Member

The second point, as raised in the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser of Craigmaddie, is on whether the preliminary discussion can take place in England. My noble friend Lady Merron said that it is intended that this should take place only in England and not be with, for example, a Scottish GP. As the Bill is drafted, it says that specific things have to take place in England and Wales. As it happens, that does not include Clause 5. Clause 5(3) says that you have to make your request from England and Wales for a preliminary discussion, which might involve a request to somebody in Scotland. The point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser, is entirely legitimate. Speaking for myself, I do not see why the conversation cannot take place with somebody in Scotland, but that will give rise to particular difficulties about enforcement. I will need to take away what the noble Baroness has said and think about the answer to all those problems. It is a classically appropriate probing amendment as it raises quite thorny little issues—well, not little.