Three issues here.

Neither Hamish, nor Sham, nor I have time to act as the one point of contact for the outflow of all information. Nor are we such retentive news managers as Blair and cronies. But there are many people who need to know, and we all want to make sure they all do know.

If people do not know what is going on they cannot organise to fight it.

Second, much of what Lord McIntosh has said is not correct. Please read the schedule to the bill if not the whole bill. This government is systematically lying about what the bill will mean, to the public, to the houses of parliament, and in briefings to all MPs. Not all of what opponents of the bill have said is true, but their exaggerations are rarer and lesser.

Third, I do get rather tired of the holier-than-thou brigade who object to seeing here in circumstances of extreme provocation, lesser profanities that they will hear 13 year old girls use on the streetcorners of our towns and villages every minute of every day.

Sham I may not always see eye to eye with you, but keep it up!