Arrangement of Business

Baroness Falkner of Margravine Excerpts

Friday 30th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Carlile of Berriew (CB)]

My Lords, will the Chief Whip protect the House from what I see as double standards? Yesterday we received the in terrorem declaration from the noble and learned Lord the sponsor that he would do something that he has no power to do: invoke the Parliament Act. At the same time, in credit to the noble and learned Lord, he wrote a letter, running into four pages, in which, after seven weeks in Committee, he accepted a large number of the propositions made in your Lordships’ House. Surely that demonstrates that Committee in this House matters, is useful and is not evidence for the use of the Parliament Act.

[Baroness Falkner of Margravine (CB)]

My Lords, I have a very brief question about the Chief Whip’s exhortation to us this morning that, as usual, we should remain brief. In the noble and learned Lord’s interview on the “Today” programme yesterday, he repeatedly said that a few Members of this House were filibustering and delaying the passage of the Bill. Do noble Lords accept that, while many people across this House would wish to intervene on every amendment, we hold back to allow those who are more expert than we are to articulate our concerns in order not to delay the passage of the Bill? It is our self-restraint that has made us arrive at where we are today.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

Can I just add this? I have sat through every day in Committee. Last Friday, I did not say a single word.