I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way. I had no intention of interrupting his peroration, but I want to say two things. First, this is a Third Reading debate, but the issues that he is raising have no relevance whatever to the Bill; we do not need...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way. I had no intention of interrupting his peroration, but I want to say two things. First, this is a Third Reading debate, but the issues that he is raising have no relevance whatever to the Bill; we do not need...

Government regulation. Fourth opposition day debate (part 2). Motion negatived on division (198 to 313). Amendment agreed on division (304 to 203).

Government regulation. Fourth opposition day debate (part 2). Motion negatived on division (198 to 313). Amendment agreed on division (304 to 203).

I agree with my hon. Friend. I understand that, only a few months ago, the right hon. Member for Wokingham said that he thought that his observations and calculations about the minimum wage were spot on. They were not—they were completely off the target. There are 2 million new jobs...

I agree with my hon. Friend. I understand that, only a few months ago, the right hon. Member for Wokingham said that he thought that his observations and calculations about the minimum wage were spot on. They were not—they were completely off the target. There are 2 million new jobs...

The right hon. Gentleman talks about people having no jobs. Will he tell the House how many more new jobs there are in the UK economy since the Labour Government took office? Is it not 2 million, of which the vast majority are in the private sector?

The right hon. Gentleman talks about people having no jobs. Will he tell the House how many more new jobs there are in the UK economy since the Labour Government took office? Is it not 2 million, of which the vast majority are in the private sector?

No, I am going to make progress. The hon. Gentleman has had a good old go. Perhaps I will give way to him in a second—or not, as the case may be. Employment is at a record high; unemployment is at its lowest levels for 30 years; UK unemployment rates...

No, I am going to make progress. The hon. Gentleman has had a good old go. Perhaps I will give way to him in a second—or not, as the case may be. Employment is at a record high; unemployment is at its lowest levels for 30 years; UK unemployment rates...

That is the history. The right hon. Gentleman indicates that he was not one of the key architects. Of course, he was in the Cabinet until 1995, and until then, he would be prepared to accept that collective responsibility—

That is the history. The right hon. Gentleman indicates that he was not one of the key architects. Of course, he was in the Cabinet until 1995, and until then, he would be prepared to accept that collective responsibility—

Oh, the right hon. Gentleman is not even prepared to accept that anymore. We have a new constitutional innovation taking form in front of us.

Oh, the right hon. Gentleman is not even prepared to accept that anymore. We have a new constitutional innovation taking form in front of us.

I am not disputing that or the contribution that such an approach can make. It makes the case in many ways for the need to regulate sometimes. The candour that the right hon. Gentleman has just displayed is admirable, but it was missing from his earlier presentation to the House....

I am not disputing that or the contribution that such an approach can make. It makes the case in many ways for the need to regulate sometimes. The candour that the right hon. Gentleman has just displayed is admirable, but it was missing from his earlier presentation to the House....

I beg to move, To leave out from ““House”” to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:"““welcomes the steps the Government is taking to remove unnecessary regulations and rationalise inspection arrangements in both the public and private sectors; acknowledges the additional freedoms given to high performing schools,...

I beg to move, To leave out from ““House”” to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:"““welcomes the steps the Government is taking to remove unnecessary regulations and rationalise inspection arrangements in both the public and private sectors; acknowledges the additional freedoms given to high performing schools,...

I think that about two thirds of those jobs are in the private sector. As for the additional jobs in the public sector, I do not know what the hon. Gentleman’s definition of ““bureaucrats”” is, but I remember that, when I was in the Department of Health, he and his...

I think that about two thirds of those jobs are in the private sector. As for the additional jobs in the public sector, I do not know what the hon. Gentleman’s definition of ““bureaucrats”” is, but I remember that, when I was in the Department of Health, he and his...

I am not sure how the right hon. Gentleman can account for that obvious discrepancy. I want to return to the UK’s relative position vis-à-vis the other member states of the European Union. The British economy is certainly outperforming most of those comparators in the EU.

