Business (Hansard, 3 May 1995)

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, at a convenient moment after 3.30 this afternoon, my noble friend Lord Inglewood will, with the leave of the House, repeat in the form of a Statement, an Answer to a Private Notice Question in another place on Bosnia.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, will the Government Chief Whip tell the House what he has in mind when he says "at a convenient moment after 3.30"? As he knows, these matters are normally arranged after consultation, but there has been no consultation as to the appropriate time. I should have thought that if "after 3.30 p.m." we are still discussing the next item of business and have not started the main debate, it would be convenient to take the Statement before the main debate started. The alternative is either to break into the debate, which no one wants, or to wait until the end of it.

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, at this stage we are not in a position of knowing whether or not the Private Notice Question will have started in another place by 3.30 p.m. If that is the case and we have completed the next business, it is right that we should go ahead with the Statement. Otherwise, I propose that we should break after the Front Bench speakers have made their contributions to this afternoon's debate. That would, therefore, be after the speech of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Exeter.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, I simply want to make the point that these matters are normally dealt with through consultation, if not negotiation. I do not feel that it is right, for the good order of the House, to be advised in this manner at this stage on how the matter will be dealt with, especially as it is generally understood that a break in a debate is undesirable.

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, I am somewhat surprised by the Opposition Chief Whip and the tone that he used. He made a suggestion to the effect that if the next item of business were completed by the time that the Private Notice Question was asked in another place, we should repeat the Statement at that time. I entirely agree with that. If, however, the next item of business has been completed and the debate has started, it seems to make sense for us to break into the debate, however undesirable that may be, as otherwise we should have to wait until the end of the debate, which will not be until round about 8.15 this evening.

§ Lord Shepherd
My Lords, the Chief Whip did not reply to my noble friend as to why there was no consultation. That is the real issue. It is usual that consultations take place before making statements of that sort.

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, my understanding of these matters is that when a Statement is proposed and 1377 accepted by the Opposition, a Business Statement is made in the way that I have just made it; that at a convenient moment after 3.30 p.m. the Statement will be taken. I cannot see why any discussion which has taken place this afternoon should change that. The Opposition Chief Whip suggested that it could be taken after 3.30 p.m. before the debate, if we have not started the debate, and I entirely agreed. It is not a question of consultation, but I shall make a point in the future to involve the Opposition and other usual channels at the earliest possible opportunity to decide when we should take these Statements.