(Except clauses 4, 11, 14 and 23, schedule 2, and any new clauses or new schedules relating to the termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners)
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Roger Gale (North Thanet, Conservative)
I have a few announcements to make. Hon. Members may wish to remove their jackets. As long as I am in the Chair, that will be in order, but I cannot speak for my co-Chairman, who will be joining you next week. Will members of the Committee and others in the room please ensure that their mobile phones, pagers and other electronic devices are switched off during our proceedings—by “off”, I mean off? The Committee may wish to be reminded of the money resolution in connection with the Bill, copies of which are available in the room.
I remind members of the Committee that adequate notice must be given of amendments. As a general rule, Mr. Hood and I will not be calling starred amendments; neither do we intend to call amendments that are not signed by members of the Committee, because we would presume that they would not be moved. I mention that now because a number of amendments have already been tabled by hon. Members who are not members of the Committee. If members of the Committee wish to pick them up, they will need to add their names to them so that they can appear on the amendment paper for the next sitting.
I also remind hon. Members about the procedure at the start of today’s sitting. The Committee will first be asked to consider the programme motion, on which debate is limited to half an hour. We will then proceed to a motion to report written evidence before starting the clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill. I hope that everything is clear.