If that fails, a centrist group that rescued Mr. Prodi in June and that is led by former President Francesco Cossiga announced that it would support the budget, thus assuring parliamentary passage.

Although the opposition parties had pledged not to impede parliamentary passage of the trade agreement after losing last month's general election, the bitter dispute over the pact resumed when Parliament reconvened this week.

During its parliamentary passage, the Bill (in an amended form) gained support of the government, and Phil Woolas as the then Local Government Minister.

Students would lose the right to social security benefits, but the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals last night pledged to fight this element - only referred to in the bill's preface - throughout its parliamentary passage and the courts if necessary.

Mr Chris Patten, the Environment Secretary, said that an independent chairman will be appointed to the new joint committee, and will be named during the bill's parliamentary passage in January.

But later today, Mr. Turner made explicit what he had implied in his concession speech Monday night: The Liberals would not seek to frustrate parliamentary passage of the agreement.

But the measure seems certain to be killed off later in its parliamentary passage as ministers are planning to publish their own proposals for greater openness in government this summer.

A bill that plans to open up family courts to further media scrutiny faces a rough parliamentary passage if a debate on Wednesday night is anything to go by.

The parliamentary passage of this report is not over, therefore.

He made a major contribution to the drafting and parliamentary passage of the Lex Schuman by the French parliament.