HL Deb 13 January 1988 vol 491 c1237

3.11 p.m.

Lord Denham

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I should like to say a word about the two short debates standing in the names of the noble Lord, Lord Morton of Shuna, and the noble Baroness, Lady Nicol. It is customary in short debates that the mover is allowed approximately 15 minutes and that the Minister should rise to reply not less than 20 minutes before the scheduled end of the debates. In the case of the debate in the name of the noble Lord this means that all other speeches should be limited to a maximum of five minutes and in that of the noble Baroness to six minutes. If any noble Lord were to speak at greater length, it would be at the expense of subsequent speakers in the debate.

Lord Ezra

My Lords, in response to the statement made by the noble Lord, I should like to address a question on the procedure for our short debates to the Leader of the House. While I fully concur with the concept of the short debate, as I am sure we all do, when some of the subjects proposed for a short debate are of sufficient interest to attract so many Peers, as will be the case today, I should like to ask whether the procedure could be modified so that those subjects can be transferred for a longer period of debate.

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Belstead)

My Lords, it is entirely at the discretion of the noble Lord and the noble Baroness who are to move the debates today whether they will be two-and-a-half hour debates. Noble Lords opposite have decided that the debates will last for two-and-a-half hours. It so happens that the subjects are popular and attract many speakers. I have no doubt that the discussions will be very good.

If the noble Lord, Lord Ezra, feels critical of this, the correct procedure is for him to contact the Chairman of the Procedure Committee, the noble Lord, Lord Aberdare. It is entirely at the discretion of noble Lords opposite as to what they do today.