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

Such is the Government’s enthusiasm for the Bill in the latter part of the Committee that I am having difficulty keeping up with the clauses that we are considering. I commend this one to the Committee.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 14 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 15 to 17 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Schedules 1 and 2 agreed to.

Question proposed, That the Chairman do report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

Partly due to your excellent chairmanship, Mr. Benton, partly due to the inherent merits of the Bill, and partly due to the late conversion of the Minister to those merits, we have not only been able to approval all the clauses, but have done so in exemplary time, which may indicate that we are moving rapidly towards the great national consensus that the Minister was seeking. Some are born with consensus, some achieve it and others have it thrust upon them. The Minister appears to be an example of the third category as far as today’s proceedings are concerned. I suspect that he did not entirely anticipate that every clause would be approved by the Committee and that half of them would be approved with his   participation. It just goes to show the merit of mature debate in these matters. Even the Government, whom I have often felt the need to criticise, are not entirely unresponsive when the arguments are put in a clear and excellent fashion.

It is good that the Bill will go through to Report, although I can only speculate as to when that might happen and the Bill’s ultimate fate. However, I commend the Bill to the Committee.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.

Committee rose at Seven minutes to Four o’clock.