Speakership of the House (Hansard, 9 July 2003)

§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara)
My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Lords be named of the Select Committee to consider the future arrangements for the Speakership of the House in the light of the Government's announcement that it is intended to reform the office of Lord Chancellor, and to make recommendations:

L. Alexander of Weedon,

L. Ampthill.

L. Carter,

L. Desai,

L. Freeman,

B. Gould of Potternewton,

L. Lloyd of Berwick (Chairman),

L. Marsh,

B. Miller of Chilthorne Domer,

L. Tordolf,

L. Trefgarne;
That the Committee have power to appoint specialist advisers;
That the Committee have leave to report from time to time;
That the Reports of the Select Committee from time to time shall be printed, notwithstanding any adjournment of the House;
That the Committee shall report by the end of the Session;
And that the Committee do meet on Tuesday 15th July at 11 a.m.—(The Chairman of Committees.)

§ Lord Naseby
My Lords, I speak purely as a Back-Bencher. The noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, is greatly to be welcomed as the chairman of the committee. I hope very much that his deliberations will result in a report that all of us will feel able to take forward. Is it not marginally surprising that, with two 284 former Speakers, three former Chairmen of Ways and Means, and three former Deputy Speakers, that expertise is not to be available in the deliberations of the committee when it draws its conclusions?

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, as the noble Lord has said, the noble Lords named on the list will be very good, I am sure. The job of the Committee of Selection was fairly easy because only 11 names were put forward for the 11 vacancies.