Lord Strathclyde
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Chairman of Committees
Lord Strathclyde Excerpts(12 years, 7 months ago)
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Lord Strathclyde
That the noble Lord, Lord Sewel, be appointed to take the Chair in all Committees of the House for this Session.
Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on his appointment to a role that I am confident he will fulfil extremely ably. As I move the Motion, I am sure that the House will wish to join me in paying tribute to my noble friend Lord Brabazon of Tara, who today retires from that important office. He was a dedicated Chairman of Committees, and throughout his years in office displayed time and again his good judgment and good humour in endless committees and here at the Dispatch Box.
His roles were many and varied, but he fulfilled all of them with great skill—from his duties on the Woolsack to overseeing major works, most recently the new cast-iron roofs that any noble Lord who was here over Easter will know are desperately needed, answering Oral Questions and resisting calls for a House of Lords cat to catch House of Lords mice. Noble Lords from other Benches will say more about the work that he so ably oversaw, but perhaps I may say a few words about the success of the Millbank House project. It is exceptional these days for building works to finish on time and within budget, but this project managed both, allowing Members to move in as planned after the Summer Recess. I can personally testify to the amount of time that the noble Lord put into liaising with the usual channels and chairing meetings of the accommodation steering group.
The noble Lord, Lord Brabazon, was chairman in challenging times for the House, and in particular for the Committee for Privileges. He chaired that committee with great sensitivity and wisdom, and the more robust complaints system that we developed was crucial in upholding the reputation of the House and its work in difficult times. I am sure that the whole House will join me in expressing its appreciation of the noble Lord for his work, and in expressing its warmest and best wishes for his future as he returns to the Back Benches.
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