§ 3.11 p.m.
§ Lord DenhamMy Lords, with the leave of the House, I should like to say a word about the length of speeches in the debate standing in the name of the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition, to which your Lordships have agreed to apply a five-hour time 1091 limit. On the principle that the noble Lord is allowed approximately 20 minutes to open and the Minister should rise to reply not less than 25 minutes before the scheduled end, any other speech which exceeded nine minutes would do so at the expense of subsequent speakers in the debate.