My Lords, I thank all the contributors to this debate. Amendment 142 was love bombed by many noble Lords with extra amendments raising important points which deserved airing and have received consideration, so we provided a vehicle for a lot of other important issues. At times, I was concerned that the central point—what the noble Lord, Lord Lea, called “the architecture”—was getting lost in the specifics that were being raised. We were brought back to those key central points very ably by my co-signatories, the noble Baroness, Lady Wheatcroft, and the noble Lords, Lord Lea and Lord Campbell. By the way, to remind everyone, the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, was a distinguished Olympian in his own right. We had references earlier to our Olympic heroes around the House.
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The central point is about the role of Parliament. Is Parliament a bystander while the Government concoct a position and take it to negotiate the future relationships? Most people are sceptical about the way in which it will be received in Brussels. We wait to see what will happen, but are we passive, or do we try to exert some influence? In other words, do we take back control? Do we assert the sovereignty of this House and the House of Commons?
As one of the mothers of all Parliaments—perhaps the mother, although that is disputed by Iceland and one or two other places—do we just stand by and watch this being done with muddle and fumble, a word I used earlier, when we come to construct the negotiating position?
There is no doubt that we will return to this issue as the Bill progresses. In the meantime, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.