Mrs.
Gillan: I am grateful, Mr. Gale, but I do not
want to delay the Committee. I am pleased to put on record that the
Government have responded correctly. If the Bill gets to the next
stage, we shall have further opportunities on Report and Third
Reading. Question
put and
negatived. Clause
1 accordingly disagreed
to. Clauses
2 to 7 disagreed
to.
The
Chairman: We need to leave clause 8 in the
Bill. Clause
8 ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Clause
9Short
title, commencement and
extent Question
proposed, That the clause stand part of the
Bill.
Mrs.
Gillan: Clause 9 is the last clause and I intend to vote
against it, to remove it from the Bill. However, I would like
to take the opportunity to thank you, Mr. Gale, for your
chairmanship, and both Clerks of the Committee and the Hansard
Reporters for their sterling work. I particularly thank all my
colleagues across the party. I am sorry to colleagues who indicated
that they would not be able to join us today and have not been able to
participate in what I think is an historic moment for the Bill. I shall
reserve my thanks for the Ministers’ officials, in both
Departments, who have behaved superbly, but I would particularly like
to put on record that the two Ministers have gone the extra mile in
their work. The Health Minister has met all our expectations in an
extraordinary fashion. I am truly grateful to him and it has been a
pleasure working with a very professional
Minister. Question
put and
negatived. Clause
9 accordingly disagreed to.
TitleAmendment
made: 42, in title, line 1, leave out from
‘make’ to ‘and’ in line 3 and
insert ‘provision about
meeting the needs of adults with autistic spectrum
conditions;’.—(Phil
Hope.) 4.30
pm Question
proposed, That the Chairman do report the Bill, as amended, to the
House.
Phil
Hope: I am delighted at what we have done today. The hon.
Member for Chesham and Amersham said that the Bill is a landmark moment
for people with autism and their families and carers. It is also a
landmark moment for all of us in political life to have achieved this
outcome. We have a few more proceedings to go through in the Commons,
and then through the Lords, but I think we can do that.
I thank all
the members of the Committee for their personal effort and endeavour. I
also thank the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham for her gracious
remarks. It has been a privilege to be part of this process, and I
thank you, Mr. Gale, for the excellent way that you have
chaired the sittings and taken us through the
proceedings.
The
Chairman: I thank all members of the Committee for the way
that they have conducted themselves. The Houses of Parliament are in
rather bad odour at the moment. I only wish that some people outside
this Committee Room had seen how this Committee carried out its work
and has made extremely constructive proposals on behalf of an important
group of people. I think I am allowed to say that, even though I am
supposed to be impartial—I am
impartial. On
behalf of the Committee, I thank the Officers of the House for all
their hard work, without which our job would not be
possible. Question
put and agreed
to. Bill,
as amended, accordingly to be
reported. 4.31
pm Committee
rose.
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