Clause 1 - Annual reports: general
International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
9:00 am
Mark Simmonds (Shadow Minister for International Development, International Development; Boston and Skegness, Conservative)
I join the right hon. Gentleman in saying how pleased I am, Mr. Hood, to serve under your watchful eye. I and my hon. Friends congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on the enormous effort that he has put into his Bill, the excellent way in which he has held a disparate and diverse group of people together in order to progress it, and the excellent way in which he genuinely listened to the suggestions made by Member of all parties on Second Reading. Indeed, in consultation with the Minister, he has taken on board several of those suggestions, which we see in many of the new clauses.
As the right hon. Gentleman said, the amendments to clause 1 give us clarity and simplification, and we agree with them. However, I wish to raise two specific points about the wording. First, will the Minister say why the report will be laid before “either House” rather than both? I wonder why that wording was chosen. Secondly, it is important that the report does not stay in a dusty corner—if, indeed, there is one in the House of Commons Library. The Bill should make it clear that the report must be debated in the Chamber.
Generally, we support the simplification and clarity of the amendments as we do the changes that have been made by the right hon. Gentleman and the new clauses that will be proposed by the Minister.