§ 2.58 p.m.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, at a convenient moment after 3.30 p.m. my noble friend Lady Jay of Paddington will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement being made in another place on the Berlin European Council on 24th and 25th March and on Kosovo.
In view of the long list of speakers for the debate which is scheduled to take place this afternoon and tomorrow on the House of Lords Bill, it might be helpful if I indicate to the House that, while the debate is not time limited, if the average time taken by each of the Back-Bench speakers was seven minutes, the debate would conclude at a reasonable hour on each of the two evenings—using "evening" in this context as a term of art.
As always, in all such matters I can only offer guidance. I remain in the hands of the House. I should say, however, that as a second day has been agreed for this debate, it will be in the interests of all noble Lords who are sitting through the two days for the proceedings not to be unduly extended into the small hours. No doubt your Lordships will agree that it would be particularly regrettable if noble Lords who might have contributed to causing the House to sit later than it otherwise would have done did not remain for the winding-up speeches.
I can only repeat that the time at which the House adjourns tonight and tomorrow night is entirely in your Lordships' hands. A list of speakers will shortly be available but it might be helpful if your Lordships knew that the first six speakers are to be my noble friend the Leader of the House, the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition, the noble Lord the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Peers, who will be followed by the noble Lord, Lord Cobbold, to move his amendment, the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, and my noble friend Lord Richard, in that order.
Earl FerrersMy Lords, why is the noble Lord the Chief Whip always asking for restraint? Does he realise that some noble Lords are going to be obliged to be restrained for the rest of their lives? Why therefore should they be restrained on the Bill which is perforce to restrain them?
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, in the two-day debate on the White Paper, which ranged considerably wider than the Bill, the average speaking time for the Back-Benchers was seven minutes.
§ Lord ActonMy Lords, can my noble friend say when it is proposed to take the Statement?
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, we are not entirely sure. We are still waiting for the final Statement to be cleared from the other place and it will be subject to agreement between the usual channels as to when we take it.
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, if the Statement is not cleared by the time the sixth speaker sits down, we shall be in ignorance as to whom the seventh speaker shall be.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, good try! But the list of speakers will be available shortly. We will then know not only who is to be the seventh speaker, but also the 76th.