Alex White (Labour)

According to the Minister of State, "the Minister sought a similar extension to 31 December". It is the same point. The Minister is telling the Houses that he is doing it because others are doing it. A debate in which we stepped outside the notion that we should do something because other countries do it would be nice. Had we debated the precise reason these decisions were being put to us, it would have made matters clearer and been of more help to the House. I am reading the Minister of State's speech as I speak. I do not see the sort of clarity he claims it contains. It is not headlined.