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Criminal Law (Amendment) (Protection of Property) Bill

I congratulate the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on coming so high in the ballot and on introducing the Bill, although I regret to say that I shall not support it today. May I also express my commiserations to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Stephen Pound), who unfortunately is not in his place to hear this debate—he has the high office of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister with responsibility for police and law and order. This is all his fault in a way. I think that he should be here to listen to the debate. It all goes back, as has been mentioned, to the ““Today”” programme listeners’ poll at the end of 2003—