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Fixed-term Parliaments Bill

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his intervention. I am extremely concerned about that point, and very eager to get on to the part of my speech in which I shall address it. However, I want to conclude the point, which I was pulled on to by interventions, about whether the term should be fixed at four years or five. I turn again to the conclusions and recommendations in the report on the Bill produced by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, which has already been quoted today by Labour Members. Recommendation 5 clearly states:"““Precedent gives no clear answer as to whether Parliaments should last four years or five.””" In recommendation 6 the report acknowledges the views expressed by some witnesses that four years might be better than five. Nevertheless, the recommendation clearly states that that"““is an important point, but not one that we would wish to see obstruct the passage of the Bill through the House.””" That is important, and I hope that Labour Members will take note of it. Before moving on to the subject of the amendments before the House, I would like briefly to—