Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, before we begin, I will make my usual brief remarks. First, I reiterate our thanks, on behalf of the whole House, to all staff across the House for supporting this Sitting. I cannot do justice to the thanks that the staff of the House deserve, not only for today but for all other days. In the past few days alone, we have seen the care, kindness and dedication of the staff looking after Members when they are taken ill. This has been another long week, and the Recess is upon us.
I will not repeat everything I have said before at length, but I should, as usual, remind noble Lords of some key points. I will adjourn proceedings today at around 3 pm. I hope we can conclude the group we are on when we finish, but, if necessary, I will adjourn the House during the middle of a group. The clerks will compile a list of all noble Lords in attendance at the beginning of the group, and noble Lords will be able to check at the Table to ensure that their names have been properly registered. Only those present at the start of the group can participate when the group resumes.
My noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton has set a target for today’s Committee debate. As I have said before, I hope that, with discipline and the usual courtesies, we will progress towards it. There will be no lunch break, but catering facilities are open and the Long Room will stay open until the Committee rises. For general guidance on how noble Lords should conduct themselves, I highly recommend the Companion, particularly paragraph 4.29 on page 60 and paragraphs 8.81 and 8.82 on page 143.
Finally, as I did yesterday, I wish all noble Lords, staff of the House, and families and friends a well-deserved break over the Easter Recess. Either I or one of my colleagues will be back at 3 pm to adjourn the House, and then, with everyone rested, we will be back on Monday 13 April for the final day on Report of the English devolution Bill, with several Divisions expected. With that, we shall move on to the business.