Contrary to the report in the Telegraph, which claimed that the bill was "pulled at the eleventh hour", Lord Saatchi's Medical Innovations Bill, sponsored in the Commons by Michael Ellis, is still listed for consideration tomorrow. You can see it in the Order Paper under Future Business at No. 37.
Whilst it won't be debated, it is theoretically possible for the bill to pass all its stages at 2.30pm tomorrow.
As the Liberal Democrats have refused to back the bill, there should be no agreed government position and so the bill should be blocked by a government whip shouting 'object' (they seem to block all private member's bills which the government don't support).
I hope that opponents of the bill will be on hand to make sure that does happen – or to shout object themselves in the event that the whip forgets.
'So, faced with this level of concern, but recognising the profound importance of innovation and of saving lives, the best way to proceed is surely to appoint an eminent person examine what the barriers to innovation really are and how best to overcome them.
You can read more about the Medical Innovations Bill here on my earlier blog post.
Liberal to my core, there's room out there for more sniping from high up the centre ground. Opinions are my own.