---

Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

The right hon. Gentleman will have a chance to reply in a minute. There are serious issues that have simply not been given proper consideration by this House. I believe that we in the House of Commons have today treated the public, and in particular groups within the public, with complete contempt. What will gay people think about the House debating for only half an hour an important measure relating to their protection, in respect of which hon. Members, including me, were also suggesting that there should be restrictions on that protection? What do the Anglican Church and its members, and other people of faith, think about the fact that we chose to debate the blasphemy laws for only a few minutes? What do prison officers think about the fact that a proposal that was first made on Monday and was the subject of a statement, and has now received less than an hour's debate, has already gone through the House of Commons? The Government said it was not an emergency measure, but it looked like that to me. I am being serious when I say that I do not believe that this is any way for the House of Commons to behave. What has happened today is made worse by the Government's posturing in relation to their pledge to strengthen Parliament. Those words have rung particularly hollow today. I ask the Secretary of State—who I believe is committed to, and personally supports, the strengthening of the powers of this place and of the role of the legislature—to reflect on whether he really believes that this has been Parliament's finest hour. I believe that we in this House should have cause to be ashamed of ourselves about the fact that we have debated and considered these matters with such little scrutiny, when we are making the criminal law. Above all, I think the Government should be genuinely ashamed about the way they have behaved, and I would like them to reflect seriously on that point.