§ 3.13 p.m.
§ Lord DenhamMy Lords, after the end of the short debate on the secret services and before the opening 210 of that on pseudo-religious cults, my noble friend Lord Glenarthur will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement that is to be made in another place on the Hong Kong White Paper.
I should like to say a word about the arrangements for the short debates standing in the names of the noble Lord, Lord Jenkins of Putney, and my noble friend Lord Rodney. On the principle that the mover is allowed 15 minutes and that the Minister should rise to reply not less than 20 minutes before the scheduled end of the debate, in the case of the short debate in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Jenkins of Putney, this means that all other speeches should be limited to 14 minutes and in that of my noble friend Lord Rodney to 11 minutes. If any noble Lord were to speak at greater length, it would be at the expense of subsequent speakers in that debate. I should remind the House that when the figures 14 and 11 respectively appear on the clock the speech is already too long.