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Strategic Health Authorities (Establishment and Abolition) (England) Order

I shall give more than a response—I hope I shall give the House a very satisfactory response. It is clear from motion 5 that the position has been set out. The Opposition have had June, July, August, September and now October to consider it. I note that neither my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House nor I received any intimation that this was an unsatisfactory way of proceeding on the matter. Perhaps the Opposition spent rather too long earlier not listening to the previous debate but formulating a way of raising the matter on the Floor of the House. Let me explain in clear terms. In the 19 years that I have been in the House, I have heard some spurious points of order. I congratulate the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on the creative way in which he raised the point of order. He has done very well. Far be it from me to criticise the Speaker—