Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 5:19 pm on 9 December 2020.
Before I ask the Clerk to read the title of the Bill, I should explain that in these exceptional circumstances, although the Chair of the Committee would normally sit in the Clerk’s chair during Committee, I will remain in the Speaker’s Chair in order to comply with social distancing requirements, although I will be carrying out the role not of Deputy Speaker but of Chairman of the Committee. Chairs of the Committee should be addressed as such, rather than as Deputy Speakers.
I must also modify the call list slightly in the light of the selection and grouping of amendments by the Chairman of Ways and Means. I will call Mr McFadden to open the debate by moving amendment 2; we will then follow the rest of the call list as published, starting with Sir William Cash. I will call the Minister at the end to respond to the debate.