I am not sure how the right hon. Gentleman can account for that obvious discrepancy. I want to return to the UK’s relative position vis-à-vis the other member states of the European Union. The British economy is certainly outperforming most of those comparators in the EU.

I promise that this is my last contribution to our debate. The hon. Gentleman surprised all the Labour Members in the Chamber by saying that he is going to support the Conservative motion. I checked his manifesto, but I could not find a single reference to regulation, so he is...

I promise that this is my last contribution to our debate. The hon. Gentleman surprised all the Labour Members in the Chamber by saying that he is going to support the Conservative motion. I checked his manifesto, but I could not find a single reference to regulation, so he is...

I certainly want to deal with Europe in a second, if the hon. Gentleman will bear with me, but we are doing very well, thank you, in this country because of the policies that we are pursuing.

I certainly want to deal with Europe in a second, if the hon. Gentleman will bear with me, but we are doing very well, thank you, in this country because of the policies that we are pursuing.

No. The hon. Gentleman has had his go. I want to come to the wider issue about sectors in a second, but there is a third fundamental flaw in the right hon. Gentleman’s case. He needed to demonstrate that the UK’s position in relation to regulatory matters was getting worse...

No. The hon. Gentleman has had his go. I want to come to the wider issue about sectors in a second, but there is a third fundamental flaw in the right hon. Gentleman’s case. He needed to demonstrate that the UK’s position in relation to regulatory matters was getting worse...

We are certainly working to support farming. As for the hon. Gentleman’s point about regulation, to be fair him, too, I am sure that he would be prepared to acknowledge that many of the regulations that he complains about were introduced to try to sort out the mess that the...

We are certainly working to support farming. As for the hon. Gentleman’s point about regulation, to be fair him, too, I am sure that he would be prepared to acknowledge that many of the regulations that he complains about were introduced to try to sort out the mess that the...

No, I certainly do not accept the latter part of the right hon. Gentleman’s question. I accept that there are lessons that this country should learn from other systems and regulatory approaches. Of course, we are willing to learn, but I want to come to the wider point because, fundamentally,...

No, I certainly do not accept the latter part of the right hon. Gentleman’s question. I accept that there are lessons that this country should learn from other systems and regulatory approaches. Of course, we are willing to learn, but I want to come to the wider point because, fundamentally,...

There was a lot of hot air from the right hon. Member for Wokingham. I have seen his list of proposals that he made for the general election, and we know the outcome of that contest. I want to refer to some of the arguments that he made. He rehearsed...

There was a lot of hot air from the right hon. Member for Wokingham. I have seen his list of proposals that he made for the general election, and we know the outcome of that contest. I want to refer to some of the arguments that he made. He rehearsed...

I accept that that is historical fact, but the right hon. Gentleman cannot escape his wider responsibilities for the failed economic agenda pursued by successive Conservative Governments of which he was a Minister and, as all of us who have had the great privilege to serve in government know, that...

I accept that that is historical fact, but the right hon. Gentleman cannot escape his wider responsibilities for the failed economic agenda pursued by successive Conservative Governments of which he was a Minister and, as all of us who have had the great privilege to serve in government know, that...

The hon. Gentleman clearly is not saying that, but he raises an important wider issue. It is true that there is no such thing as free regulation. If we are going to regulate and impose burdens or costs on business, administrative burdens on citizens or whatever the agenda is, it...

The hon. Gentleman clearly is not saying that, but he raises an important wider issue. It is true that there is no such thing as free regulation. If we are going to regulate and impose burdens or costs on business, administrative burdens on citizens or whatever the agenda is, it...

We have to balance all the competing pressures. The hon. Gentleman, for whom I have a lot of respect, would, I am sure, be the first to recognise that there are areas where it is right for the House to pass law. He is not simply saying that we should...

We have to balance all the competing pressures. The hon. Gentleman, for whom I have a lot of respect, would, I am sure, be the first to recognise that there are areas where it is right for the House to pass law. He is not simply saying that we should...