Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill
9:00 am
Vera Baird (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs; Redcar, Labour)
I beg to move,
That—
(1) in addition to its first meeting on Thursday 15th March at 9.00 a.m., the Committee shall meet on—
(a) Thursday 15th March at 1.00 p.m.,
(b) Tuesday 20th March at 10.45 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.,
(c) Thursday 22nd March at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m., and
(d) Tuesday 27th March at 10.45 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.;
(2) the proceedings shall be taken in the order shown below and shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday 27th March. Clauses 1 and 2; Schedule 1; Clauses 3 and 4; Schedule 2; Clause 5; Schedule 3; Clauses 6 and 7; Schedule 4; Clauses 8 to 22; Schedule 5; Clauses 23 to 36; Schedule 6; Clauses 37 to 44; Schedule 7; Clauses 45 to 47; new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 1; Clause 48; Schedules 8 and 9; Clauses 49 and 50; Schedule 10; Clauses 51 to 53; Schedule 11; Clauses 54 to 57; Schedules 12 and 13; Clauses 58 to 81; Schedule 14; Clauses 82 to 85; new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 3; Clause 86; Schedule 15; Clauses 87 to 100; new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 4; Clause 101; Schedule 16; Clauses 102 and 103; Schedules 17 to 20; Clauses 104 to 108; Schedule 21; Clauses 109 to 128; new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 5; Clauses 129 to 133; new Clauses and new Schedules relating to Part 6; Clause 134; Schedule 22; Clauses 135 to 141; Schedule 23; Clauses 142 to 144; remaining proceedings on the Bill.
Good morning, Mrs. Humble. I welcome you to the Chair. I am looking forward to renewing the close working relationship that you and I had on the Select Committee on Work and Pensions not so long ago.
I am extremely pleased that the Committee’s programme has been agreed through the usual channels in an amiable way. I am grateful to those who took part in that process. I expect that our proceedings will be pleasant, although I hope not too long an experience. The last time that I served on a Committee, we discussed the Company Law Reform Bill, which had 925 clauses and is the longest Bill that has ever been introduced to Parliament. That Committee was also notable for a further reason: since her child care provision failed, my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Kitty Ussher) had to bring her one-year-old daughter with her to all the sittings. So long were our deliberations that the young girl learned to walk. Indeed, when needing a break, many hon. Members were seen holding the baby’s arms and strutting down the corridor with her. We cannot offer such nice distractions on this Committee, so we shall have to make what positive steps we can.
This is a good Bill. It was well received in the House of Lords, and I pay tribute to my colleague there, Baroness Ashton, whose open-minded, co-operative approach I intend to emulate, since I am sure that the Bill can be improved and that its rationales can be probed so that we understand it better. It will transform the Tribunals Service of this country, which plays such a vital role in relations between the individual and the state, adjudicating independently. It will introduce other beneficial changes to help the indebted who need help and who cannot pay, and enforce debts against those who will not pay. Finally, it will assist the museums and art galleries of the country to obtain loans of cultural objects without risk.
I look forward very much to our deliberations. I welcome my hon. Friends and gentlemen and ladies on the Opposition Benches to the Committee and look forward to some co-operative, helpful and improving work.