House of Lords: Use of Electronic Devices (AWC Report)

Debate between Lord Brabazon of Tara and Lord Skelmersdale

Thursday 10th March 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Royall of Blaisdon]

My Lords, I hope the noble Lord will forgive me, but I did suggest that he should look at various aspects of the report again. For example, the box on page 6 is untenable, as is clear from this debate. I urge him to ensure that the report is clear, because point 2 in the box is not possible; we will not be able to police matters in that way. I urge the committee to look at it again.

[Lord Skelmersdale]

My Lords, before the Chairman of Committees answers that point, I want to make a similar point quickly. Paragraph 16, the conclusion, says:

“If the House agrees this report”—

I have no doubt that it will—

“the Procedure Committee will be invited to amend the Companion when it is next updated”.

Can I have an assurance from someone, please, that the Procedure Committee will take account of this somewhat divergent debate in that consideration?

[The Chairman of Committees]

I can give that assurance. On behalf of the Procedure Committee, I may well have to produce another report on these matters and have that debated on the Floor of the House again. In answer to the noble Baroness, Lady Royall, the main cause of concern in today’s debate has been about paragraph 8 of the main report rather than the box at the back that summarises it. As we say there, this is a one-year trial period in the first instance. We will just have to see how that trial works out, and come back in one year’s time.

Houses of Parliament: Cycle Hire

Debate between Lord Brabazon of Tara and Lord Skelmersdale

Wednesday 27th October 2010 Lords Chamber

[The Chairman of Committees]

My Lords, a taxi rank takes us a little way away from the original Question on the Order Paper, but there are facilities at Peers’ Entrance for summoning taxis which I hope noble Lords find satisfactory.

[Lord Skelmersdale]

My Lords, may I have an assurance from the Chairman of Committees that this is a matter purely for your Lordships’ House and your Lordships’ authorities and has nothing to do with another place?

[The Chairman of Committees]

No, my Lords, I cannot give that assurance. If there was a possibility of having a docking station in the vicinity, it might be either on part of the Commons estate or part of the Lords estate. However, it would probably be excessive to have one on each.