Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Bill

My Lords, perhaps I might intervene briefly in the gap. I declare an interest, to which the Minister has already referred, in that I am the current chair of the steering committee that has overseen the production of this Bill and the Corporation Tax Bill, which I believe is due to be debated next week. Against that background, it is perhaps appropriate at this stage to offer the Minister my apologies for possibly not being able to be present to hear his dulcet tones again on Tuesday next. If I can attend, I shall. It makes me all the more pleased that I am able to be present this evening and to join the Minister in commending the Bill to the House. Given the work that has gone into these Bills, and earlier Bills, from the tax law rewrite team and from the parliamentary counsel’s office, it is very pleasing to have unanimous support from the Front Benches, subject, of course, to what the noble Lord, Lord Newby, is about to say. To judge from what I see, it appears unlikely that there will be a rebellion by Back-Benchers in any part of the House, including Cross-Benchers and clerics. Therefore, I trust that the House will go along with what the Minister has urged, including his admonition that no one should dare to amend the Bill, as that would break up the whole thing. In my view, it is in such quiet and consensual ways that much good work is done. Let us hope that that remains the case tonight.