Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill
10:30 am
Alistair Burt (Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government), Communities and Local Government; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. That is the reason why we are raising this procedural point. The House agrees that the innovation is important, and we want to get it right. I hope that, in future, notice is taken of the timing issues.
In his note, Lord Cope makes reference to the need to think ahead. He states:
“The timing will be very tight, particularly between second reading and decisions about who is to give evidence and for how long. Lobbyists and MPs involved will have to think ahead.”
We make those points because the rush that my hon. Friend described suggests that the Committee might not have thought ahead quite as much as it should have done. Notwithstanding that, and although we have our complaints, the Committee should proceed in the way in which the Government have suggested. However, if the Government note our concerns and pass them back through the usual channels, problems can be avoided in the future.
On the programming of the Committee, we asked for 22 sittings. However, after evidence is taken, we will have 16 sittings. The broad split that the Government have in mind for discussing the Bill is fine, and we will accommodate it—it is pretty much in line with our thinking. There may be a little bit of flexibility either way, but we intend to take the measure through Committee as the Government have suggested. That gives us plenty of time to examine the Bill as we would wish, and to make our objections. We hope that the spirit that we are taking towards the Committee shows that when we divide the Committee, the concerns we raise are genuine and serious. We will not play games in the Committee. We will put forward the issues that matter and vote on them accordingly. Within that framework, we are looking forward to dealing with the witnesses and the substance of the Bill in the right spirit.