Clause 30
Commencement
Amendment
made: No. 3, in clause 30, page 20, line 8, at end
insert—
‘( ) Section
(Intervention: Wales) comes into force in accordance with provision
made by the Welsh Ministers by order.’.—[Bill
Rammell.]
Clause
30, as amended, ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Clause
31
ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Clause
32
Short
Title
Amendment
made: No. 1, in clause 32, page 20, line 29, leave out
subsection (2).—[Bill
Rammell.]
Clause
32, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Ordered,
That certain written evidence
already reported to the House be appended to the proceedings
of the Committee. —[Bill
Rammell.]
Bill,
as amended, to be
reported.
Bill
Rammell:
On a point of order, Mr. Atkinson. May
I propose a vote of thanks first to you, for chairing the Committee in
exemplary fashion? I am a keen sports fan and the best referees and
umpires are those who are not ever present and conspicuous. With your
quiet authority you have demonstrated exactly how a Committee should be
handled. I am sure that all Members are grateful for that.
May I also thank the
hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings? Despite our
disagreements on bureaucracy, which I think will run and run, he has
throughout these proceedings been considerate, reasonable and
constructive. I was interested that he described himself as a mild,
considerate, romantic high Tory. Three of those I can agree with, the
fourth one puzzles me slightly. Perhaps on Report he can explain it in
more
detail.
I
thank the hon. Member for Brent, East for her constructive engagement,
her clear commitment throughout the proceedings, and her prediction
that we would be done in two days. She has been proved absolutely
right. One of my right hon. Friends, who is genuinely a good friend,
sometimes describes the Whips Office as the Stasi. My hon. Friend the
Member for Brigg and Goole with his quiet diplomacy and force could not
be further from the reality of the Stasi. I hope that he takes that as
a compliment.
I thank the
Under-Secretary of State for Wales, my hon. Friend the Member for
Carmarthen, West and South Pembrokeshire for his expert handling of the
Welsh elements of the Bill. I would also particularly like to thank the
Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills, my hon. Friend the
Member for Corby, who is a genuine friend. I know that all members of
the Committee are pleased to see him back in fitness and health. He was
working throughout his difficult times, and hon. Members can be
reassured that he never lost his sense of humour. That was proved when,
on seeing myself and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, who is as
follically challenged as I am, he looked us both in the eye and said,
“At least after chemo, my hair will grow back”. He has
been proved absolutely right.
I also offer thanks to my hon.
Friends, the Back Benchers on the Committee. The most difficult
challenge for Back Benchers supporting the Government when a Bill is
going through Parliament is to support it constructively while also
making a contribution to the Committee. I know that they have all been
able to do that, and have done so in an exemplary fashion.
Finally, I offer thanks to all
the officials within the DFES and within the devolved administrations,
who have worked their socks off to get us to where we are today. I know
that I speak on behalf of the Secretary of State and the
Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the hon. Member for
Corby, when I thank them sincerely.
Mr.
Hayes:
I would just like to say a few words to endorse
much of what the Minister has said. His own
conduct, both before and during the Bill, has been of the highest order
and an example that I hope to follow when I take his job in a short
while.
I would like
to endorse the thanks given to you, Mr. Atkinson. You have
chaired our sittings with your usual competence and style. I also thank
all the officials who have made our meetings run as smoothly as they
have done.
I thank
the hon. Member for Brent, East, with whom I have agreed to an alarming
degree. She must be terribly pleased that I have allowed her to indulge
her social diary, which I know is a whirlwind of exciting
events.
I thank my
hon. Friends the Members for Upminster, who has kept me in order, for
Daventry, who is not here today, but is always a benevolent presence
when we debate issues relating to higher and further education, for
Rugby and Kenilworth, who is not entirely focused on financial matters,
although occasionally he is rightly focused on them, and for Reading,
East, who takes a profound interest and makes a valuable contribution
in these areas.
I also
want to thank the other Ministers, particularly the Under-Secretary of
State for Education and Skills, the hon. Member for Corby, whose
courage in recent weeks and months has been an example to us all. When
he looks in the mirror, he does not think first of his recent illness;
he thinks of that second. First, he thinks of his new-found virility,
on the grounds that men without much hair are at least reputed to be
particularly manly.
I thank all the hon. Members who
have contributed to our debate. It has been a good, healthy, wholesome
and productive debate. I am grateful to have been part of
it.
Sarah
Teather:
May I add my thanks, Mr. Atkinson, to
you for chairing this Committee so well and for getting us to the point
of finishing before 4 pm? I hasten to add that I do not have a social
appointment; I am meeting representatives of Barnardo’s, who
will be waiting for me in Portcullis
House.
May I thank the
Minister for being constructive and willing to amend the Bill as we
have gone through it? It is good to have a Bill that is in a much
better form now than it was when it first came before our colleagues in
the other place.
I
suggested to the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the
hon. Member for Corby that he was obviously feeling better, because the
hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings was clearly irritating
him again, and he was willing to fight with him. I thank the hon.
Member for South Holland and The Deepings for a constructive
contribution and for often providing opportunities for joint working
which were helpful. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds,
North-West, who has had to leave just now, but who has been helpful
during the debates that we have had on the Bill.
Finally, I would like to add my
thanks to the Clerk, who is always extremely helpful on the detail of
amendments, and to the civil servants. I was able to pass on to them
the detail of what we wanted to do prior to the sittings of the
Committee, which was helpful.
Committee rose at sixteen
minutes to Four
o’clock.
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