§ 3.23 p.m.
§ Lord SOAMES rose to move, That, with effect from 17th July 1979, the order designating certain Lords members of the European Parliament dated 3rd July 1975, as amended by the orders dated 21st February 1978 and 29th June 1978, be discharged. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I apologise for taking up so much of your Lordships' time today, but I think I should explain briefly the purpose of this Motion. Noble Lords will be aware that the European Parliament will meet tomorrow to begin its new life as an Assembly composed of directly elected Members. The present Motion discharges the existing orders of the House which designated the Members of this House who have served on the United Kingdom delegation to the European Parliament until now.
§ It also provides me with a welcome opportunity to express the appreciation which is felt in all parts of the House for the first-class work done by all those noble Lords who have served as members of the 1144 delegation from this House. I should also like to offer my personal contratulations and those of the House as a whole to those in this House who have been elected to serve in the newly constituted European Parliament. I wish them well in this exciting enterprise, and I wish them boundless energy because I know they will need it.
§ Moved, That, with effect from 17th July 1979, the order designating certain Lords members of the European Parliament dated 3rd July 1975, as amended by the orders dated 21st February 1978 and 29th June 1978, be discharged.—(Lord Soames.)
§ The PRINCIPAL DEPUTY CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES (Lord Greenwood of Rossendale)My Lords, I wish briefly on behalf of the Select Committee to echo the felicitous words that the Lord President has spoken. We should like to thank the Members of the European Parliament for the help they have given us on many occasions and, if I may say so, for the great service they have rendered to this House and the country. They rendered it under very difficult circumstances, and in some cases at least they rendered it at some peril to their own health.
Now we wish to extend our best wishes to the Members of the new Parliament. We remember, at a time when Her Majesty's Government were not the most popular member of the Community, in what respect the Members whom we sent to them were held. We are sure the new Members will be held in equal respect and we hope before long to hear what steps have been taken to ensure that the same happy relationship is established between this House and the new Parliament as has existed in the past. We are most grateful to them and to the Lord President for what he said.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.