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As amended in the Standing Committee, further considered.

Hon. Members present will know that there is a well worn technique called the probing amendment, and my intention was to do a bit of gentle probing. Look at the fruits that have emerged as a result: we have had a proper debate; we have had the benefit of the expertise of the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead); and we have had an outbreak of consensus, which is not normally appealing to me. I freely acknowledge that, as a result of all the contributions made to this little debate, my amendments are indeed otiose and that I do not need to press them. However, we have illustrated the value of debate and of the amending process, even if the amendments are only probing. How much richer will be the proceedings of the House that can be studied by people outside and how much more they will learn as a result of our debate than if we had just rushed through the Bill in an unseemly manner, without examining it properly. For all those reasons and in the cause of making a little progress, which I am now confident we can make, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.