§ Not amended (in the Standing Committee), considered.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
10.14 pm§ Mr. Bob Cryer (Bradford, South)The Bill welcomes Pakistan back into the Commonwealth. The first conference following the readmission of Pakistan to the Commonwealth, which was attended by representatives from Pakistan, was opened by Mr. Speaker, being the Commonwealth conference on delegated legislation. The conference is held about every five years and is concerned with the scrutiny of delegated legislation passing through the various commonwealth legislatures. As chairman of the conference, and as the United Kingdom was its host, I was pleased to welcome a delegate from Pakistan who played a useful part in providing the conference with information about the scrutiny of delegated legislation in that country.
The conference examined the scrutiny of delegated legislation. Many other Commonwealth countries have had far more comprehensive powers of scrutiny than we have in our legislature. The Commonwealth has some good examples of how the delegated legislation committee can invoke powers to stop abuses by Ministers, as sometimes occurs in our legislature.
It was a good conference and Pakistan took its first step back into the Commonwealth by attending it. It was a coincidence that the conference took place then, but Pakistan's move was welcomed by delegates from other Commonwealth countries, more than 30 of which were represented. On that basis—I am sure that the whole House approves—I welcome the Bill's Third Reading.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Tim Sainsbury)I am glad that the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) joins the others who have welcomed the Bill, as does the whole House. I assure him that nothing in the Bill affects the procedures of scrutiny of legislation in either the British or Pakistani Parliament. I hope that the House will give the Bill a good Third Reading.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read the Third time, and passed, without amendment.