Palace of Westminster
Debate between Lord Brabazon of Tara and Lord Stoddart of Swindon
The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, a September sitting does incur additional works expenditure because of the need to accelerate or delay individual projects. The extra costs involved will, of course, vary each summer depending on the proposed schedule of works. Last summer, we estimated that a September sitting in the House of Lords would have added approximately £1.3 million to the cost of shared and Lords-only projects. Those concerned were made aware of those figures.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon
In the light of the need for an uninterrupted run of work, particularly on engineering and electrical works, is it not unfortunate that the House has been called to sit in September 2011, which will of course interrupt that essential work?
The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, I rather think I just answered that very question for the noble Baroness. I do not think that I have any more to add to what I have just said.
European Union Committee
Debate between Lord Brabazon of Tara and Lord Stoddart of Swindon
Lord Stoddart of Swindon
In the absence of the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, I think I ought to act as his deputy, although I am not a member of his party. I am quite sure that he would want to ask whether the European Union Committee is not rather imbalanced in that it does not represent opinion in the country, which is relatively Eurosceptic, with 52 per cent of the population wishing to leave the European Union completely. However, my real question is whether, in these straitened times, we need so many sub-committees of the European Union Select Committee. Would the committee consider whether we could dispense with one of the sub-committees of the Select Committee and instead meet the demand from this House that we should have a Select Committee on foreign affairs? I think there is a demand for that, and if we cut down on the number of EU committees, we could have a Select Committee of real value to consider foreign affairs.
The Chairman of Committees
As I said, I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, is not here. I recognise that the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, sympathises with him in his views. He said that 52 per cent of the population apparently wishes to leave the European Union. I do not think that the vote in the recent general election, where UKIP got 3 per cent, reflects that, but it is not for me to say.