Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.

The Minister might prefer to deal with this later, under clause 72 on authorisation of investigations. However, I have an anxiety about this clause. I find it difficult to see how any investigation can take place that requires the defendant to be arrested or to answer questions until the Court of Appeal has decided to grant the application and quash the previous acquittal. One cannot be arrested for an offence for which one is currently subject to an acquittal procedure. There is then, according to clause 71, provision for a short period before the retrial. I should be interested to know—although it might be easier for the Minister to tell me tomorrow morning, or to indicate that we can better deal with the matter at a later stage—how, procedurally, the process of reinvestigation marries with the Court of Appeal determination and the short period under clause 71 after which the retrial is to occur. He may wish to ponder that overnight, as he now has around

25 seconds—sorry, 10 minutes—in which to answer my questions.

Ten seconds.

In that case, I shall leave it to the Minister to think about that, and perhaps we can return to it next Tuesday.

The hon. Gentleman has raised an important point. I am sure that it would be helpful to all Committee members to go through all the different clauses at the appropriate point, which may not be in the remaining seconds, because the way in which the clauses appear in the Bill is different from the way in which the timeline would operate. Indeed, I am happy to do that now if time does not prevent me.

Speaking for myself, at the end of a long day, I would absorb the explanations better in the cold light of day at the start of a new sitting. I am struggling to concentrate. If the Minister wants to come back to the matter on Tuesday, I would be very happy for him to do that.

Debate adjourned.—[Mr. Heppell.]

Adjourned accordingly at nine minutes to Six o'clock till Tuesday 21 January at ten minutes past Nine o'clock.