HC Deb 10 May 2000 vol 349 cc971-81

Amendments made: No. 280, in page 267, column leave out line 34.

No. 281, in page 267, line 54, at end insert—

'1966 c. 28. Docks and Harbours Act 1966. Section 47.'.

No. 282, in page 269, line 43, at end insert—

'1981 c. 56. Transport Act 1981. In Schedule 4, paragraph 1(3).'.

No. 283, in page 269, line 51 column 3, leave out "39(1)" and insert "39".

No. 284, in page 269, line 52, at end insert—

'Section 41.
Section 42.'.

No. 333, in page 270, line 39, column 3, at end insert—

'In section 13(7), the words "the Secretary of State and".'.

No. 285, in page 275, column 1 leave out lines 22 and 23.

No. 334, in page 275, line 25, column 3, at end insert— 'in paragraph 10(6)(b), the words "of the Board" (in both places), and in paragraph 11(10), in the definition of "relevant employer", the word "or" at the end of paragraph (b) and, in paragraph (c), the words ", other than a company which is wholly owned by the Franchising Director".'.

No. 335, in page 275, line 28, at end insert—

'S.I. 1994/1432. Railway Pensions (Protection and Designation of Schemes) Order 1994. In article 9(2), the words ", except to the extent specified in paragraph (3)," and the word "relevant" (in both places).
Article 13.
Article 14.'.

No. 286, in page 276, line 31, at end insert—

'2000 c. 00. Freedom of Information Act 2000. In Schedule 1, in Part VI, the entry relating to the British Railways Board.'.

No. 123, in page 276, line 31, at end insert—

'PART V
MISCELLANEOUS
1985 c. 67. Transport Act 1985. In Schedule 7, paragraph 21(10).'.

[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]

Order for Third Reading read.—[Queen's Consent, on behalf of the Crown, signified.]

9.11 pm
Mr. Raynsford

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

First, I am sure that I speak on behalf of the whole House in thanking all those hon. Members who served on the Standing Committee which considered this important Bill. Their efforts over a long period, from mid-January 3, to early April, and again in the past 48 hours, have provided the House with the opportunity to consider on Report a Bill that has received very careful and detailed scrutiny. I pay special tribute to the hon. Member for North Thanet (Mr. Gale), who chaired the proceedings of the Standing Committee in an exceptionally able way.

The Transport Bill is an historic piece of legislation which will be seen as a landmark in transport policy for years to come. It is all about improving this country's transport system. The Bill takes a comprehensive, integrated approach to transport and puts in place new and effective measures to tackle problems, local and national. It will go a long way to reversing the past years of decline, and will help all concerned to work together to give Britain a transport system fit for the demands of the 21st century, and one of which we can be proud.

Dr. Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde)

I take this opportunity to thank Ministers for responding so positively to the concerns that I raised about the Strathclyde passenger transport authority. I refer in particular to clauses 185 and 217. There is still a problem where Scottish Ministers and the Strategic Rail Authority are concerned, but I should like to write to the Minister about it. In the meantime, I offer my thanks to him and his colleagues.

Mr. Raynsford

I am very grateful for my hon. Friend's comments. Of course we will consider carefully any further representations that he makes.

Our proposals to establish a public-private partnership for National Air Traffic Services have not been entirely free from controversy. However, I believe that the whole House agrees that change is essential if our air traffic control system is to continue to meet ever-increasing demands on our airspace without prejudicing safety.

The operational capability of NATS is recognised as world class; the service already manages some of the world's most congested airspace. The number of flights that NATS handles continues to increase each year, however, and the public-private partnership is essential to bring in the funding and investment, as well as the project management skills, necessary to allow NATS to manage the increased volumes and densities safely and effectively.

We believe that the public-private partnership will provide the United Kingdom with the world's best air traffic services in terms of safety, efficiency and capacity to meet increasing demand. Safety, quite rightly, is at the front of everyone's minds. As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised yesterday, there is no question of safety being compromised under the PPP. As he stressed, safety and national security are subject to fundamental and emphatic safeguards.

The PPP will free NATS' investment and management decisions from Government financing constraints, and introduce new funding and new project and financial management skills to deliver significant improvements to UK air traffic services. For these reasons, we believe that this innovative PPP is the best possible option for NATS, for the country and for airline users.

