[Graham Stringer in the Chair]

We are now sitting in public and the proceedings are being broadcast. I have a few preliminary announcements. If hon. Members with speaking notes could email them to hansardnotes@parliament.uk, that would be very helpful to Hansard. Similarly, officials in the Gallery should communicate with Ministers electronically. All electronic devices should be switched to silent mode. Unlike in Select Committees—although these proceedings are similar—tea and coffee are not allowed during sittings.

We will first consider the programme motion on the Amendment paper, and then a motion to enable the reporting of written evidence for publication, and a motion to allow us to deliberate in private about our questions before the oral evidence session. In view of the time available, I hope that we can deal with these matters formally. We discussed the programme motion last week at the Programming Sub-Committee.

Ordered,

That—

1. the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 9.25 am on Tuesday 15 March) meet—

(a) at 2.00 pm on Tuesday 15 March;

(b) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 17 March;

(c) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 22 March;

(d) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 24 March;

(e) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 29 March;

2. the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following Table;

Date

Time

Witness

Tuesday 15 March

Until no later than 10.25 am

Protect & Connect; The Country, Land and Business Association; The National Farmers’ Union

Tuesday 15 March

Until no later than 11.25 am

The IoT Security Foundation; The Internet of Secure Things Alliance; techUK

Tuesday 15 March

Until no later than 2.40 pm

Professor Madeline Carr, University College London; Copper Horse Limited

Tuesday 15 March

Until no later than 3.40 pm

Openreach; CityFibre; Speed Up Britain

Tuesday 15 March

Until no later than 4.20 pm

BUUK Infrastructure; The Internet Service Providers’ Association

Tuesday 15 March

Until no later than 5.00 pm

Which?; Refuge

3. proceedings on consideration of the Bill in Committee shall be taken in the following order: Clauses 1 to 66, the Schedule, Clauses 67 to 78, new Clauses, new Schedules, remaining proceedings on the Bill;

4. the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 5.00 pm on Tuesday 29 March.—

Resolved,

That, subject to the discretion of the Chair, any written evidence received by the Committee shall be reported to the House for publication.—(Julia Lopez.)

Copies of written evidence that the Committee receives will be made available in the Committee Room and circulated to members by email. I would usually call on the Minister at this stage to move the motion for the Committee to sit in private, but I do not think that the Front Benchers on either side want to move into a private session, so we will continue sitting in public and the proceedings are still being broadcast. Before we start hearing from the witnesses, do any hon. Members wish to make declarations of interest in connection with the Bill?

I am a former worker in the cyber-security industry, and have worked for a couple of the witnesses giving evidence today. One is techUK; I have also worked for BT, which of course owns Openreach. I also draw the Committee’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I undertook some work in cyber-security for MHR between May and December last year.

Thank you. The Clerks will note that declaration from Ruth Edwards; and Ruth, if you wish to refer to it later in the proceedings, do so.

This is slightly tangential, but better declared than risked. The Grundy family farm has a mobile phone mast, for which my father receives yearly payment.

Thank you. The same applies.