Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative)

May I welcome hon. Members to the third sitting of the Finance Bill Committee. It may still be a slightly early hour for some, but summer has finally arrived, and I welcome the sun and the blue sky. The Opposition may welcome the arrival of summer in many different ways, but I am sure that that will not affect the way in which the Committee conducts its business today.

Stephen Pound (PPS (Rt Hon Stephen Timms, Minister of State), Department for Work and Pensions; Ealing North, Labour)

On a point of order, Sir Nicholas. Will it be permissible for Members to remove their jackets?

Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative)

I can tell the honourable and distinguished Member that I indicated at our first sitting that if members of the Committee wished to derobe I would be quite happy for them to do so.

Stephen Pound (PPS (Rt Hon Stephen Timms, Minister of State), Department for Work and Pensions; Ealing North, Labour)

Within reason.

Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative)

Indeed.

The funeral of our late colleague, Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, is being held a little later today. My fellow Chairman, Mr. Frank Cook, therefore intends to take the Chair not as would be normal at 1 pm but at 1.30 pm. I understand that at the end of its second sitting the Committee clearly expressed the wish and will to meet at that time.

We now move to our real business. I call the Minister, who has a smile on her face, to move Government amendment No. 53.