[Sir David Amess in the Chair]

Before we begin, I have a few preliminary announcements. Please switch your electronic devices to silent. I would certainly like tea or coffee, but the rules are set in stone and we would have to agree that through the Chairman of Ways and Means, so I am afraid that, at the moment, you cannot have tea or coffee. I do not really want to tell anyone off; I am afraid you are just going to have to deal with water.

We will first consider the programme motion on the amendment paper. We will then consider a motion to enable the reporting of written evidence for publication, and a motion to allow us to deliberate in private about our questions before the oral evidence session. In view of the timetable, shall we just get on with it? I call the Minister to move the programme motion, which was discussed yesterday by the Programming Sub-Committee.

Ordered,

That—

(1) the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 9.25 am on Tuesday 29 October) meet—

(a) at 2.30 pm on Tuesday 29 October;

(b) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 31 October;

(c) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 5 November;

(d) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 7 November;

(e) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 12 November;

(f) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 14 November;

(g) at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 19 November;

(h) at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 21 November;

(2) the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following Table: