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Charities Bill [Lords]

My hon. Friend is intent on enjoying himself tonight, and I do not blame him. I know how long he, too, has waited and worked for the Bill. He therefore has every right to enjoy its final passage through the House. Given the length of the Bill’s life, it is also important to acknowledge the contributions of my hon. Friends the Members for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Paul Goggins) and for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) as the Ministers in charge of the Bill during this and previous Sessions, and of my right hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) in chairing the Joint Committee that scrutinised the draft Bill. I have mentioned my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak, but I also thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Alun Michael) who assisted me and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary in our thinking on the Bill. I also thank the Charity Commission for its invaluable contribution to the Bill. Charity is at the heart of the Bill. A strong charitable sector is a sign of a healthy society, and it is our duty to maintain a safe, modern regulatory structure to surround it. The Charities Bill is a much-needed update to charity legislation, and I commend it to the House.