The Bill is also about providing better local transport, particularly buses. The Bill gives local authorities important new powers and duties.

Mr. Bill Rammell (Harlow)

Like other Members, I have consistently pressed Ministers on the O-licence operator anomaly, which is that such drivers are not given medical and police checks by local authorities. Will the Minister confirm that new clause 2 deals with that anomaly?

Mr. Raynsford

I am pleased to give my hon. Friend that assurance, and I congratulate him on his important role in campaigning for that change.

Local authorities will have important new powers and duties. They will be required to draw up local transport plans that examine all aspects of transport in their areas. They must also prepare a bus strategy. The Bill contains new powers on bus quality partnerships, quality contracts, integrated ticketing and timetable information. Those measures will help to give passengers a quality bus service that is reliable and easy to use. We are also fulfilling our pledge to make sure that local authorities give pensioners a cheap bus fare scheme that is at least as generous as half-fare, with a free bus pass.

We are determined to tackle the problems of road congestion and pollution, which are the scourge of so many of our towns. The Bill gives local authorities powers to introduce road user charging or a levy on parking at the workplace. Those powers are already available to London's mayor and boroughs.

Every penny of the net revenues raised from new charges will be retained locally and ring-fenced for at least 10 years for spending on improvements to local transport. Local authorities will also be able to ask the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales to introduce charges on trunk roads, if that would complement their own schemes. The Secretary of State and the Assembly will also be able to charge on large trunk road bridges and tunnels of at least 600 m where that will help to achieve integrated transport objectives or allow expensive structures to be built. Revenues from those charges will also be dedicated to spending on transport for at least 10 years.

The Bill establishes the Strategic Rail Authority and provides for more effective regulation of the railway industry. The SRA will put railways at the centre of an integrated transport system, with proper public accountability and investment, and that puts the passenger's interest at the top of the agenda. The SRA' s mission will be to promote use and development of the rail network, and to contribute to the development of an integrated transport system. It will give the industry the long-term strategic focus to plan for growth. The shadow SRA has already set to work on strategic planning. The Bill plugs the loopholes in the previous Government's shambolic rail legislation and provides tougher enforcement powers to protect the passenger.

The Government believe that Britain's stability and steady growth cannot be sustained without a safe, modern and efficient transport system. Our plans for transport are ambitious but straightforward: we intend to transform our transport system to make it rival any in Europe, and no one should doubt that commitment.

We have put in place the right policy framework. The Bill will provide the necessary powers, and investment is coming on-stream. Private investment by the rail industry has doubled since 1996–97. Some 1,300 extra services are being run daily to meet demand. Bus quality partnerships in 130 towns and cities are increasing bus usage by 10 to 20 per cent. Our new statutory provisions will make it possible to build on those successes. Bus industry investment has doubled and is running at £380 million a year. Again, our measures will help ensure that that trend continues.

An extra £280 million for transport spending this year was announced in the Budget, and in the summer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Transport will publish a 10-year transport plan. The plan will set out the transport outcomes that we want to see over the next 10 years, together with the investment strategy for both the public and private sectors that is needed to deliver them.

The House tonight completes its consideration of an historic Bill that will play a crucial role in ensuring that the United Kingdom has the safe, modern, effective integrated transport system that it needs and deserves. I commend the Bill to the House.

9.19 pm
Mr. Jenkin

The Minister asked us not to doubt the Government's commitment to improving the transport infrastructure, but we do. We have seen the Deputy Prime Minister and even the Prime Minister trotting round the country to celebrate the opening of great Tory transport projects, such as the Heathrow Express, the Croydon tramlink and the Jubilee line extension. Those were the projects that we commenced and initiated.

Let us consider the commitment of this Government and their spending figures. In a Tory year, 1994–95, we were committed to spending £8.5 billion on transport. In the present year, the Government are spending less than £6 billion on transport, despite the punitive new levels of taxation that they have imposed on motorists.

Every transport line of expenditure has been cut. In the Tory year I cited, we were spending £1.2 billion on trunk road and motorway improvements; this Government are spending a mere £305 million. On local transport grants and credit approvals, we were spending £1.3 billion; this Government are spending barely £1 billion. We were spending £906 million on London Transport; this Government are spending a mere £251 million. On highways maintenance—the top priority of this Government—we spent £3.3 billion in 1994–95. The Government, with all the extra taxation that they are raising, are spending less than £3 billion. That underlines the scale of the Government's miserable commitment to improving the transport infrastructure.

