Housing Bill [H.L.] (Hansard, 18 July 1985)

§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone)
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

§ Lord Simon of Glaisdale
My Lords, I was allowed by your Lordships to intervene at Second Reading as one of those concerned with the acceleration of this consolidation to express our gratitude to, and to congratulate, my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack, the Law Commission and their 864 draughtsmen, on the formidable work that they had done so rapidly.
The Bills have now returned from the Consolidation Committee and are about to leave your Lordships' House. I think that your Lordships would not wish them to go without recognition of what the Consolidation Committee has accomplished. Of the three methods of consolidation the ones concerned with these Bills—consolidation with Law Commission amendments—is by far the most onerous. In this case there were 37 Law Commission recommendations, which I think is unexampled, and many of them were multiple. In those circumstances a quite exceptional burden fell on the Consolidation Committee. Your Lordships will wish to recognise the way that, under their brilliant chairman, they accomplished this consideration and report of the four Bills in three meetings, and to express to them your gratitude and admiration, too.

§ Lord Airedale
My Lords, may I add that the brilliant chairman who piloted the committee through this formidable piece of consolidation was, of course, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Brightman.

§ Lord Elwyn-Jones
My Lords, I rise merely to associate this side of the House with the complimentary and highly deserved remarks in regard to the progress on the work of consolidation, including the contribution of the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor himself in being a spur in this matter, and to express our gratitude for the progress that is taking place.

§ The Lord Chancellor
My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble and learned Lords and the noble Lord who have given this encomium on the work of consolidation and for the special mention by the noble Lord on the Liberal Benches of the work of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Brightman, as chairman.