My Lords, I beg to move that the Commons reasons be now considered.

Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

My Lords, I beg to move Motion A, that this House do not insist on its Amendments Nos. 1 to 4, to which the Commons have disagreed for their Reasons 1A to 4A.

Noble Lords’ amendments were disagreed to in the other place because they involved charges on the public revenue and were therefore subject to Commons financial privilege. I would like to put on record that I am nevertheless grateful to noble Lords opposite for the thorough scrutiny the Bill has received in this House.

Moved, Motion A, That this House do not insist on its Amendments Nos. 1 to 4 to which the Commons have disagreed for their Reasons 1A to 4A.—(Lord McKenzie of Luton.)

My Lords, we are not surprised that the Minister gives that reason. What I find surprising is that the authorities in your Lordships’ House allowed amendments to be debated on a subject that was bound to lead to the Commons rejecting them without debate for the reasons given in the Motion before us. I suggest to the Minister and his colleagues that in future, when Bills come before your Lordships’ House that deal with national insurance or any other aspect of taxation, rather more consideration is given to which amendments can be taken by your Lordships’ House. The way that this has been dealt with has wasted the time of your Lordships’ House, that of the Minister and that of noble Lords who took part in what turned out to be a completely futile exercise.

My Lords, it was opposition amendments that we were dealing with. It was not necessary for the matter to be debated in the other place; it was clear that the amendments passed by this House strayed into the financial privilege of the other place. It is up to the noble Lords opposite who moved the amendments to consider their position with regard to this.

On Question, Motion agreed to.