§ 2.58 p.m.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Lucas of Chilworth)My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ Moved, That the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the Whole House in respect of Clauses 7 to 14 and paragraphs 1 to 4 of Schedule 4.—.(Lord Lucas of Chilworth.)
Lord Bruce of DoningtonMy Lords, we on this side of the House support this Motion, but I would like the noble Lord to answer one or two questions of which, to use the conventional terms, I have given him private notice.
Will the noble Lord inform the House as to when the Government will be ready with their amendments to Chapter 1, Part 2, of the Bill? We acknowledge the difficulties in which the Government have found themselves owing to the amendments which were passed at Committee stage, but the noble Lord will appreciate that these are matters of some complexity which require very careful consideration—not only by the Government but also by the Opposition and by Members of other parties in your Lordships' House.
Will the noble Lord also give an indication as to when the Government propose to honour their commitment to my noble friend Lord Mishcon to provide replies to the various detailed legal points he made in the course of the Committee stage?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Bruce of Donington, for having given me notice of these two questions. He is quite right, these matters are of great complexity. The Government expect to lay amendments in the Printed Paper Office this week, probably on Thursday.
In so far as the queries of the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, are concerned, I have notified the noble Lord that the matter is receiving attention. The last meeting with Messrs. Allen and Overy took place during last week and I expect to give the noble Lord a full response in relation to his questions also before this week is out.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.