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Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

I have listened with considerable interest to the debate, which has covered a wide range of amendments. However, as the Minister indicated, there is a common theme among them, hence the grouping. I am grateful to all noble Lords who spoke to my Amendment No. 91. Earlier tonight I thought that I was on a roll with the noble Lord, Lord Borrie, since he was kind enough to make some positive comments about my amendments. On this amendment, he is quite right in his description of current practice, but I am afraid that here he is being a conservative and I am being a radical because I want to change the practice. What we do is largely out of line with what happens elsewhere, but as a general principle Parliament should have greater control over its own business. I refer not to the substance of what the Government are bringing forward, because that is for them, but it is up to Parliament itself to determine the procedures for looking at what the Government wish to do. Business committees are common in other parliaments, including the Scottish Parliament. We should look at how we can strengthen Parliament by ensuring that it has much greater control over its own business. My amendment is very much in line with what I have been arguing for some time regarding what should happen within Parliament. I have listened with great interest to the Minister, although to some extent I think he has offered what I tend to refer to as a Mandy Rice-Davies response—he would say that, wouldn’t he?—because it will make life harder for departments. I see no harm in that at all. In fact, I see it as an argument for pursuing the amendment. I do not wish to pursue my amendment this evening, not so much because of what the Minister said but because of the point that the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, made. I want to reflect on the drafting and come back to it. For the moment, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 92 not moved.] Clause 16 agreed to. Clause 17 [Negative resolution procedure]: [Amendment No. 93 not moved.]