Committee Debate: 6th sitting: House of Commons
Tuesday 28th November 2017

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Public Bill Committees
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Alan Whitehead Portrait Dr Whitehead
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The hon. Gentleman could argue that we can dispense with procedure and just get good things through this House. Clearly, that would not be a terribly good idea because of how we need to structure our legislation.

I can see that the hon. Gentleman is a little concerned about the relationship between what everyone in this Committee can agree in terms of the wording of the amendment—

Clive Lewis Portrait Clive Lewis (Norwich South) (Lab)
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I believe the expression is, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

Alan Whitehead Portrait Dr Whitehead
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Indeed, my hon. Friend puts it more succinctly.

It is important not only that we do good things in this House, but that we do good things in the right way so that, in those circumstances where there might not be such good things coming forward, we are protected from doing those less good things in the wrong way. Whether or not it is technically in order, my contention is that it appears to be a very strange way of taking a piece of legislation through the House.