Baroness Harding of Winscombe (Con)

My Lords, I thank everyone who has contributed to this meaty debate. They included multiple ex-Secretaries of State and Members with private sector, regional and devolved experience. I think there was real unanimity of intent. I also thank the Minister. There was an awful lot in his response, which I suspect we will all need to read carefully to understand properly. I take at face value his opening statement of being in line with the intentions of all these amendments. However, there is a lot of work to do between now and Report. It is encouraging to know that we will see the draft code before the end of Recess. I think it will require a lot of detailed thought and discussion. I shall close by highlighting what my noble friends on the left and right of me have just said. My noble friend Lord Moylan set out exactly why I still think we are going to need to put more in the Bill, and my noble friend Lord Young of Cookham said the same thing: Governments in the future will want to protect the monopoly of the vertically integrated GBR. A good friend of mine in the tech world once told me that monopolies are like children: until you have one of your own, you do not realise how valuable they are, but once you have one, you will protect it with your life. I therefore think we need to hear the wisdom of everyone in this debate today. Without clear guardrails in the Bill and signals to investors and independent retailers that we really mean it, and that this will live beyond the current Government, I fear that the Minister’s great intent will not turn into reality. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment, but I expect that there will be much debate and discussion between now and Report.