Prisons and Courts Bill
Public Bill Committee, 20 April 2017.
Oliver Heald (Conservative, North East Hertfordshire)
On a point of order, Mr Stringer. I thank you and Mr Brady for the excellent way in which you have chaired our proceedings. Before my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham moves the motion, may I also thank the House officials, Hansard, the Doorkeepers and security staff for all they have done for the Committee?
On behalf of myself and my hon. Friend the Member for East Surrey, I thank all members of the Committee, including the Opposition Front Benchers—we have had a measure of warm agreement on many of the measures in the Bill—and our Whips, who have kept us in order.
Finally, I thank all the civil servants at the Ministry of Justice, particularly the Bill team manager, Kate Gregory-Smith, and our legal team, for all the work they have done on the Bill. I also thank my assistant private secretary, Keighley Jones.
Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour, Torfaen)
Further to that point of order, Mr Stringer. I associate myself with all the Minister’s remarks. I, too, thank everyone who has contributed to the Committee’s sessions. When I came up to Westminster from south Wales on Tuesday morning, I thought that the Committee would dominate my week and some other weeks, but events have intervened. The sessions that we had were very positive. There was a large measure of agreement but, at times, robust debate too, which I am sure will stand all the various issues in good stead for the future.
Guy Opperman (Conservative, Hexham)
Given events and with the leave of the Committee, I wish to move a motion.