HL Deb 04 May 1993 vol 545 cc600-1
Lord Wakeham

My Lords, I beg to move the second Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.

Moved, That Standing Order 38 (Arrangement of the Order Paper) be dispensed with to enable the Motion standing in the name of the Lord Irvine of Lairg to be taken before the Motion standing in the name of the Earl of Selborne on Monday 17th May. —(Lord Wakeham.)

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe

My Lords, as the Motion standing in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Irvine of Lairg, deals with four statutory instruments concerning legal aid, may I have an assurance from the Lord Privy Seal that the change in timing is not as a result of pressure from the Law Society or noble Lords legally qualified that a debate at this time would fit in better with their outside engagements?

Will the noble Lord also help me as a comparative newcomer? Is it in order for the handful of noble Lords such as myself who are not legally qualified to take part in such debates?

Lord Wakeham

My Lords, I understand that the Select Committee has indicated that it is content for the debate on the common organisation of the market in potatoes, which it wishes to hold before discussions on the issue take place in the Council of Ministers on 24th–25th May, to be taken after the debate on legal aid in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Irvine.

The House knows full well and fully values the interest that the noble Lord, Lord Cocks, displays in debates on legal issues in this House. Indeed, I believe that he displays rather stronger views on lawyers than he does on potato growers. Perhaps he may wish to contribute his own perspective to the debate on legal aid. In that event, the timing of the debate on legal aid may be convenient for him as well as for others.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, many of us are extremely interested in the affairs of the European Community. When we considered the original Minutes of Proceedings, we welcomed the fact that the report of the European Communities Committee on the common organisation of the market in potatoes would be given a certain degree of prominence on Monday 17th May, and we made our arrangements accordingly. Will the noble Lord give the House the assurance that in future the reports of the European Communities Committee of the House of Lords will be given the prominence that they are due and that they are not relegated to the most inconvenient times of the day, as they have been many times in the past?

Lord Wakeham

My Lords, Motions on Select Committee reports are, under Standing Order 38, given precedence over Motions in their place on the Order Paper. That is the position. It is only if the House decides to pass a Motion to change the order that it will be changed. Thus, I can give the noble Lord the assurance he requires that it is not for me to change the standing order. It is for the House to do so if it so desires for its convenience. I suggest that the House may wish to do that on this occasion.

On Question, Motion agreed to.