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Superficially, the issue sounds quite simple—it sounds as if it is just a case of giving extra powers. That is fine, as long as the legislation is framed in an appropriate way and it is free from challenge further down the line.
We have a little time in hand, so interventions can be taken and extra time will be given. 14:57 Happy new year to you, Presiding Officer, and to other members.
Unlike some members, we will not be fobbed off with extra protections. If the Government drops its power-grabbing proposals, we will not need those safeguards.
Thank you—and I thank all members for keeping their speeches brief, which has given us a few extra minutes for the next debate, which is heavily subscribed.
We have faced up to that problem and, as a result of the extra £7 million that we allocated for the winter waiting time initiative, the number of people waiting more than nine months has fallen by 41 per cent over the latest period.
We should consider that the charging regime placed on customers perhaps £1 billion of extra costs between 2002 and 2010. I know that the Finance Committee considered that in some detail in the previous session.