Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill (First sitting)

Jim Fitzpatrick Excerpts

Wednesday 16th January 2019 Public Bill Committees

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

I could not resist the opportunity to say what a delight it is to see you, Ms Buck, in the Chair. We both came into Parliament in 1997 and this is the first time I have served on a Committee where you have been in the Chair. May I say how expertly you have handled proceedings this morning?

I am sorry for not being here at the start. I wish I could blame Southeastern trains. The only accusation I can make against them is that they caught me out by being on time this morning.

[Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Limehouse) (Lab)]

I just want to say, as someone who has served under Ms Buck, she always does a great job.

[Clive Efford]

Yes, and I would not suggest that she falls down in her performance in any way.

I wanted to rise to say congratulations to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North East Hertfordshire. I call him my friend because, although others might not know this, we have known each other for 40 years. We used to run a football team in south-east London together when I was a youth worker. What a tremendous job he did back then, being very compassionate and committed to the young people from that part of London. I do not want to detain the Committee for long, but it is a pleasure to see him here and I wish him all success with his Bill. I hope that he succeeds in steering it through and getting it on to the statute book. Congratulations to him.