Member

For the reasons I have given, I say to the House that if the noble Lord’s amendment were passed, we could not just do a simple tidy-up operation. There would be a bit more work to be done, so I make this offer to the noble Lord and the House—I have discussed this with the noble Lord. I am open to continuing discussions on this, because I think we all want to get to the same place, but it is extremely complex and we want a solution that has longevity and durability and is not going to be questioned further down the line. The amendment as it stands at present would have to be tidied up; it is not sufficient on its own. The suggestion I have made to the noble Lord is to have further discussions between now and Third Reading to see whether we can find a way to take this forward. If agreement can be reached to bring forward changes to the Bill to reflect that and not cause further problems, I make a commitment to the House to take those forward. If agreement cannot be reached, it is still open to the noble Lord to bring forward his amendment at Third Reading.