 Lord Howarth of Newport
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Howarth of Newport 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, surely the circumstances today are quite exceptional. It seems to me that the House would be very interested to hear what the noble Lord, Lord Birt, has to say. I am sure that he will confine his remarks to a reasonable minimum, but I think that we should hear his contribution to this debate.
 Baroness D'Souza
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Baroness D'Souza 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, I thoroughly endorse what the noble Lord, Lord Howarth, has just said.