Both of the amendments would require the Lord Chancellor to consult the Rule Committee before making orders under the Bill. The hon. Member for Torbay (Mr. Sanders) asked a question about the Rule Committee and perhaps I can enlighten him. The hon. Member for Stone rightly said that that is the body that gives assistance and advice to the Lord Chancellor when he makes rules on Land Registration. Its current composition is a High Court judge from the Chancery Division, the Chief Land Registrar, a person chosen by the former Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a person chosen by the council of the Law Society and a person chosen by the General Council of the Bar.

The membership of the Rule Committee is to be broadened to include a nominee of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, a nominee of the Council of Licensed Conveyancers and a consumer affairs expert. It will no longer include a person chosen by the former MAFF, but will instead include a surveyor appointed by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

I must resist both amendments. Amendment No. 8 deals with the important power given to the Lord Chancellor under clause 5 to extend compulsory registration by order, by adding further events that will trigger first registration. Amendment No. 74 would have a wider effect, making the same requirement in relation to all the order-making powers in clause 116. As a result of Government amendments in another place, the exercise of both those powers will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.

The Government also made a commitment in another place to consult the members of the Rule Committee before making an order under the clauses. Its members will undoubtedly have a valuable contribution to make to any consultation processes undertaken on secondary legislation made under the Bill. I have already described the professional membership of that committee. Its members will bring to the process the professional expertise that took them on to the committee and their experience of serving on it. I am happy to repeat that commitment, but I think that it is all that is required.

The duty to consult on both clauses is worded widely to enable the Lord Chancellor to consult with such persons as are appropriate for the issues being dealt with in the order and at the time. The clauses reflect the formal procedures for the preparation of the rules concerned. We cannot know at this stage when the need for consultation will arise, or what changes might occur in the meantime. It is therefore prudent for the clause not to be more prescriptive.

There is a further, more technical reason for resisting the amendments. When consultees are listed in statute, it can be thought that there is some justification in limiting consultation to those people, or treating their contributions as carrying greater weight than those of others. That is inadvisable when, as in this case, a large number of interests will have to be taken into account in the preparation of rules. I undertake to ensure that the members of the Rule Committee are included in any consultation process under the clauses. The Government maintain that it would be inappropriate and unnecessary to highlight one particular group by mentioning it in the Bill.

I hope that in the light of those commitments, the hon. Gentleman will be able to withdraw the amendment.