Autism Bill
12:00 pm
Richard Bacon (South Norfolk, Conservative)
I am pleased to speak briefly on the Adjournment motion. I should like to address the money resolution as I understand that we are adjourning because it is not in place.
I listened carefully to the Minister, who has had several opportunities to answer the question as to what the costs of the Government’s proposals are likely to be. His reply on several occasions has been that this is a private Member’s Bill and it is for the private Member, my hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham, to provide those details and that she has not done so. Of course, it must be true that it is for my hon. Friend to provide costings for her Bill, but it is also the case that the Government’s attitude to the Bill—the Government have made it clear that they do not think the Bill should go ahead—is intimately related to their own proposals, and their own proposals must have a cost.
The Minister said a minute ago that he thought his proposals were more effective and that they would be quicker. I think of the National Audit Office’s mantra of economy, effectiveness and efficiency. The Minister must also have a view on whether his proposals are more economic. If he has such a view it can only be because he has some numbers. All my hon. Friends were asking him to do was to share those numbers with the Committee. For him to say in response that it is for my hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham to come up with numbers for the proposals in her Bill is not an answer to the points that my hon. Friends were making. It is an answer to a different point.