§ 3.34 p.m.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, it may be for the convenience of the House to know that, subject to the progress of business, it is anticipated that the Easter Recess will include the week beginning Monday 5th April and the Whitsun Recess will include the week beginning Monday 31st May.
The House may also like to note that there will be a debate on Monday 22nd February to draw attention to the White Paper on reform of the House of Lords.
§ Lord HenleyMy Lords, perhaps I may begin by thanking the noble Lord the Chief Whip for offering us at least one day to debate the White Paper, having initially and rather inexplicably refused the requests of the official Opposition for such a debate. I also thank the noble Lord for partially offering us the dates for both the Easter and the Whitsun Recesses. I hope that at the earliest possible stage he will give the House the exact start and finish dates so that noble Lords who wish to make arrangements, for instance, to travel abroad can get ahead with buying tickets and making their plans.
Will the noble Lord also confirm that another place will be taking a few days' extra holiday the week after next? Does he think that we in this House should be taking an extra holiday? What assurances can he give that, in so doing, another place will not further exacerbate the legislative log-jam which we nearly always experience towards the end of the summer? What guarantees can the noble Lord give that we shall not be sitting into August and that we shall rise at a decent time in July?
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, as always, the noble Lord receives full marks for a good try. I did not refuse the request he made; I said that I would consider it.
The other place is taking only a two-day break, on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th. I had been considering the possibility of a long weekend for your Lordships. However, the official Opposition were so insistent that a debate on Lords' reform was required that I felt bound to oblige them—even though the House has recently held a two-day debate on this topic; debated the reform on a traditional Queen's Speech day; and even though a Bill is to be debated during this Session. I am afraid that the noble Lord the Opposition Chief Whip cannot have it both ways.