Arrangement of Business
Debate between Lord Moore of Etchingham and Lord McLoughlin
Lord Moore of Etchingham (Non-Afl)
My Lords, I am very grateful to the Chief Whip for his, as always, very kind and helpful explanations. I have a further point to raise, because I think it affects the proceedings of your Lordships’ House as we go on from today.
Of course, I would defend to the death the right of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, to appear on the “Today” programme. I think what he said there, however, made it very difficult for the proceedings that are about to ensue, because he threatened us with the Parliament Act—though I do not think that is in his power—and said that what was going on in all these proceedings was just a filibuster. Not only is that quite untrue, as noble Lords will have witnessed through these many hours of detailed debate, which keep very carefully to specific points, but it seems to me that what the noble and learned Lord said on the “Today” programme prejudices what we are about to do in the next six or seven days. If he is saying that it is all a charade, what are his answers going to be in the coming debates? He has repeatedly given very helpful and full answers as we have had these debates, and he has never mentioned there is any problem here. He said at Second Reading that this House will do what we do best, which is to scrutinise. That is what we are doing, yet he said that it is all nonsense. What are we to make of the answers which he will now give over the intervening days to the many amendments that are put?
Lord McLoughlin (Con)
My Lords, the Government Chief Whip in his opening statement said that he is not an expert on the Parliament Act; I think he is soon going to become one. Perhaps I may ask him a question to ensure that the briefing covers it, if it does not already. In the event that this Bill does not make progress in this House and therefore is reintroduced to the Commons next year, for the Parliament Act to be used, would it have to be introduced by a private Member or could the Government introduce it, allowing the Parliament Act then to take effect, without it being as a result of the Private Members’ ballot in the House of Commons?