As we near the end of our proceedings on the Bill, I must record my thanks to my hon. Friend the Member for North Thanet (Mr. Gale), the Chairman of the Standing Committee, and to his fellow Chairman, the hon. Member for Bootle (Mr. Benton)—and also my thanks for the inexhaustible patience of the Clerks and officials in the Box and the good humour of the Standing Committee in general.

My particular thanks go to my small but hard-working band of hon. Friends, because ours has been an arduous task. We brought the Bill to the House with 237 clauses, 27 schedules and 276 pages. In the past two days, we have added a small telephone directory of Government amendments and new clauses. That underlines the fundamental shambles that is this Bill. It has been substantially rewritten during its passage.

The Bill contains some good clauses—[HON. MEMBERS: "Name them."]—such as, the clauses that were inspired by my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest Mrs. Laing) on the impounding of vehicles. However, despite such extensive redrafting, it remains a bad Bill—and a bad Bill that is made worse by the fact that, in essence, it is four Bills rolled into one. It reflects the Government's mud-pie political philosophy.

The transfer of National Air Traffic Services to the private sector was rightly dubbed by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) as a punk privatisation. We support the separation of regulation and operation, but the Government's public-private partnership was rightly described in the report on NATS by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee as the worst of all possible options.

Far from being some great innovation, the introduction of local transport plans is merely the extension of state bureaucracy to local authorities. It will require large volumes of guidance and ever larger volumes of local authority transport plans. Local authorities will be mired in ever more compulsory bureaucratisation and centralisation, because local transport plans have to fit the bill laid down by the Secretary of State. If they do not do so, he will not give them his support. That is centralisation and that is why the Labour chairman of the Local Government Association has complained about the "silent and strange death" of local government.

Another part of the Bill deals with re-regulation of the bus industry, whose investment record and expansion in its privatised and deregulated form the Minister was celebrating a few moments ago. The Government are now re-regulating that industry. We support the principle of quality partnerships, but we fail to see what quality contracts will bring to the bus industry. Indeed, the conflict between the regulation of quality contracts and the competition legislation is a complete mess.

Then we have the introduction of yet further taxes on the motorist: congestion taxes and parking taxes—a tax on business. As if it were not enough that the Government are taxing the motorist £36 billion in the current financial year, so that £1 in every £7 that the Government now spend is raised from the motorist, they are insisting on carrying through this vendetta against the motorist.

There is some evidence that the Government realise that their policy is somewhat unpopular. That is why, when the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone), during his mayoral campaign, said, I am determined that congestion charging will come in by August 2001, the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) responded, in his manifesto: I will not impose congestion charges in my first term. The Government are trying to kick the policy into the long grass before and after the general election, but we now know that the new deputy mayor of London, Nicky Gavron, has openly defied the Prime Minister, who assured the House today that Labour Members of the London Assembly would honour their election pledges. Speaking on BBC News 24 this afternoon, Nicky Gavron said that congestion charges were "in principle" possible in the first term of the administration in London, and that it was only a matter of technicality. She refused to retract her comments when pressed over the Prime Minister's earlier commitment. In her own personal manifesto, she stated: I will renew our tube system by 2010…and oppose congestion charges— [Interruption.] Well, I wrote the press release— until the tube has been improved. That was the manifesto commitment given by the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras.

That open defiance of the Prime Minister this afternoon—just hours after he gave that assurance to the House of Commons—is a humiliation; it shows that although the hon. Member for Brent, East may not be a member of the Labour party, he is taking over the Labour party in London.

The final part of the Bill is old Labour striking back at railway privatisation. There is a role for Sir Alastair Morton in helping the industry to develop, but not for the rebirth of the old British Railways Board; not for whole new powers to direct investment; not for new powers for unlimited fines; not for powers for the interference in access agreements; and not for the restoration of the ultimate control over the industry, once again, by the Secretary of State—the Fat Controller himself.

