Arrangement of Business

Lord Peston Excerpts

Wednesday 19th December 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anelay of St Johns]

My Lords, we have reached 30 minutes, and therefore Question Time is concluded.

Last night I made a business statement, and at that time I undertook to notify the House when a new date had been found for a debate on the Leveson report. The usual channels have met and have agreed that, in order to enable the debate to take place at the earliest opportunity, it will be rescheduled for Friday 11 January, which previously had been a non-sitting day, so it does not displace any business of any other Peer. Those noble Lords who were signed up to speak last night will be automatically transferred on to the list of speakers for 11 January and naturally will be notified of that by e-mail. Of course, if that date proves inconvenient for any noble Lords, they may withdraw their name.

[Lord Peston]

My Lords, I was puzzled by what was scheduled originally. Will there be enough time on the day that the noble Baroness has mentioned for Peers who have major contributions to make on this subject—and I mean major contributions—to make proper, lengthy speeches? I understood that yesterday they were to get between three and four minutes. You can hardly get to your feet and take a breath before you are told to sit down again. Will the noble Baroness assure noble Lords that they will not be told, “We all have to go home early on a Friday; therefore you cannot make a major speech”?