Arrangement of Business

Baroness Fox of Buckley Excerpts

Friday 27th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Lab)]

May I suggest we heed the very wise advice of the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, and proceed today, as the noble Baroness said, and get through as many groups as possible, making amendments as we see fit as a Chamber? We should do our job of scrutiny, which is exactly why we are here.

[Baroness Fox of Buckley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I rise because as this discussion started somebody in my vicinity said, “If this isn’t filibustering, I don’t know what is”. I want to point out that it is demoralising to have one’s reputation impugned and defamed with the suggestion that somehow all people are doing is playing parliamentary games, when actually we are acting in good faith. I have not spoken on amendments I put my name to, for example. I have cut speeches that I have written.

I want to refer to writing speeches. I do write speeches, and I read them out. Why is that? I am trying to be disciplined and keep to time and not just ramble on. This is a very important Bill with important issues that affect the lives of many people. I want to be sensitive to that, so I write down every word trying to make it count for something. I do not think that is filibustering.

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer gave some very useful statistics to the House. I do not intend to comment on them further. I will make the list the noble Lord, Lord Harper, asked for available; I do so very happily. The noble Lord, Lord Lansley, made very good points about how we are a self-regulating House. We all treasure that self-regulation, but it does involve some self-discipline in how we operate. That is a very important thing.

I have accused nobody of filibustering from here. I think the Companion does help us. In terms of comments to the media, I was all over the media yesterday about this Bill and I have not commented at all, so I ignore the media now. There are all sorts of things I am accused of every day in this House; half are true and half are not true at all. Just forget about it and get on with the Bill.