Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport; South Thanet, Labour)
I beg to move,
That—
(1) during proceedings on the Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [Lords] the Standing Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday 7th February) meet—
(a)at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 7th February;
(b)at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 9th February;
(2) the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 9th February.
Welcome to the Chair, Mrs. Anderson. This is my first opportunity to serve under your chairmanship, and I am looking forward to it. We have put together not only a distinguished but a suitably heavyweight Committee to discuss this important Bill. I welcome Committee members and also look forward to working with them. The Bill is, I hope, non-controversial, but it needs to be properly scrutinised, and the programme motion gives us more than adequate time to do that.