[Mr. Peter Atkinson in the Chair]

I beg to move,

That, if proceedings on the Special Educational Needs (Information) Bill are not completed at this day’s sitting, the Committee do meet on Wednesday 19th March at half-past Nine o’clock and thereafter at the same time on Wednesdays when the House is sitting.

It is a pleasure to be here today, Mr. Atkinson. This is first time that I have served in Committee under your chairmanship. It is especially pleasing because the Committee is about to debate my private Member’s Bill. I thank everyone for coming. It is a real honour that my Bill has come this far and I hope that it will move further through the various other stages and, with the blessing of the House, eventually become law.

It is also a pleasure for me to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Atkinson. I have not been a member of a Committee of which you have been Chair, and there can be no better Committee to serve on than this one. The hon. Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West is to be congratulated on progressing her Bill this far through the House. Although I have tabled several amendments for discussion today, they are very much in support of finding a way in which to ensure that the Bill will be effective if, as the hon. Lady said, it proceeds with the blessing of the House.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Atkinson. I wish to add my congratulations to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West, whose constituency name is as difficult to handle as mine, although I have sympathy when people get “North” and “Mid” wrong in the title of my constituency.

I, too, am delighted that the Bill has reached this stage and I hope that we shall be engaged in constructive debate this morning. Our only motivation in tabling amendments is to make sure that the Bill has a real impact on the lives of children with special educational needs. I look forward to our debate.

Question put and agreed to.

Although it is probably not relevant in the circumstances, I remind Members that adequate notice should be given of amendments as a general rule. I do not intend to call starred amendments.