New Clause 1 - Protection of freedom of expression
Racial and Religious Hatred Bill
1:45 pm
Dominic Grieve (Shadow Attorney General, (Assist the Home Affairs Team); Beaconsfield, Conservative)
I, too, Mr. Benton, thank you, Mr. Gale and Mr. O’Hara for chairing the Committee. I thank all participants in the proceedings, and the staff who helped us in our deliberations. It has been an interesting Committee, which I, for one, found enjoyable.
I also thank the Whips. For the first time since I have been in the House, we have had a Committee that had enough time properly to consider the legislation. That was done by providing an extension that doubled the time available. In fact, we have not made use of all that time, but that has allowed us to deliberate at a steady and sensible pace, to take breaks at sensible moments, and to come to new topics rather more clear-headed than we might otherwise have. The Committee has been a model of its kind. If that practice continues, and if it is the way things are going, I will no longer vote against programme motions. For that I would need some persuasion that in matters more complicated we can carry out our scrutiny with similar good sense. I thank everyone, particularly you, Mr. Benton, for sharing the proceedings.