Policing and Crime Bill
4:00 pm
Hugh Bayley (City of York, Labour)
I—[Interruption.] I am prompted by that ringing tone to ask everyone in the room to turn off all mobile phones and electronic devices.
If the witnesses are settled in their places, I would like formally to commence the afternoon sitting. I remind hon. Members and witnesses that we are bound by the internal knives agreed this morning. The first evidence session this afternoon must end by 5.30 pm and the second by 7 pm. I hope that I will not have to interrupt hon. Members or witnesses in the middle of their sentences, but I will do so if I must. Parliamentary procedure is extremely precise on the knives. The moment it is 5.30 pm, I must halt proceedings and move on to the second set of witnesses.
Members will find on their desks copies of a substantial amount of material submitted by the Home Office to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in support of the Bill. It will not be circulated again, so I ask hon. Members who wish to keep it for the duration of Committee proceedings to take it with them at the end of the sitting.
I welcome this afternoon’s first set of witnesses. For the record, may I ask you to introduce yourselves to the Committee and state your name and the organisation that you represent?