Saving Gateway Accounts Bill

A number of hon. Members have pointed out that there was a high degree of consensus on the Bill in Committee. One area where there was perhaps less consensus, and where there is still lingering disappointment, is the extent of continuing parliamentary involvement in and scrutiny of the Bill. I suspect that that sense is likely to arise again today in relation to the third group of amendments, given that we spent considerable time in Committee considering whether much of the delegated legislation should be subject to affirmative or negative resolutions. The essence of that debate also applies today; indeed, it is what lies behind amendment 13, which I am happy to support. We on the Conservative Benches recognise that the Government want the Bill to have in-built flexibilities, but it is crucial that Parliament should know whether the Bill is a success. Amendment 13 goes to the heart of that. It is right for Parliament to know whether the Bill is working. There is a need for a proper debate. There has been much discussion about eligibility, including on Second Reading and in Committee, and even already this afternoon. There was also quite a lot of discussion about the appropriate financial limit and, I recall, some probing questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Broxbourne (Mr. Walker) in the witness sessions of the Public Bill Committee. I would ask that amendment 13 be supported, because it would introduce a welcome element of report-back on a central part of the success criteria of the Bill.