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Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill

I think that people want the Bill to get on to the statute book, and they have not turned up here to object to it. With the distinguished exception of the speech by the hon. Member for Christchurch, who has a track record of ensuring that he puts the awkward questions—and rightly so—people will have heard that there is huge support for this legislation from all the parties, and that is unusual. They will say, "Well that's funny; everybody agrees with it, and everybody says that it is a good idea and that they want it to happen—so why hasn't it happened?" That is why it is important that if there really is a political consensus on getting this measure on to the statute book—and sooner rather than later, because things take time to get up and running again after an election—we take the opportunity to do it. This is not a matter of the political arguments, because we have been through them all and they have pretty much been won; this is a matter of the political will to manage the process. I very much hope that in the remainder of this Parliament this will all be achieved. I commend the Bill to the House and I hope that people will support its Second Reading. Question put and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time; to stand committed to a Public Bill Committee (Standing Order No. 63).