Amendment made: No. 286, in title, line 8, after 'warrants', insert

'and about parental compensation orders'.—[Caroline Flint.]

Question proposed, That the Chairman do report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

This has been, for the most part, a congenial and serious Committee, and I extend the thanks of the Opposition to the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome, who has, by and large, had the same instincts as we have on most parts of the Bill.

I thank the Ministers for their courtesy, both in providing paperwork for us before the Bill and during the Committee's discussions. I thank the usual   channels who, if I am correct, managed to judge the timing for our proceedings to within a minute of the end time specified.

We have examined all parts of the Bill. Promises of concessions have been made, and there has even been the offer of tea and discussions with the Home Office on a couple of issues. We will, of course, return to many of the issues on Report, and I should like to say to the usual channels that I hope that we may have two days on Report on the Floor of the House. No doubt they will deal with that in the normal way.

Finally, I thank the Hansard reporters, and all those who have been involved in organising the eight sittings of the Committee. I also thank you, Dame Marion, and your co-Chairman, Mr. O'Brien, for the way in which you have efficaciously managed our affairs.

I thank you, Dame Marion, and Mr. O'Brien, for your excellent chairing of the proceedings. I also thank the Committee Clerks and all the officials who have supported me and my right hon. Friend during the proceedings. We have had good debates over the past fortnight; we have explored a number of areas and found consensus on some of those areas.

I thank my hon. Friends and the Opposition Front-Bench spokespeople and their colleagues for their contributions to the debates. I also thank the Whips—especially our own Whip who has done an excellent job in keeping us in order and to time. I wish everyone an enjoyable weekend.

I concur with everything that has been said, and in addition should like to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon. It has been a good Committee in many ways. The Bill is largely a good Bill; it contains some things that we wish to improve further and some things that the Government have proposed on which we can build and on which there are grounds for consensus. There are a few areas of the Bill, however, on which we still think that the Government are absolutely bonkers, but we can deal with that later in its consideration.

I thank you, Dame Marion, and your co-Chairman for your chairmanship.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.

Committee rose at five minutes to Seven o'clock.