§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)My Lords, we will all wish to welcome my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton as Lord Chancellor and Speaker of this House.
§ Lord Williams of MostynMy Lords, on Monday, with the leave of the House, I shall make a Statement on the Government's proposals concerning the future of the speakership. I think it is better to be made then, when full attendance will be possible and your Lordships will have had sufficient notice.
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House for what he has just said. I join him from our side of the House in welcoming the Lord Chancellor, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, to his position. I want also to pay tribute to his predecessor, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Irvine of Lairg, for the work that he did and, on a personal note, to say that I was always on good terms with him.
Last evening, there was an angry but short debate in this House about the way in which the Government had handled the whole process. As the House knows, I was not in my place as I had an alternative engagement with the BBC in Newcastle. However, I am very glad that the Government have now responded fully to that short debate by accepting that there should be a Government Statement on Monday. I will reserve everything else I have to say in reply to that Statement and I very much look forward to it.
§ Lord TordoffMy Lords, I am not quite sure why I am here to say what I have to say, but I am very happy to do so. Like the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, and the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House, we on these Benches welcome the new Lord Chancellor and wish him well for however long he remains Lord Chancellor, which is very mysterious at the moment but will doubtless come clean in the wash—not the Wash where the baggage was lost.
I want also to pay tribute to the former Lord Chancellor, with whom I had very good relations when I was Chairman of Committees. He was always very helpful to me and, without any doubt at all, he has been a reforming Lord Chancellor. Despite having a had press from time to time, he served this House well.
474 I do not want to become involved in the argument which took place yesterday, but I am glad that the noble and learned Lord has announced that there will be a Statement on Monday. That is probably as much as I need to say today.
§ Lord WeatherillMy Lords, on behalf of the Cross Benches, I, too, welcome the new Lord Chancellor and pay tribute to his predecessor, with whom I, too, was on good terms. Perhaps I may tell the Lord Chancellor that exactly 30 years ago today I was told that I was to be Speaker of the House of Commons. I had 48 hours' notice of that appointment, so I have a particularly warm regard for the new Lord Chancellor and wish him a long and happy reign—at least 10 years, like mine.
§ Lord Williams of MostynMy Lords, I am quite sure why I am standing here. With typical generosity, the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, paid tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Irvine of Lairg. We all had an enormous regard for his energy and mental capacity. He was a very good Lord Chancellor for a long period in a difficult testing period.
We can resume our deliberations on this matter on Monday. I am very grateful to your Lordships.