Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Lab)

My Lords, I express my own thanks to the staff, who have done an absolutely excellent job on the Fridays. I will also express my response to what happened yesterday. We now need a process that brings us to a conclusion. I believe that we need the usual channels to come up with that process. That process needs to focus on what the main issues are and work out when we deal with them. I got the very strong impression that it would be helpful if I indicated, on behalf of the sponsor of the Bill, my position in relation to each of those main issues. The noble Lord, Lord Carlile, and I thought there might be about 10 issues, some of which we have already dealt with. I would intend, if we can agree a process as quickly as possible at the beginning of next week, to include in that process me identifying my broad position in relation to those issues. In particular, I would indicate the commitments I am making in the various discussions I have had. I indicated, for example, that I was willing to make amendments in relation to the position of those who are aged 18 to 25 and in relation to those who have been deprived of their liberty through the Court of Protection. I have indicated that we need a place for the multidisciplinary teams looking after people. I have a strong sense that people want to see those commitments in a concretised form, so I need to put those in— not by going through every single one of the 1,200 amendments but by indicating what my position is. Then we would know where we are going to get to and how we divide up the time we have. The flavour—indeed, the very strong will of the House expressed yesterday—was that we have to get through this in time.