§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Waddington)My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. The Motion has been agreed to through the usual channels. It is for three purposes. First, on the day before the Christmas Recess your Lordships will be considering, as usual, the Consolidated Fund Bill. The suspension of the Standing Order is necessary for that. Secondly, your Lordships will 594 shortly be taking the Second Reading of the Welsh Development Agency Bill. The usual channels have agreed that the Bill, which is very short and purely financial, is suitable to be taken to Royal Assent by Christmas. Thirdly, the usual channels have agreed that the Third Reading of the Offshore Safety Bill should be taken immediately after its Report stage this coming Thursday. All Members of your Lordships' House involved in the Committee stage of that Bill indicated that that would be for their convenience. Perhaps I may conclude with my usual undertaking that no other Bill will be taken through by virtue of suspending the Standing Order without usual channels' agreement. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That Standing Order 44 (No two stages of a Bill to be taken on one day) be suspended until the Christmas Recess.—(Lord Waddington.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.