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Protection of Freedoms Bill

My Lords, we should take this opportunity, which follows the vote on a previous occasion when the House by a majority voted in favour of the amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford. We now have a revised and better version of his amendment. But it has not been treated with enormous respect in the other place, which had a debate but no vote. We have had a letter from the noble Lord, Lord Henley, dated 27 March. The letter says that the amendment is ““well intentioned”” —so the majority of the House had good intentions when it came forward with this little bright idea. The letter states that these proposals, if legislated for, "““could hinder rather than help … Our issue with the amendments is not with their underlying aim, but with the blanket approach they adopt””." It is about time that something is done. There could be a two-year inquiry—that could be doubled or quadrupled —and no pending Bill in front of the House. We have a Bill. Let us take some action, follow the amendment, repeat what happened last time and send it back again to the other place.