[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair]

I know that this afternoon's sitting will be useful and that we will make good progress.

Mr. Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con) rose—

Before we move on, I want to point out that that was not an expectation, but an instruction. Although the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. McCabe) was in the middle of an intervention, there is now a point of order from the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).

On a point of order, Sir Nicholas. I hear your instruction, but good progress, like many things, is open to various definitions. At the start of this morning's sitting the Minister surprised me by referring to a letter and documents that he had circulated to all members of the Committee, and I indicated that I had not received them. I have checked with my office and the document was e-mailed to me at 10.27 am by a civil servant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister who would probably prefer to remain nameless. Therefore, I had not had a chance to scrutinise the documents and I assume that as the names of other members of the Committee were on the ''send'' list, they were in a similar position. Will the Minister ensure that other documents required during the Committee are circulated in time for hon. Members to see them before the sitting starts?

I can only say that it is not a matter for me, so it is not really a point of order. I am sure that the Minister will have heard the hon. Gentleman and will provide an explanation.

Further to that point of order, Sir Nicholas. I hope that that did not apply to every member of the Committee. When I spoke to you yesterday evening, Sir Nicholas, in the Programming Sub-Committee, I said that I had addressed the missive to your colleague, Mr. O'Hara, who I assumed would Chair the sitting, and I assumed that the letter was sent out. I will make inquiries with my officials, but it was my understanding that the letter was issued yesterday to reach the Chair and the members of the Committee well in advance of today's sittings. However, I will certainly investigate that.

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. I do not wish the matter to be protracted. I am sure that the Minister will try to ensure that every

member of the Committee receives relevant documents relating to the Bill or to a particular sitting of the Committee. I now ask the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green to complete his intervention from earlier today.