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Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty)

Having listened with great interest to the last three and half hours of debating over the business motion, I am delighted to have the opportunity to support my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe. I am well aware that the procedure proposed to handle the European Union (Amendment) Bill is novel and I am also well aware that some hon. Members view that novelty as enough in itself to damn it. That is not my view. As you will be aware, Madam Deputy Speaker, I have always been strongly in favour of the work of the Modernisation Committee and I commend the Government on this occasion for having given considerable thought to what they view—a view that I share—as a better way of dealing with the double set of issues that Parliament needs to debate.