Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)

I thank noble Lords who have taken part in this debate. On the point from the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, about being asked to judge the weight of the baby before the baby is born, I am in a similar position on her amendments. Without knowing what she intends to attempt to table, it is very difficult to know whether they will be in scope. Obviously, the clerks of the House will advise on this. However, I can assure her and the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, who also raised this, that the Government intend to approach Committee in a constructive way. When helpful amendments are tabled that would improve the Bill and not interrupt the implementation of the treaty but enhance it, particularly around engagement with the Chagossian community, we will debate them as we normally do and we can resolve issues, should we need to, on Report. I very much look forward to getting on with that process. The noble Baroness, Lady Ludford, was probably one of the best-informed participants in our debate last week—she shakes her head very modestly—and I thank her for reminding us of the diversity of opinion there clearly is among Chagossian communities. I expect and hope that this surfaces as part of the committee’s work. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, for the constructive way in which he has approached this so far. We are still at the early stages but, having worked with him for some time now, I expect that this is how we will continue. I very much look forward to committee so that we can thrash some of this out, get some answers to questions that noble Lords quite rightly have of the Government, and do our job, as this Chamber so often does, with the rigour, passion and diligence that we always apply. I beg to move.