Digital Economy Bill [ Lords]

Part of Business of the House – in the House of Commons at 9:03 pm on 6 April 2010.

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Photo of Eric Joyce Eric Joyce Labour, Falkirk 9:03, 6 April 2010

My hon. Friend is correct, but I do not regard a tribunal as the same thing at all.

Things are being put through in the Lords, and we have been told many times, both before tonight and, indeed, tonight, that there has been bags of scrutiny by the unelected Lords next door. Hon. Members have said that the experts have got one or two things tied up, and have talked about not having a complete grasp of some issues. I understand that there are technicalities about how people are disconnected, constrained, blocked and so on, but we have put great trust in experts and in the House of Lords. Of course, it would save a great deal of time with our future proceedings if we simply said, "They've scrutinised it next door, so we can just knock it down to an hour in this place."