Clerk Assistant of the Parliaments (Hansard, 11 April 1988)

§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern)
My Lords, I beg to move the first of the two Motions standing in my name on the Order Paper.
In accordance with my statement to the House on 11th February, I have appointed Mr. Michael Addison John Wheeler-Booth to be Clerk Assistant in place of Mr. John Egerton Grey, who has retired. I therefore beg to move.

§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Belstead)
My Lords, the two Motions which appear in the name of my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor on the Order Paper today were foreshadowed by the statement which my noble and learned friend made on 11th February to your Lordships' House. I should like to take this opportunity of paying tribute to Mr. John Grey, whose retirement has occasioned these new appointments.
Many of your Lordships have known John Grey a long time. He joined the Parliament Office over 29 years ago, having previously practised at the Chancery Bar. Since 1974 he has been Clerk Assistant of the Parliaments and Clerk of Public Bills. Among many other things, he gave notable service as Clerk to the Brooke Committee on Delegated Legislation in 1972 to 1973.
I know that your Lordships are very appreciative of the guidance we receive from the Clerks. Those of us who sought John Grey's advice recognised his thoroughly professional grasp of the practice and procedures of the House. He has many friends among your Lordships and I know that the House would not wish to take leave of John Grey without thanking him most warmly for his services and sending him and his wife every good wish for a long and happy retirement.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, on behalf of my noble friends, I warmly endorse the tribute paid to Mr. John Grey by the noble Lord. As the noble Lord has said, Mr. Grey has served this House ably and diligently for nearly 30 years. Prior to that he practised as a Chancery barrister. The House has been fortunate to have a man of his background and wide knowledge as one of its senior Clerks.
Some years ago I had the pleasure of his company on an overseas delegation and came to know him as a 910 man of wide interests, of great kindness and a ready sense of humour. I think that one needs a sense of humour as well as a fund of patience if one is to listen to our speeches with an apparent show of interest for 30 years.
We are grateful to Mr. Grey for his service to us and wish him and Mrs. Grey a long and happy retirement.

§ Baroness Seear
My Lords, we on these Benches should also like to pay tribute to John Grey. We very strongly appreciate the work that is done by the Clerks and realise how difficult it must often be to guide us in the direction in which we ought to go when our enthusiasms exceed the rules of the House.
John Grey has been an extremely patient servant of the House and a most affable and agreeable colleague whenever we have approached him with problems that we wished to sort out.
We hope very much that he will have a long retirement. We are grateful to him for all that he has done.

§ Baroness Hylton-Foster
My Lords, we on the Cross-Benches also wish to express our thanks to Mr. Grey for the courteous help and advice that he has given to us. After nearly 30 years here we hope that he will now be able to enjoy his boat and his garden. We wish him a very happy retirement with his family.