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Counter-Terrorism Bill

My Lords, I wish that I felt happier with the answer that the House has had from the Minister. Once again, he has emphasised the difficulties rather than the will of the Government to find a way to implement the report’s recommendation, which is that a way should be found to move forward with this on the basis of PII Plus. It is already between nine and 10 months since the committee reported and I confess that it would have been reassuring if, in the report that the Minister put before the House, he had given an assessment of where the committee had got to. That would have been a fair interpretation of what these Benches have been asking for. I consider our amendment to be extremely reasonable. It is not constraining and is in the spirit of the Government’s undertaking to find a way through with this legislation. Had there been time, I might have strengthened the amendment; as it is, I am minded to test the opinion of the House. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 48E) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 74; Not-Contents, 109. [Amendment No. 49 not moved.] Clause 98 [Commencement]: