Arrangement of Business

Baroness Berridge Excerpts

Friday 30th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab)]

My Lords, I will make one point on behalf of silent Back-Benchers across the House. If we are not actively speaking to amendments, the only opportunity to express a view about the elements of the Bill will be when we get to vote. On the current progress, we are never going to get to that point. Personally, I feel very disenfranchised by that. I wonder whether there is a way we can get to a point where the House as a whole—every individual one of us—can express a view, in order for us not to be disenfranchised.

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

I am sad to add to the list of requests to the Chief Whip. I was saddened to hear the allegation on the “Today” programme that those opposing the Bill are just a random group of religiously motivated people. It is not how I have ever been treated as a Christian in this House.

That came on the back of questioning, covered by parliamentary privilege, of the representative of the British Association of Social Workers. The representative was chosen by the professional body to come to us. He faced questioning from one of the members of our Select Committee, who basically said to him— I summarise—“Do you have a right to put your views on others, as a vicar?” In any other forum, that would have been a breach of the Equality Act, had there not been parliamentary privilege. Can the Chief Whip look at the Code of Conduct to see whether these lazy allegations—that, somehow, religiously motivated people might also just be ignorant—should not be made on the “Today” programme or in the questioning of witnesses in a Select Committee of your Lordships’ House?

[Baroness Coffey (Con)]

My Lords, I suggest to the Chief Whip that, in addition to the clerks’ seminar, noble Lords might want to speak to the noble Lord, Lord Spellar. His Private Member’s Bill did not proceed in this House, so he used the Parliament Act, or started the process that would trigger the Parliament Act if necessary. Therefore, I think he can give everybody some practical experience, alongside the theoretical insight from our good clerks.