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Business of the House

I entirely accept that. I am trying to ensure that we end up with an east-west rail link through London from the west to east that will serve people from the west country and the Thames valley, come into and through the capital, and go out to the eastern home counties and East Anglia. That has been on the agenda of this country and this Parliament for many years—certainly throughout your speakership, Mr. Speaker, and before that. I want to make three points about why I hope that the Government will reconsider this rather surprising business motion, of which I was not aware in advance. I thought that I was coming here to debate the Second Reading of the Crossrail Bill and that, having debated its principles and substance, we could debate the remit that we give to the Select Committee when we ask it to get on with the detailed consideration of petitions against the Bill.