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.