Lord Deben (Con)

My Lords, I wanted to say, as I have several times pointed out, that one reason why this Bill has taken so long is that the proponents have not been willing to make some of the changes that many of us feel would be perfectly sensible. I therefore thank the noble and learned Lord for this amendment. I think he must also agree that the debate that has followed has brought to the surface a number of issues that need to be considered, and no doubt will be when we get to Report. However, the reason I rise is just to say to him that I find it pretty unacceptable, when I have sat through almost every moment on this Bill and have learned so much from the discussions that have taken place, for him to suggest that somehow or other we ought to do it more quickly. The fact is that this is a very badly produced Bill. It is opposed by every single organisation representing the people who have to actually do it and by every single representative of disabled people. If this House is not here to go through the details that others have raised outside, I really do wonder what the House of Lords is supposed to be. The noble and learned Lord ought to give some of us credit for the fact that, whatever we think about the Bill, we want to make it as good as it can be. That means we have to discuss it properly.