On a matter of detail, the question has been raised
as to whether legal representatives of witnesses when they
attend Committees will be admitted : they will. There have
also been questions about the procedures to
to be adopted by
Select Committees. These Committees generally cannot look
into private affairs, and the private lives of individuals
are protected by
by clauses already included in the Bill.
Finally the jurisdiction of a Select Committee of this
Council is defined by its terms of reference which in turn
are stamped with the authority of the legislature
itself.
That then, Sir, is the agenda item for today;
there is no hidden agenda, no concealed motive, this
Legislation today is linked in an organic way to the other
measures I have described. Few pieces of Legislation in
recent years have had the detailed scrutiny and the benefit
of So much useful comment and advice as this Bill has
received. We have proceeded, after the Introduction and the
First Reading six weeks ago, to the endorsement of the
principles at the Second Reading and the consideration of
many comprehensive amendments at that Second Reading after a
month of public debate; now, after a further fortnight in
which additional improvements
been suggested and
considered and, where desirable, the necessary amendments
have
put forward, we come to the end of the Third Reading of the
Bill after a careful clause by clause debate.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.