The Bill is founded on a fundamental misapprehension: the principle that the man in Whitehall knows best. The British people know that the current man in Whitehall has done nothing to contribute to the transport of this country. The Labour party's policy is discredited; it is all spin and no delivery, as evidenced by the Government's miserable commitments on spending.

The Bill is privatisation by stealth, centralisation by stealth, re-regulation by stealth and taxation by stealth, and it is renationalisation of the railways by the back door.

Labour's transport policy is fundamentally more taxation. The Bill does nothing to address the crisis in standstill Britain that Labour is creating.

9.28 pm
Mr. Don Foster

I add my voice to the thanks that have already been justifiably given to so many people who have been involved in the deliberations on the Bill so far.

I have been involved—as has my colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore)—in nearly 110 hours of deliberations on the Bill. I have had more than enough opportunity to say what I believe about the Bill. To summarise, there are many good things in it, but, sadly, the beginning of the Bill provides for the part privatisation of National Air Traffic Services, with which we fundamentally disagree. For that reason, we shall vote against the Bill on Third Reading.

9.29 pm
Mr. Snape

The series of sittings on the Bill has been strange and protracted. Let me start back in January. The hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) ambled into the Committee Room on the first day and said that he was going to—I paraphrase him—"fight the Bill tooth and nail". He said that the Bill was bare-faced effrontery. He said, "It is a flagship of the Labour Government and we are determined to oppose it". What in fact was bare-faced was the hon. Gentleman's effrontery in actually turning up and saying that, because that was the last we saw of him. The hon. Gentleman made the claim that the Bill has 230 clauses. I have counted them and he has missed some. If that represents a bare-knuckle fight even by his fairly elastic standard, no wonder the Tory party is on its knees.

It is a pleasure to follow the speech of the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster), who provided some opposition in Committee. One could not say that about the Tories. In fact, two of them—the hon. Members for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray) and for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth)—have demonstrated their consistency tonight. They missed most sittings of the Committee, and they are missing the Bill's Third Reading.

The Conservative Opposition said that they were going to fight the Bill tooth and nail. Judging by the performance that they have put up so far, they have neither the teeth nor the nails to fight it with.

Mr. Jenkin

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Mr. Snape

The hon. Gentleman must be joking. I have not seen him for months, so I am not going to give way to him now.

I compliment my right hon. and hon. Friends on the Front Bench for the way in which they have handled the opposition of the Liberal Democrats, whom I commend for providing it.

The Labour party has been talking about integration for many years. I remember voting for integration in the 1960s, at the first party conference that I attended. I am not sure whether we defined the term particularly well then or have done so since, but the Bill will achieve for the first time the integration of transport that the country so badly needs.

With or without the opposition of Conservative Members—it has largely been without it—I commend the Bill to the House. What the Government are trying to do is essential if we are to have the sort of transport system and the alleviation of congestion about which we have long talked. It is a pity that the hon. Member for North Essex has proved himself, once again, to be like so many of the occupants of the Tory Front Bench—all mouth and no trousers.

Question put, That the Bill be now read the Third time:—

The House divided: Ayes 304, Noes 159.

