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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

Amendments Nos. 216C, 216D and 216E in this group stand in my name and are all designed to achieve the same end. I congratulate those who deal with amendment groupings, whom we never see but from whom we receive many e-mails during a Committee day. As I prepared for today’s debate, I thought that I really should have sought to amend ““may””. However, I find that my noble friend has done so in an amendment in this group. Sometimes we are told that ““may”” really means ““must””—that it is a slightly politer way of saying ““must””—or that it means ““may”” but you must be reasonable about it, which amounts to ““must””. However, I do not read it in that way in this instance. Like my noble friend, I feel that publication is important. I support his points. I shall not need to move my amendments.