National Lottery Bill [Lords] — Objects — 1 Jun 1998

I beg to move amendment No. 5, in page 17, line 36, leave out from 'potential' to 'and' in line 40.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

With this, it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 6, in clause 27, page 22, leave out lines 8 and 9.

Amendment negatived.

Order for Third Reading read.

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

Let me first give a warm welcome to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) in his new capacity as shadow Secretary of State. In my dealings with him here over a number of years, I have always found his approach both courteous and constructive, and I look forward to fruitful and robust debate with him across the Floor of the House. He seemed to spend most of this afternoon and this evening reading my book. I recommend it to him as a somewhat more productive exercise than reading the fulminations of Mr. George Walden on the subject.

The Bill has been the subject of much interest both inside and outside the House. It has also been subject to thorough scrutiny by the House. I place on record my thanks to members of the Standing Committee and especially the hon. Member for North Thanet (Mr. Gale) and my hon. Friend the Member for Bootle (Mr. Benton) for their excellent chairmanship. The Committee was thorough in its scrutiny, and all the issues were debated thoroughly--indeed, so thoroughly that reading the proceedings of the Committee it seemed to me that the same speech was made on different occasions by several Committee Members. On some occasions, it appeared to be repeated several times within the same speech.

I must also thank my colleagues the Ministers for the Arts and for Sport for their sterling work both in Committee and on Report. Nor should I neglect to mention my noble Friend the Deputy Chief Whip in another place and my noble Friend Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale for their careful stewardship of the Bill in that place.

1 Jun 1998 : Column 112

Question put, That the Bill be now read the Third time:--

The House divided: Ayes 278, Noes 129.

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