Division No. 193] [9.32 pm
AYES
Adams, Mrs Irene (Paisley N) Bradley, Keith (Withington)
Ainger, Nick Bradley, Peter (The Wrekin)
Ainsworth, Robert (Cov'try NE) Bradshaw, Ben
Alexander, Douglas Brown, Rt Hon Gordon (Dunfermline E)
Allen, Graham
Anderson, Donald (Swansea E) Brown, Rt Hon Nick (Newcastle E)
Anderson, Janet (Rossendale) Brown, Russell (Dumfries)
Armstrong, Rt Hon Ms Hilary Browne, Desmond
Ashton, Joe Buck, Ms Karen
Atkins, Charlotte Burden, Richard
Austin, John Burgon, Colin
Barnes, Harry Byers, Rt Hon Stephen
Bayley, Hugh Caborn, Rt Hon Richard
Beard, Nigel Campbell, Mrs Anne (C'bridge)
Bermingham, Gerald Campbell, Ronnie (Blyth V)
Berry, Roger Cann, Jamie
Betts, Clive Casale, Roger
Blackman, Liz Caton, Martin
Blears, Ms Hazel Cawsey, Ian
Blizzard, Bob Chapman, Ben (Wirral S)
Blunkett, Rt Hon David Chaytor, David
Boateng, Rt Hon Paul Clapham, Michael
Borrow, David Clark, Rt Hon Dr David (S Shields)
Clark, Dr Lynda (Edinburgh Pentlands) Hepburn, Stephen
Heppell, John
Clark, Paul (Gillingham) Hesford, Stephen
Clarke, Charles (Norwich S) Hewitt, Ms Patricia
Clarke, Eric (Midlothian) Hill, Keith
Clarke, Rt Hon Tom (Coatbridge) Hinchliffe, David
Clarke, Tony (Northampton S) Hodge, Ms Margaret
Clelland, David Hoey, Kate
Clwyd, Ann Hoon, Rt Hon Geoffrey
Coaker, Vernon Hope, Phil
Coffey, Ms Ann Hopkins, Kelvin
Coleman, Iain Howarth, Alan (Newport E)
Colman, Tony Howells, Dr Kim
Corbett, Robin Hoyle, Lindsay
Corston, Jean Hughes, Ms Beverley (Stretford)
Cousins, Jim Hughes, Kevin (Doncaster N)
Cox, Tom Humble, Mrs Joan
Cranston, Ross Hurst, Alan
Crausby, David Hutton, John
Cryer, Mrs Ann (Keighley) Iddon, Dr Brian
Cummings, John Illsley, Eric
Cunningham, Jim (Cov'try S) Jackson, Ms Glenda (Hampstead)
Dalyell, Tam Jackson, Helen (Hillsborough)
Darling, Rt Hon Alistair Jamieson, David
Darvill, Keith Jenkins, Brian
Davey, Valerie (Bristol W) Johnson, Alan (Hull W & Hessle)
Davidson, Ian Johnson, Miss Melanie (Welwyn Hatfield)
Davies, Rt Hon Denzil (Llanelli)
Davies, Geraint (Croydon C) Jones, Mrs Fiona (Newark)
Davis, Rt Hon Terry (B'ham Hodge H) Jones, Helen (Warrington N)
Jones, Martyn (Clwyd S)
Dawson, Hilton Jowell, Rt Hon Ms Tessa
Dean, Mrs Janet Kaufman, Rt Hon Gerald
Denham, John Keeble, Ms Sally
Dismore, Andrew Keen, Alan (Feltham & Heston)
Donohoe, Brian H Kelly, Ms Ruth
Dowd, Jim Kennedy, Jane (Wavertree)
Drew, David Khabra, Piara S
Dunwoody, Mrs Gwyneth Kidney, David
Eagle, Angela (Wallasey) Kilfoyle, Peter
Eagle, Maria (L'pool Garston) King, Andy (Rugby & Kenilworth)
Edwards, Huw King, Ms Oona (Bethnal Green)
Ennis, Jeff Ladyman, Dr Stephen
Field, Rt Hon Frank Lawrence, Mrs Jackie
Fisher, Mark Laxton, Bob
Fitzpatrick, Jim Leslie, Christopher
Fitzsimons, Mrs Lorna Levitt, Tom
Flint, Caroline Lewis, Ivan (Bury S)
Flynn, Paul Lewis, Terry (Worsley)
Foster, Rt Hon Derek Liddell, Rt Hon Mrs Helen
Foster, Michael Jabez (Hastings) Linton, Martin
Foster, Michael J (Worcester) Lloyd, Tony (Manchester C)
Fyfe, Maria Lock, David
Gapes, Mike Love, Andrew
George, Bruce (Walsall S) McAvoy, Thomas
Gilroy, Mrs Linda McCabe, Steve
Godman, Dr Norman A McCafferty, Ms Chris
