Lords]
David Heath (Shadow Leader of the House of Commons & Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, Cabinet Office; Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
Mr. Amess, may I also welcome you to the Chair? My suspicion is that the Committee will be a good-tempered, intelligent and well-argued one. It is a pleasure to deal with Home Office or home affairs business that is not as contentious as we have done on occasion.
There is general agreement that the Bill has merit but there are details that we will wish to explore in depth. However, I suspect that the programme motion, for once, gives us adequate time to deal with the niceties of matters before us. There is no need for me to delay the Committee further, other than to say that I know my hon. Friend the Member for Cheadle (Mr. Hunter) is simultaneously serving on another Standing Committee on the Company Law Reform Bill. Therefore, although I will welcome my hon. Friend’s presence, I understand the essential dichotomy that faces him in being a member of two Committees at the same time.