HL Deb 08 August 1980 vol 412 cc1769-72
The LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone)

My Lords, I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts:

11.44 a.m.

The LORD PRESIDENT of THE COUNCIL (Lord Soames)

My Lords, I beg to move that this House do now adjourn and, in so doing, I hope your Lordships will not take it amiss if I wish all Members of the House a pleasant and, as I think we all feel, a well-deserved Recess. Sitting here in the Royal Gallery over the last three weeks has not been at all easy for your Lordships, but the fact that it has been possible at all is due in large part to the exceptional service given to the House by the staff of the Parliament Office, by Black Rod and his doorkeepers, by the Refreshment Department and, not least, by the staff of the Official Report who, with the odds stacked heavily against them, have nevertheless succeeded in producing our daily Hansard to the normal high standard and without any delay at all. They have fulfilled their service to us in these circumstances as well as they have under normal circumstances and we are most grateful to them.

At the end of what I accept has been a long summer—certainly it has seemed so to me, at any rate—our staff have had to work under quite extraordinarily difficult conditions, and I am sure that the whole House will wish to join me in paying tribute to their very considerable achievement and in wishing them a good holiday. As I have already explained to the House, I very much hope we shall be able to return to our usual Chamber in October; in the meantime, I would again wish noble Lords in all parts of the House a relaxing and refreshing Recess.

Moved, That the House do now adjourn. —(Lord Soames.)

Lord PEART

My Lords, I, too, on behalf of the Opposition, would like to pay tribute to the staff. May I say that we are more than usually indebted to Black Rod for his constant care of the House and the astonishing speed with which he and his staff moved us into this Gallery. I am glad that we are going to get out of it soon. However, I wish to express great gratitude to all the staff for working so cheerfully under such conditions, and I would say that especially to our Hansard colleagues who have kept up their high standards in the Official Report—and indeed to our friends in the press as well. May I also thank all the staff, whatever section they may be in, and especially those who look after our stomachs and enable us to have drinks—the people in the Refreshment Department. We wish them all well and hope that they have a pleasant, long holiday.

I should like also to pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Soames, who has been new to this and has had an interruption with another position. We thank him for what he has done and for his courtesy.

Lord LLOYD of KILGERRAN

My Lords, may I, on behalf of those who do sit on these three Benches, also associate myself with the tributes which have been paid to the staff. I should like to say how well we are always served here by staff at all levels and particularly during these last few weeks, when it has been most noticeable what great service we have had at all times.

The noble Lord, Lord Peart, in his tribute referred to the Refreshment Department, and I wonder whether it would be appropriate for me to refer to one member of the staff. It is always invidious to refer to individual members of the staff but we have in the Refreshment Room been served very well by the lady there. We have seen that she is about to retire this summer, and therefore I wonder whether I might be allowed to associate this tribute personally to Miss Wilson for the 16 years in which she has served as head of the Refreshment Room.

The noble Lord the Lord President of the Council has, with his great eloquence, proposed the adjournment of this House and has made these tributes. We on these Benches would like also to pay a tribute to him for the great work he has done during this past year in his great office, during

June 1979 June 1980
Places Places
Approved Filled Approved Filled
Work experience on Employers Premises 124,600 41,100 143,800 51,000
Project Based Work Experience 13,000 5,400 18,000 6,900
Training Workshops 4,500 2,600 6,600 4,100
Community Service 13,600 6,400 22,700 12,600
Employment Induction Courses 1,500 100 2,300 100
Short Industrial Courses 25,500 3,800 37,000 400
Remedial Courses 1,600 100
Total: YOP 184,300 59,500 230,400 78,700

The number of places approved is not the same as the number of places available at any point in time. There are several reasons for this. For example, some sponsors do not inform MSC area offices that an approved scheme is not operating and this emerges only when a check is

which he has the great success that he has had in affairs outside this country as well as inside it. In conclusion, may I from these Benches wish your Lordships a happy and refreshing Recess.