Adjournment (Hansard, 20 November 2003)

§ Lord Grocott
My Lords, I beg to move that the House do adjourn during pleasure until 8.50 p.m. to await the Royal Commission. The thanks have already been made, but I particularly want to thank the Public Bill Office, which has been quite heroic in its work today. I am sure that the House will allow me to say that—we do not often do this, but I intend to set a precedent—special thanks are due to those 27 per cent who are proud to hold the title of Labour Members of this House, who, day-in, day-out, have managed by a miracle of the British constitution to sustain the legislative programme of a democratically elected government in the other House. My very special thanks are due to them.

§ Lord Cope of Berkeley
My Lords, first, I should like to make clear to the House that the Motion to adjourn the House has on this occasion been agreed by the usual channels. It is not always so, but is so in this case. Secondly, I should like to associate my side of the House with the thanks expressed by the Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms to the Public Bill Office and to the others who have helped us in these particularly difficult last couple of days, as we have struggled to reach agreement and to get it all incorporated in these amazing pieces of paper that come before us. I am sure that there are lawyers who understand it all, but to most of us it is a major task and we appreciate the work done.
The Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms paid tribute to his supporters in this House. I should like to do the same to mine. We have during this Bill, and on certain other Bills in the course of this Session, had great support, not only from Members of my party but from Members of the Liberal Democrat Party, from a considerable number of Cross-Benchers—even in the Lobbies today—and, indeed, from a number of Labour Members.

§ Lord Roper
My Lords, this has been a complex day or two for us in this House—indeed a complex week. As has been said by the Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms and the noble Lord, Lord Cope, we have relied to an enormous extent on the pieces of paper provided to us, to those who have sat on the Woolsack and to the Officers of the House. The Public Bill Office has been able to turn around the various movements between the two Houses in a quite extraordinary way. It has made sure that we have been able to do our job properly, even if at times it has been a little difficult for some of us to follow all the minor points in its drafting—but we are quite convinced that it is right.
Perhaps I may also say that I think that the whole House has played an active part, but none more so— as will be clear when the percentages come out—than those who sit on these Benches. I am glad to know that 2113 yesterday more than 80 per cent of the Liberal Democrats were participating in the work of this House.