Godsiff, Roger McDonagh, Siobhain
Goggins, Paul Macdonald, Calum
Golding, Mrs Llin McFall, John
Gordon, Mrs Eileen McGuire, Mrs Anne
Griffiths, Jane (Reading E) McIsaac, Shona
Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S) McKenna, Mrs Rosemary
Griffiths, Win (Bridgend) McNamara, Kevin
Grocott, Bruce Mactaggart, Fiona
Grogan, John McWalter, Tony
Gunnell, John McWilliam, John
Hall, Mike (Weaver Vale) Mahon, Mrs Alice
Hall, Patrick (Bedford) Mallaber, Judy
Hamilton, Fabian (Leeds NE) Marsden, Gordon (Blackpool S)
Hanson, David Marshall, David (Shettleston)
Harman, Rt Hon Ms Harriet Martlew, Eric
Heal, Mrs Sylvia Maxton, John
Healey, John Meacher, Rt Hon Michael
Henderson, Doug (Newcastle N) Michael, Rt Hon Alun
Henderson, Ivan (Harwich) Michie, Bill (Shef'ld Heeley)
Milburn, Rt Hon Alan Smith, Rt Hon Andrew (Oxford E)
Miller, Andrew Smith, Angela (Basildon)
Mitchell, Austin Smith, Rt Hon Chris (Islington S)
Moffatt, Laura Smith, Jacqui (Redditch)
Moonie, Dr Lewis Smith, John (Glamorgan)
Moran, Ms Margaret Smith, Llew (Blaenau Gwent)
Morgan, Ms Julie (Cardiff N) Snape, Peter
Morley, Elliot Southworth, Ms Helen
Morris, Rt Hon Ms Estelle (B'ham Yardley) Spellar, John
Squire, Ms Rachel
Mountford, Kali Starkey, Dr Phyllis
Mowlam, Rt Hon Marjorie Steinberg, Gerry
Mudie, George Stevenson, George
Mullin, Chris Stewart, David (Inverness E)
Murphy, Denis (Wansbeck) Stewart, Ian (Eccles)
Murphy, Jim (Eastwood) Stinchcombe, Paul
Murphy, Rt Hon Paul (Torfaen) Straw, Rt Hon Jack
Naysmith, Dr Doug Stringer, Graham
Norris, Dan Stuart, Ms Gisela
O'Brien, Bill (Normanton) Taylor, Rt Hon Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)
O'Brien, Mike (N Warks)
O'Hara, Eddie Taylor, Ms Dari (Stockton S)
Organ, Mrs Diana Taylor, David (NW Leics)
Osborne, Ms Sandra Temple—Morris, Peter
Palmer, Dr Nick Thomas, Gareth (Clwyd W)
Pearson, Ian Timms, Stephen
Pendry, Tom Tipping, Paddy
Pickthall, Colin Todd, Mark
Pike, Peter L Trickett, Jon
Plaskitt, James Truswell, Paul
Pollard Kerry Turner, Dennis (Wolverh'ton SE)
Pond Chris Turner, Dr George (NW Norfolk)
Pope, Greg Turner, Neil (Wigan)
Prentice, Ms Bridget (Lewisham E) Twigg, Derek (Hatton)
Twigg, Stephen (Enfield)
Prentice, Gordon (Pendle) Tynan Bill
Prescott, Rt Hon John Vaz, Keith
Primarolo, Dawn Ward, Ms Claire
Purchase, Ken Wareing, Robert N
Quinn, Lawrie Watts, David
Radice, Rt Hon Giles White, Brian
Rammell, Bill Whitehead, Dr Alan
Rapson, Syd Wicks, Malcolm
Raynsford, Nick Williams, Rt Hon Alan (Swansea W)
Reed, Andrew (Loughborough)
Reid, Rt Hon Dr John (Hamilton N) Williams, Alan W (E Carmarthen)
Robinson, Geoffrey (Cov'try NW) Williams, Mrs Betty (Conwy)
Roche, Mrs Barbara Wills, Michael
Rooker, Rt Hon Jeff Winnick, David
Rooney, Terry Wood, Mike
Ross, Ernie (Dundee W) Woolas, Phil
Rowlands, Ted Worthington, Tony
Roy, Frank Wright, Anthony D (Gt Yarmouth)
Ruane, Chris Wright, Dr Tony (Cannock)
Ryan, Ms Joan Wyatt, Derek
Salter, Martin
Sarwar, Mohammad Tellers for the Ayes:
Shipley, Ms Debra Mr. Don Touhig and
Singh, Marsha Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe.
NOES
Ainsworth, Peter (E Surrey) Brand, Dr Peter
Allan, Richard Brazier, Julian
