Member

This turns the SI that we are looking at today into a smokescreen. Officials can continue with the wider agenda, in which politicians are told in no uncertain terms that the detailed consideration of the consequences must be handled sensitively as we do not want to invite speculation on the progress of negotiations. That is a political gagging order for this House, whose principal function is to use its expertise to review, revise, hold Ministers to account and seek to improve the legislation before us. If we cannot do that then this legislation should be withdrawn until we can. This is not the way to introduce legislation.