Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill
10:45 am
Christopher Chope (Christchurch, Conservative)
I thought that the Minister’s response to my point about the umbrella of a point of order was hopelessly inadequate. During discussions on the issue with the Select Committee on Procedure, he said that he would probably introduce amendments at this stage. We have no Government amendments, and now we see that we will have such a truncated programme that it will be almost too late for the Government to table amendments to the first part of the Bill; they will be starred amendments and will not be accepted.
The Minister said blandly that eight sittings should give us adequate time, but we could have had 12 sittings under the terms of the order of the House. I do not know whether it is due to the usual channels—I am not party to them—but I should have thought that we could have spent 12 sittings examining a Bill of such significance. One of the leading newspapers of our country has described it as outrageous that the Bill is proceeding in this form. It is demanding that Members of Parliament should have a veto over the fiat of the Executive.
I am surprised that we have already lost four sittings, and I am disappointed that we shall not have more time to consider the important points and to challenge the Minister to make his undertakings a reality. We shall come back to that during the substantive debate, but I feel that the timing is inadequate. I add as a small point that it is indigestible that the Committee should meet at 1 pm on a Thursday and carry on until 4.30, rather than having a more civilised time to consider it.