Government of Wales Bill

My amendment No. 194 is straightforward, so I shall not detain the Committee for long. The amendment requires both the question on the ballot paper and the statements preceding it to be amendable and approved by both Houses of Parliament. It seems only right to me for Parliament, when preparing to devolve primary powers, to have the right to approve and/or amend the essence of questions about the process being put to the public. That would help to ensure scrutiny of what is a bit of a political hot potato, and I do not believe that the Government have provided for it in the Bill. I heard what was said by the hon. Member for Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr (Adam Price) and I admit that I have some sympathy with it. Like him, I hope that the spirit of consensus that the Secretary of State keeps dangling before us will come home to roost one day—that he may agree with something that Opposition Members say, and incorporate it in the Bill. I doubt it very much, but we live in hope. I shall listen carefully to what the Secretary of State has to say.