I thank the noble Lord and the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, for their support for this. If I have understood the Minister correctly, he said, “Don’t worry about it because it’s all in the Bill, so it isn’t necessary”. But if it is all in the Bill, there is no harm in it. Given the concerns that we have had, I see nothing wrong with the reassurance, as I mentioned at an earlier stage. Sometimes, when things are tested, perhaps in courts afterwards, a very clear statement of intent and reassurance can work wonders—even more than a ministerial statement from the Dispatch Box. Therefore, it would not be right to say that it is not needed. If it is an extra bit, that seems to me a welcome addition.
However, I am very grateful to the Minister for saying that he has listened to everything we have said and will think about this. I will give away a small
secret, just within these four walls: there is no date, as yet, in July for Report, so it may well be that we have until September, which should give the Ministers and their drafters plenty of time. It would obviously be better if any amendments that we agree with could come in their names, because they tend to be drafted better than ours, and it is also much easier to have a discussion and agree.
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I will ask the Minister whether he is going to take the time to do it over the Summer Recess, which I think would be sensible. Please do not send us letters on a Sunday because we will all be on holiday—but any other update over the summer would be very welcome. I really do think that something like this is needed. Maybe because of the way it was put together, maybe because it was done in a hurry, and maybe because it had not been consulted on, there are worries that call out for some reassurance. I think that we will need to come back to this in some way. It may be right that it should be earlier in the Bill. It may be that it should be for Clause 3. Where it is best put is for discussion. The statement is an important one but, for the moment, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.