---

Legislative Process

I am grateful for the chance to make a brief contribution to this debate; I am very sorry that I was not here earlier. I associate myself completely with the remarks of the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples)—I will not repeat his arguments—and I very much appreciated the comments of the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) and the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton). Both chaired Committees to which I gave evidence, and both were extremely generous in their handling of those proceedings. However, it will probably come as no surprise to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire that I do not agree with the Committee’s conclusions about the application of the sub judice rule. Although, as I said, I will not pick up on all the comments of the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon, I will touch on three particular issues that I hope my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will deal with when he winds up.