House of Lords Reform Bill [HL] Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office
Friday 21st October 2011

(13 years, 2 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Trefgarne Portrait Lord Trefgarne
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My noble friend Lord Caithness and I cannot be asked to agree something on behalf of other noble Lords. It is not just my noble friend and myself who have tabled amendments to Part 1.

Lord Avebury Portrait Lord Avebury
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There are 16 of you out of 800.

Lord Trefgarne Portrait Lord Trefgarne
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I heard an interjection from behind me, but I am not sure who it was. It is not just up to us. As my noble friend pointed out, we have given a lot of thought and consideration to these matters. We do not know quite what will happen in future. I am very reluctant to agree to a fast-track procedure, if that is the right term, on Part 1. If I may say so, we are once more reaping the whirlwind of the precipitate action of my noble friend Lord Steel in altering the order of consideration of the Bill in the Motion which we agreed earlier today. I would prefer to go through, as quickly as we can, the remaining clauses of the Bill. That would be the right way to proceed.