Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative)

I welcome members of the Committee to this sitting. I shall be in the Chair again this afternoon. I hope that people had a restful weekend, particularly the Minister, given his burden of duties. When the Committee adjourned last Thursday, it had made good progress and had completed up to and including clause 22.

Humfrey Malins (Shadow Minister, (Assisted By Shadow Law Officers); Woking, Conservative)

On a point of order, Sir Nicholas. Thank you for your kind comments. Welcome to the Chair today. On behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) and myself, I offer the Minister our warmest thanks for the kindness and courtesy that he showed yesterday. He made available his officials to take us through some of the new clauses, of which they gave us a very helpful explanation. They were extremely helpful and kind.

Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative)

That was not strictly a point of order. However, I was delighted to take it and allow it, because it shows Parliament working at its best, where there is co-operation on a technical and sensitive Bill. I am grateful to the hon. Member for making that point to the Government.