Business of the House

Lord Kennedy of Southwark Excerpts

Saturday 12th April 2025 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark]

To move that, in the event the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill has been brought from the Commons, Standing Order 44 (No two stages of a Bill to be taken on one day) be dispensed with today to enable the Bill to be taken through its remaining stages and that, in accordance with Standing Order 47 (Amendments on Third Reading), amendments shall not be moved on Third Reading.

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

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend the Lord Privy Seal, I beg to move the Motion standing in her name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I thought it would be helpful for noble Lords if I set out how proceedings will work today. As the House will know, the House of Commons is currently considering the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill. While this is happening, our House will have a general take-note debate led by my noble friend Lady Jones of Whitchurch. This is intended to form the substantive debate on the Bill, ahead of a formal Second Reading when the Bill reaches our House.

Twenty-seven noble Lords are signed up to speak, with an advisory Back-Bench contribution time of five minutes. This is designed to balance the importance of scrutiny with concluding our proceedings at a reasonable hour. When the clock reaches four minutes, Back-Bench speakers should begin to make their concluding remarks and at five minutes, their time is up.

If the Bill arrives from the Commons during the take-note debate, we will briefly adjourn the debate to give the Bill a First Reading. This allows the Bill to be printed and means that noble Lords can then approach the Public Bill Office to table amendments. Once the debate has concluded, we will have a formal Second Reading and adjourn for an hour to allow noble Lords to table amendments for Committee stage. The precise timings for amendments will be announced in the House and advertised on the annunciator. Today’s list will then be reissued with the groupings of any amendments for Committee stage debates.

Once Committee has concluded, and if no amendments have been made, we will then proceed to a formal Report stage and Third Reading. If the Bill is delayed in the Commons for any reason, some of these arrangements will change, and the Whips and I will update the House at a suitable point. The House will rise once the Bill has received Royal Assent.

Finally, I thank all our colleagues working for the House who have come in on a Saturday during the Easter break to allow the House to sit at short notice. The police and security staff are keeping everyone on the Parliamentary Estate safe. The House officials, the Library staff, the staff of the Government Whips’ Office and the Leader’s office, special advisers, Opposition, Liberal Democrat and convenor’s office staff, Black Rod and her team, the doorkeepers and the catering staff in the River Restaurant and the Long Room are all here, and I am very grateful for their dedication and support. I also place on record my thanks to the usual channels for their helpful and positive engagement yesterday. I beg to move.

Motion agreed.