Arbuthnot, Rt Hon James Brooke, Rt Hon Peter
Atkinson, Peter (Hexham) Browning, Mrs Angela
Baker, Norman Bruce, Ian (S Dorset)
Baldry, Tony Bruce, Malcolm (Gordon)
Ballard, Jackie Burns, Simon
Bell, Martin (Tatton) Burstow, Paul
Bercow, John Butterfill, John
Beresford, Sir Paul Cable, Dr Vincent
Body, Sir Richard Cash, William
Bottomley, Peter (Worthing W) Chidgey, David
Bottomley, Rt Hon Mrs Virginia Chope, Christopher
Brady, Graham Clappison, James
Brake, Tom Clark, Dr Michael (Rayleigh)
Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey May, Mrs Theresa
Collins, Tim Michie, Mrs Ray (Argyll & Bute)
Cotter, Brian Moore, Michael
Cran, James Morgan, Alasdair (Galloway)
Davey, Edward (Kingston) Moss, Malcolm
Dorrell, Rt Hon Stephen Nicholls, Patrick
Duncan Smith, Iain Norman, Archie
Emery, Rt Hon Sir Peter Oaten, Mark
Evans, Nigel O'Brien, Stephen (Eddisbury)
Faber, David Öpik, Lembit
Fabricant, Michael Ottaway, Richard
Fallon, Michael Page, Richard
Fearn, Ronnie Paice, James
Forth, Rt Hon Eric Paterson, Owen
Foster, Don (Bath) Pickles, Eric
Fowler, Rt Hon Sir Norman Portillo, Rt Hon Michael
Fraser, Christopher Prior, David
Garnier, Edward Randall, John
George, Andrew (St Ives) Redwood, Rt Hon John
Gibb, Nick Rendel, David
Gill, Christopher Robathan, Andrew
Gillan, Mrs Cheryl Robertson, Laurence
Gorman, Mrs Teresa Roe, Mrs Marion (Broxbourne)
Gray, James Rowe, Andrew (Faversham)
Green, Damian Ruffley, David
Greenway, John Russell, Bob (Colchester)
Gummer, Rt Hon John St Aubyn, Nick
Hamilton, Rt Hon Sir Archie Sanders, Adrian
Hammond, Philip Shephard, Rt Hon Mrs Gillian
Hancock, Mike Shepherd, Richard
Harris, Dr Evan Simpson, Keith (Mid-Norfolk)
Hawkins, Nick Smith, Sir Robert (W Ab'd'ns)
Hayes, John Spelman, Mrs Caroline
Heald, Oliver Spicer, Sir Michael
Heath, David (Somerton & Frome) Spring, Richard
Heathcoat-Amory, Rt Hon David Stanley, Rt Hon Sir John
Heseltine, Rt Hon Michael Steen, Anthony
Hogg, Rt Hon Douglas Streeter, Gary
Howarth, Gerald (Aldershot) Stunell, Andrew
Hughes, Simon (Southwark N) Swayne, Desmond
Hunter, Andrew Syms, Robert
Jack, Rt Hon Michael Tapsell, Sir Peter
Jackson, Robert (Wantage) Taylor, Ian (Esher & Walton)
Jenkin, Bernard Taylor, John M (Solihull)
Key, Robert Taylor, Sir Teddy
Kirkbride, Miss Julie Tonge, Dr Jenny
Townend, John
Kirkwood, Archy Trend, Michael
Lait, Mrs Jacqui Tyler, Paul
Lansley, Andrew Tyrie, Andrew
Letwin, Oliver Viggers, Peter
Lewis, Dr Julian (New Forest E) Walter, Robert
Lidington, David Waterson, Nigel
Lilley, Rt Hon Peter Webb, Steve
Livsey, Richard Wells, Bowen
Lloyd, Rt Hon Sir Peter (Fareham) Whitney, Sir Raymond
Llwyd, Elfyn Whittingdale, John
Luff, Peter Wilkinson, John
MacGregor, Rt Hon John Willetts, David
Maclean, Rt Hon David Willis, Phil
Maclennan, Rt Hon Robert Winterton, Mrs Ann (Congleton)
McLoughlin, Patrick Winterton, Nicholas (Macclesfield)
Madel, Sir David Yeo, Tim
Major, Rt Hon John
Malins, Humfrey Tellers for the Noes:
Maude, Rt Hon Francis Mr. Stephen Day and
Mawhinney, Rt Hon Sir Brian Mrs. Eleanor Laing.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Bill read the Third time, and passed.