Derek McDowell (Labour)

I will speak specifically to the amendment, although obviously it sits in the heart of a section which, together with the following section, forms the core of the Bill. These two sections really are the core of the Bill presented by Government and they go a long way to drawing down the veil of secrecy over the way in which Government operates. They make it almost impossible to find out what discussion is going on between various sections of Government – Ministers, Departments, Civil Service or whatever – about what is currently under discussion, and indeed for some time afterwards. It is with this, I suppose, that we are primarily concerned in this amendment.