HL Deb 26 November 1980 vol 415 cc96-7

2.50 p.m.

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)

My Lords, in moving the first Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper I should like to apologise to the House. Inadvertently we have omitted the name of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Worcester, whose name was before the Committee of Selection yesterday and has been left off the list that is before your Lordships. I wish to apologise in particular to the right reverend Prelate. He has been a most valuable member of the committee in the last Session and it is certainly no fault of his, but entirely my fault, that his name is not included. I very much hope that your Lordships will accept the Motion with the inclusion of the name of the right reverend Prelate. My Lords, I beg to move.

Moved, That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Lords be named of the Select Committee:

That the Committee have power to adjourn from place to place.

That the Committee have leave to report from time to time.

That the Committee have power to appoint Specialist Advisers.

That the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee from time to time be printed and, if the Committee think fit, be delivered out.—(Lord Aberdare.)

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone)

My Lords, the Question is that the first Motion standing in the name of the Chairman of Committees be agreed to, with the modification. As many as are of—

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords—

The Lord Chancellor

Just wait a moment, will you? I am proposing the Motion with the modification suggested by the Lord Chairman of Committees.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, I am much obliged to the Lord Chancellor for his consideration. The noble Lords whose names appear on the list seem to me to be entirely admirable in every way in order to fulfil the important task given to them. However, it occurs to me that none of these noble Lords comes from Wales nor lives in Wales. The unemployment situation in Wales is of the utmost gravity. It is probably as bad as, if not worse than, that in any other part of the United Kingdom. If I may, I should like with respect and all courtesy to submit that this matter be reconsidered, since there are on all sides of the House noble Lords from the Principality who could serve with distinction on the committee and give it information which would be helpful in seeking to solve the problem which in Wales is as grave as any that I have known in the past 35 years. That is the point that I wish to make, with respect to the Lord Chancellor; it is one that is of the utmost importance to all the people of the Principality.

Lord Aberdare

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos, will understand that I have great sympathy with his point of view. The fact of the matter is that this is a reappointment of a committee that existed in the last Session. It is now coming to the end of its deliberations and I think that it would be a little late in the day to start changing its composition. However, I am sure that the committee has taken due note of the problems that afflict the Principality in regard to the question of unemployment, and I hope that in the circumstances your Lordships will agree that this committee, which is now ending its deliberations, should be reappointed as it was in the last Session.

The Lord Chancellor

My Lords, perhaps I should say that I was not trying to restrict your Lordships' debate, but when I am proposing the Question it is necessary that I should be able to do so in comparative quiet.

On Question, Motion agreed to.