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Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

My Lords, I echo the words of the noble Lord, Lord Henley, in thanking the Minister and her team for the way in which this Bill has been conducted. It is obviously a matter of regret for all of us that the Minister was unable to play any role in the Committee and Report stages of the Bill, but we now see her at Third Reading. I echo the words of the noble Lord, Lord Henley, with regard to the achievement of the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, in standing in at extremely short notice on the first day of Committee in the Moses Room, which was surpassed only by his achievement in opening the bowling for the Lords and Commons in Australia two hours after getting off the plane. I turn to the final point made by the noble Lord, Lord Henley. Before the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, was put to a vote, a rumour went round that if your Lordships insisted on the amendment the Government would abandon the Bill. Noble Lords on all sides of the House were alarmed by that rumour. Whatever happens to the Bill when it goes to the other place, and I suspect comes back here, as the noble Lord, Lord Henley, has indicated, that is a matter about which all sides of this House feel very strongly. I would therefore ask the Minister to assure us that, whatever happens, there is no question of the Bill being abandoned.