§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, at a convenient moment after 3.30 this afternoon my noble friend Lord Trefgarne will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement that is to be made in another place on the Foreign Affairs Council on 12th–13th March. 732 This will be followed by my noble friend Lord Belstead who will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement on the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 11th to 13th March.
It may be for the convenience of your Lordships to know that it has been agreed through the usual channels that, in view of the very large number of speakers in this afternoon's debate, the Unstarred Question standing in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Hatch of Lusby, will be deferred until Wednesday, 28th March. The Unstarred Question at present on the Order Paper for that day in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Graham of Edmonton, will be deferred until Wednesday, 4th April.
There are 36 noble Lords down to speak in this afternoon's debate. I should point out to your Lordships that if they were all to speak for a quarter of an hour the debate would last for some nine hours. With the two Statements which we also have this afternoon, it means that the debate would end well after midnight. I hope, therefore, that although there is no formal time limit on this debate, noble Lords will do their utmost to keep their speeches short.