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Manchester City Council Bill [Lords](By Order)

One point that I have made to various Government Members, as well as to fellow Conservative Members, is that the evidence is not there. The evidence from Northern Ireland and London, where the provisions have been enacted, as my hon. Friend well knows, has still not come through. One reason I feel so strongly—our hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) feels the same way—is that there is no evidence. My hon. Friend argues from a position of strength in saying, ““We need it,”” but then argues from a position of weakness when he says, ““Actually, we haven't got it.”” Let us stop the process and wait for the Minister and Durham university to do their jobs. Does my hon. Friend not accept that we can then go forward on a much stronger basis?