§ 3.9 p.m.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, after the Business Statement last Thursday and further discussions by the usual channels, it has been agreed that two full days will now be set aside for the Second Reading of the Scotland Bill. Those two days will be tomorrow and Thursday. The draft of the list of speakers, produced after consultation within the usual channels, is now available in the Government Whips' Office. It had been hoped to accommodate on Thursday the debate set down in the name of my noble friend Lord Barnett, but, given the number of Peers who now wish to speak on the Scotland Bill, that is no longer realistic and a further date will be found for that debate.
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, on behalf of these Benches, perhaps I may say how grateful I am that the Government Chief Whip has come to that conclusion. It shows admirable wisdom on his part. On the question of the debate in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Barnett, as the House will know, the noble Lord had the prime slot on Thursday afternoon immediately after Questions, so will the Government try to find an equally prominent slot as quickly as possible for that important debate on the report on the European Central Bank, produced by the Select Committee on the European Communities?
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, all reports from your Lordships' Select Committees are important, not least 1452 when they are on a topic such as the European Central Bank. The chairman of the Select Committee, the noble Lord, Lord Tordoff, has today written to my noble friend the Leader of the House asking for time to be found to debate that report. Every effort will be made in that regard. The points that the noble Lord the Opposition Chief Whip has just made will certainly be taken into account.
§ Lord BarnettMy Lords, perhaps I may express my appreciation of the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. I know that he did not press any noble Lord to put down his name to speak on the Scotland Bill! Indeed, I wondered whether I should speak on the Barnett formula on Second Reading, but decided against that. Perhaps I may advise my noble friend Lord Carter that I recognise that he has problems with the timetable. However, there has not been a debate on the European Central Bank in your Lordships' House for a very long time, if ever, and it is an important issue. I hope that my noble friend will be able to assure us of an early debate in prime time on that vital subject on which I know that many noble Lords on all sides of the House would like to speak.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, I always listen with very great interest to everything that my noble friend Lord Barnett says. I shall read Hansard very carefully and bear in mind all that he has said.
Lord Bruce of DoningtonMy Lords, will the noble Lord accept my congratulations on having come to that decision? The document in question is the finest piece of speculative soothsaying since the first publication of Old Moore's Almanac and ought to be studied with great care by all Members of your Lordships' House.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, if I have managed to please both the noble Lord, Lord Barnett, and the noble Lord, Lord Bruce, I am not doing too badly.
§ Lord TordoffMy Lords, from what the noble Lord, Lord Bruce of Donington, said, it was not clear whether he was referring to the report produced by my noble friend or to the Scotland Bill.
§ Lord Molyneaux of KilleadMy Lords, on behalf of at least six Peers on these Benches, perhaps I may express what I hope will not prove to be premature appreciation of the consideration presently being given to our modest request for an alternative day for the Northern Ireland release of terrorists Bill, which was scheduled, I understand, for consideration on what is polling day for the assembly. On those grounds, I am afraid that our absence from the polling stations might have been misunderstood.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, I am aware of that. In fact, I have taken fully into account the points made last Thursday. Active discussions are proceeding through the usual channels to see whether we can resolve the situation.