Liaison Committee

Lord Lexden Excerpts

Thursday 21st March 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Higgins]

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that it is important that adequate time should be available to debate the reports of these committees? Can he say what mechanism exists for ensuring that, if a gap suddenly appears in the House’s programme, that space is filled if reports are waiting to be debated? I raise this because we suddenly find that we have an extra week’s recess in a few days’ time. Were there any reports which could have been debated at that point?

[Lord Lexden]

My Lords, perhaps I may add a small footnote to the comments of a number of noble Lords urging the formation of a foreign affairs Select Committee. I was in Oxford yesterday, where I was vigorously assailed by a leading member of another place about our failure to give sufficient consideration to Commonwealth matters. I explained that we debated them not infrequently. I also explained the enormous amount of work done, and commitment shown, by my noble friend Lord Howell. However, I think that it would go even further in helping to correct that false impression if we established the committee for which so many noble Lords have called.