Regulation of Financial Services (Land Transactions) Bill

With the leave of the House, I shall reply to this excellent debate. I wish to say at the outset that it is my intention to make my reply directly proportionate to the length of the debate and inversely proportionate to the desire of the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone)—and his friend the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. Field)—to be free to celebrate his wedding anniversary, on which I heartily congratulate him. I should also take the time to congratulate the hon. Gentleman’s wife on the occasion of their anniversary. It has been a privilege to be present for the maiden speech of my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush (Mr. Slaughter), and I am delighted to welcome another lawyer to the House—although I am not sure whether he will get a welcome from any other profession. His speech was described as elegant—and, indeed, it was—and he delivered it with some confidence and humour, which is always very welcome in the House of Commons. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for reminding me of the contribution that his predecessor Clive Soley made to the House. He was a well-regarded parliamentarian, who among other things made a significant contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process and was well-regarded internationally for his work on conflict resolution. He will be missed. I am sure my hon. Friend will be a more than adequate replacement for him. If his opening remarks and his maiden speech are anything to go by, he will be an adornment to the House, and we look forward to his further contributions. While we are in the mood for expressing congratulations and good wishes, perhaps you thought that you had slipped under our radar, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I hope that you will forgive me if I wish you a happy birthday today.