Great British Energy Bill

Lord Kennedy of Southwark Excerpts

Committee stage
Monday 13th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I think that the noble Earl was not listening to me. I said that, to date, we have had one and a half days of scrutiny, and tonight would make two and a half days. The Government committed to three days. That was the point I was making.

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

I thank the noble Baroness. I do not know why we could not have had those discussions in usual channels. I have been around all along today. No one has come near my office today to have this discussion—no one at all.

As I said to the noble Baroness—I spoke to her last week and at the weekend—we need to make progress on this Bill. It is an eight-clause Bill. When we started the first day in Committee, we had 13 groups of amendments. When we started today, we had 18 groups of amendments. We have seen lots of filibustering going on today. We need to make progress on the Bill.

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

I am sorry, but lots of degrouping and lots of filibustering is not the way that this House should operate. When I was the Opposition Chief Whip for three years, I did not act like that. I was always fair with the previous Government—

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

I am sorry, but I absolutely was. Every time, we would get to Report stage and if we did not like something, we would defeat the Government, as we did many times, but we never sat there filibustering and wasting people’s time. It is not on. We need to proceed with the discussions tonight and see how much further we get.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, I cannot agree. The Chief Whip is absolutely right that we had discussions on Friday, in which we did not agree, and so no agreement was had. In light of there being no commitment from the noble Lord, I beg to move that the House do now resume.

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

All I can say in response to the noble Baroness is that we have tried to get agreement on this. The House needs to continue with this important work and scrutiny. I oppose the Motion that the House should now resume.