Political Parties and Elections Bill
10:00 am
Jonathan Djanogly (Shadow Minister, Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Huntingdon, Conservative)
I wish to say a few words about the programme motion. The sub-committee’s deliberations were a somewhat tortuous affair. We appreciate that a number of difficulties and irregularities involved in the process made it complicated and, as you will appreciate, Mr. Cook, we put our various protests on the record. We have lingering doubts about the timetable, even though we do not intend to oppose the motion. We are worried whether there will be adequate time for the tabling of amendments. I accept that there will be several hours after the close of the final evidence session on Thursday before the rise of the House, as you said in your opening remarks, when we shall have time to table amendments. Having said that, we would have preferred a longer period in which to contemplate amendments, rather than just a few hours following the end of the evidential process. On that basis, we are reserving our position on the timetable to some extent and hope, as discussed in a sub-committee, that the Government will be open-minded if it seems that more time is required.