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Financial Services Bill

The Government are not being secretive about the issue. On the issue of principle—the objectives before the council—of course we are talking about the widest consultation. There is no question but that those are part of public debate. The issue dealt with in the amendments relates to the actual operation between the three authorities. It is the consultation on those issues to which the Government object. The noble Baroness pushed me further, to examine the position if the deliberations between the three authorities were open and should be discussed. Even if we did accept that, the results of the consultation processes should not be open for publication. We are concerned here with the three authorities, having had the benefit of the consultation, working out their relationships to reach the publicly declared broad objectives. The mechanics by which they discuss these matters do not seem appropriate for publication. Indeed, from the position that the Government adopt that the consultation should not take place, it follows logically that we are not in favour of publication.