Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I have to acquaint the House that a message has been brought from the Lords as follows. The Lords have agreed to the Education Bill with amendments, to which the Lords desire the concurrence of the House. I understand that copies of the Lords amendments are now available in the Vote Office.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I have to acquaint the House that a message has been brought from the Lords as follows. The Lords have agreed to the Crime (Sentences) Bill with amendments, to which the Lords desire the concurrence of the House. I understand that copies of the Lords amendments are now available in the Vote Office.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. The hon. Gentleman is going wide of the subject of the Grand Committee. It would help our procedures if he could get back to the matter in question.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. I remind the House that we should not get into a debate about decommissioning. We are talking about the Northern Ireland Committee.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: With this, it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 5, in clause 135, page 59, line 11, after '(1)', insert 'subject to section 112 above,'.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. The hon. Gentleman is right to do so.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. I remind the hon. Gentleman that interventions are almost becoming tedious repetition. I hope that it will not be necessary for me to pull up him or any other hon. Member on that point again.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: There has been a little bleeping going on for quite a while. I did not hear the latest one.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I understand that with this it will be convenient to discuss the following: That the Treasure Act 1996 Northern Ireland draft Code of Practice, which was laid before this House on 17th March, be approved.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: With permission, I shall put together the motions relating to delegated legislation.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Even after five years in the Chair, I am unable to help the hon. Gentleman with that problem.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: With this, it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 2, in page 2, line 21, after 'member', insert 'of two years' standing or more.'.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. Is the hon. Lady giving way?
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: The Secretary of State was given a reasonable hearing; the hon. Lady has a right to the same.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. The hon. Gentleman asked the hon. Lady a question. She is having great difficulty replying because she is not being given the opportunity to be heard. There is too much noise. The House must settle down and allow the hon. Lady to get on with her speech, just as the Secretary of State was allowed to do.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. What is going on in the House this afternoon? I repeat, I hope that the hon. Lady will be given the same hearing and the same courtesies as the Secretary of State was. She has made it clear that she is not giving way, so I advise hon. Members to take that on board.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Interventions should be brief and to the point, but it is not uncommon for hon. Members to stray from that in this House.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: The Chair—and I hope everyone else—always expects hon. Members to know the rules of the House regarding declarations of interest. I assume that all hon. Members adhere to them.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: With this, it will be convenient to discuss the following: New clause 7—Local representative and consultative committees—
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Order. The hon. Gentleman is straying rather wide of new clause 4 and amendment No. 9.
