Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, perhaps I may again associate these Benches with the views which have already been expressed about Cledwyn Hughes. I first met him in 1955 on a trip to Austria. He was extremely kindly and solicitous towards a much younger man. In my experience, that generosity of spirit continued all through the vicissitudes of the intervening years. I certainly always found him good company here....
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, these Benches would wish to be associated with all that has been said already about John Mackay. It was with a shock close to disbelief that those of us who were here on Wednesday heard first of his illness and then of his death. It was apparent then that it was not only a great loss to the House, but there seemed to be a peculiar unfairness that he should be carried away within 12...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, those on the Liberal Democrat Benches would wish to be associated with such sentiments.
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, brings great independence of mind and originality to this House. We always look forward to any debate that he initiates. This debate has not fallen short in that respect. I am grateful for what he said about a report with which I was not previously familiar and to which I should perhaps pay attention. However, I end the debate feeling not a...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, first, I add my thanks to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Simon of Glaisdale, not only for initiating the debate but for choosing such an opportune moment for it. My perceptions have been sharpened by the debate, which is welcome; but I must admit that it has also weakened my certainties, which is always uncomfortable. I would almost prefer to go away and think about what has been...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, we have had an excellent debate and views have been very fairly expressed on both sides of this important argument. I now find myself almost grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Carter and Lord Henley, for giving us this opportunity. The noble Lord, Lord Carter, as always, gave a very reasonable explanation of why the matter is before the House. In summary, it seems to me that the case...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: rose to move, as an amendment to the Chairman of Committee's Motion, at end insert "except for item 1".
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, as is clear from the Order Paper, and made doubly clear by the Chairman of Committees, my amendment relates only to paragraph 1 of the report of the Procedure Committee which deals with the general debate day. I have tabled my amendment for two reasons: first, to draw attention to a proposal of major consequence, which might have been overlooked by the House given the bland item on...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement. We have heard an interesting response from the noble Lord, Lord Howell--one very different from that given by his leader, Mr William Hague, in another place. Only half an hour ago, I heard Mr Hague twice use the expression, "three more major steps towards a European superstate". I was glad that the noble Lord used no words of that...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, perhaps I may briefly associate these Benches with the sentiments expressed by the noble Baroness the Leader of the House and by the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. I have not known the noble Lord, Lord Boston, for as long as the noble Baroness, but I remember that I first met him during the Faversham by-election which was, I believe, practically the last to take place during the 1959...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, we have had an entertaining and, at the end, imaginative speech from the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. I wish we could continue for the rest of the afternoon in that realm of fantasy. But the only comfort I can bring to noble Lords is the knowledge that, after our contributions today, the noble Baroness the Leader of the House, the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, and myself will fall...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, we should be straightforward about this. The noble Lord, Lord Marshall, made a substantial and extremely interesting speech, as he was entitled to do. But it was no more directed against the amendment in a precise way than other speeches made in the House. I suggest to the Government Chief Whip that these are important issues about which the House feels deeply. We should have one...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, has been generous in expressing agreement with my remarks on Monday. I hope that he will not be too upset if I say that he is quite over the top today. It seems to me that no contempt for Parliament is involved here. The reasons he gives for his remarks do not stand scrutiny. There is a tradition of making a Statement on the first possible day....
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, perhaps I may add my support to the remarks made by the noble Lord, Lord Barnett. This has been a long and painful saga; indeed, most of us hope that it will come to an end now that a steering group has been appointed. I found the same discrepancy between what I understood the House to have agreed on 27th July and the Written Answer to which the noble Lord referred. It seems that...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, I intervene briefly on behalf of these Benches to say that we are very much in agreement with the views expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. Apart from the normal areas that the interim conference is expected to discuss, there was a great deal of discussion about the Middle East. It might have been unreasonable to request a further Statement today in view of the fact that...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, I hope that I may add a few words of support for the noble Lord the Chairman of Committees. I missed what the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, called the acrimonious debate which took place on 21st June. However, having considered the report, I fully understand how it arose. I do not think that in retrospect any Member of the Offices Committee should feel at all upset or surprised that...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, on behalf of these Benches, I, too, thank the noble Baroness for repeating the Statement made elsewhere by the Prime Minister. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, in only one major respect: it is a pity that this Statement was not made two or three years ago. History will say that the great error was that the Chancellor committed himself to the spending plans that he...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, on behalf of these Benches, I, too, thank the noble Baroness the Leader of the House for what I regard as the unrewarding chore of repeating the Statement made by the Prime Minister in another place. I put it that way because, despite the enjoinder in the Statement, it is right to be deeply sceptical about the purpose and achievements of Okinawa; and, indeed, of G7, and now G8,...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, I am struggling with the temptation to follow the advice of the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, but I am not confident that, even if I did, others would so do. We, too, are most grateful to the noble Baroness for putting on a firm face and a pleasant smile while reading out a Statement which seemed like a preface to every election manifesto since the beginning of time. I have read a...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank: My Lords, on behalf of these Benches it is my duty and pleasure to support the Motion standing in the name of the noble Baroness the Leader of the House. Many hundreds of men and women, from all walks of life, will reach 100 years of age this year. They will have served their communities and country well, often with distinction and from modest beginnings. And we remember them. But the Queen...