Before we enter on Report Stage of this Bill, I should like to move that the Bill be recommitted in respect of the amendments tabled and only in respect of the amendments tabled. This is, as Members know, an unusual procedure, but I think it is appropriate in this case for two reasons. One is the nature of Committee Stage on which there were a large number of amendments tabled. They were not pressed, or voted on, because of the particular nature of the very valuable discussion which developed and the undertaking by the Minister to examine all the points raised before Report Stage.
The second reason flows from the fact that we have a very large number of amendments. Indeed, on the main sheet and an additional sheet the number of amendments is of the order of 100 and even with grouping this would give rise to difficulty if everybody were confined to a single speech on each group of amendments. Therefore, I think it is in the interests of the working of the House and of handling efficiently the amendments that are before us that the Bill should be recommitted in respect of the amendments and that this rare procedure should be used on this occasion.
