I beg to move amendment 24, in clause 108, page 83, line 23, leave out subsection (2).

This purely technical amendment removes a provision in the Bill that was inserted in the other place to ensure that this House’s privilege over financial matters is respected. I hope that hon. Members will support this technical amendment and uphold 400 years of constitutional precedent.

I was expecting to be fascinated by the Minister’s comments on this provision, but they have been rather brief and to the point, so may I ask him to expand on how the provision is a danger to our constitutional settlement? As a “small c” conservative, I might just agree with him on the overall settlement, but could he expand on the points that he has just touched on?

I was simply alluding to the fact that the provision deals with matters that relate to finance, which are within the privilege of this House, rather than the other place.

Amendment 24 agreed to.

Clause 108, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.