Adjournment (Hansard, 25 July 1991)

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, this might be an appropriate moment to thank all those who make the business of your Lordships' House possible, both those who can be seen and those who cannot, for their enormous contribution in making our difficult task easier. At the same time it is appropriate to wish all noble Lords, particularly those on the Benches opposite, a very well-earned rest and recuperation as July drifts into August. I hope that when we return in October it will be with renewed enthusiasm and vigour after the restorative process of the summer months.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, from these Benches I reciprocate what the noble Lord has said. I recall that his predecessor, the noble Lord, Lord Denham, was able to say exactly what the House wanted, which left very few words for those who followed him. The same now applies. One does not want to single out any particular category among those who help us. We are all servants of the people, and we have been served very well. We can look back over a Session which has not been as heavy as some others, except that this week, the week in which we go down, we were still sitting at 1.45 a.m. last Monday. The usual channels have had a great deal of work to do, but we have successfully managed to maintain the sense of proportion and decorum which the usual channels of this House have always enjoyed.
The oldest hand, the noble Lord, Lord Tordoff, has been able to guide two of his younger companions in the House. I am always grateful for assistance in that respect. We on this side of the House reciprocate the good wishes of the Government Chief Whip and his colleagues. We hope that they have a happy holiday. We al look forward to returning to the House.

§ Lord Tordoff
My Lords, I would not wish to criticise the noble Lord for his age-ism. But I hardly consider myself as one of the older brethren; after all, middle age is always 10 years older than you are yourself. Seeing the noble Lord, Lord Houghton of Sowerby, in the distance, that gives us a long time to go. The Government Chief Whip has continued the tradition of his predecessor whom I am pleased to see sitting on the Back Benches. That gives me the opportunity to wish him a happy retirement from his former job. I know that he is going off to write a book, or he is in the middle of doing so. I hope that the summer break will give him the opportunity to renew himself and to return a new man. That also applies to all Members of the House.
The servants of the House in all their guises look after us extremely well. We do not treat them as well as we should on many occasions, whether they be doorkeepers, clerks, waitresses or even civil servants in the Box. I look forward to changes. It has been a year in which we have had increased security. People can be seen with pictures of themselves hanging around the neck and those pictures are not always recognisable. Now that we have the Citizen's Charter, doubtless the Clerks at the Desk will be wearing name badges when we return. In legislative terms it has not been a very full Session, but it has been a particularly tiring one. I believe that we are all ready for a good vacation. I wish everyone a very good holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back in their place on 14th October.

§ Baroness Hylton-Foster
My Lords, the Cross-Bench Peers would like to be associated with the thanks and good wishes that have already been expressed. We would like to mention our special appreciation for the work done by those whom we very seldom see; for example, the little ladies with the feather brushes who keep all the books clean; and the splendid people who keep all the rooms clean with their mops and brushes. I refer also to the police with their sniffer dogs. In particular this year, we would like to thank the police for keeping an eye on us during the Gulf war and other troubles. I also wish to thank them for their gentle handling of Peers who constantly forget their passes. Finally, we should like to congratulate the doorkeepers on knowing the names of all the new Peers so quickly. We think they are wonderful. We send our good wishes to all who work here.