[Mr James Gray in the Chair]

1.30 pm

It may be helpful to the Committee, in welcoming you all, if I lay out how we can proceed today with all due efficacy, as a number of us have discussed. No amendments have been tabled, so rather than having seven separate stand part debates for each clause, it may be sensible to have one quasi-Second Reading debate on clause 1 stand part, and to then take the balance of the stand part debates more or less as read. We can take them formally later on, if that is agreeable to the Committee.

With that in mind, we will begin with clause 1 stand part. I will be content to take comments about clauses 2 to 7 under the guise of clause 1.