Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord has indicated the wish to move a manuscript amendment or to speak in Committee. Unless, therefore, any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of commitment be discharged. Motion agreed.
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken today and for the support that characterised all their speeches, obviously enough, but I also thank them personally for the subtleties and insights contained in every single set of remarks. I hope that this short debate will be read widely; perhaps people will read it because it is short. It will show people that we understand some of the...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, just over a year ago during the previous Session, I introduced the Second Reading of what can accurately be described as a close sibling of this Bill. I said then that I would be brief, partly because although there was no threat of snow, it was taken even later on a Friday. Noble Lords will be pleased to hear that I will be brief again for the reason that this Bill, while it is...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I thank everyone who has spoken. I do not know if this debate will set a record for brevity because I do not come here often enough to know, but I would lay a sizeable bet that it is. By the way, it is a very nice feeling to hear one's own bishop speak in support of a Bill. I believe that it is a total coincidence, but it is nevertheless very nice. That provides a context in which...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, in the interests of time, I shall keep my introductory remarks very short. That is quite simple because this is a simple Bill, as simple as the discrimination that it is trying to end is completely disgraceful. I am glad to report that there has been something of a conspiracy among other speakers to speak for a short amount of time and one or two people have withdrawn. The noble...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Baroness on introducing the debate and on the comprehensive but succinct words she used. They have saved me a problem and I have absolutely no intention of using either the time I was allowed or the longer time. I think we must have had the same briefing notes and, if I ally them to a number of things that other speakers have said, most notably the...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I apologise for not participating in the Second Reading debate. I intended to do so, but I got a more important invitation from grandchildren, so I did not. I shall not make the observations that I would have made then, but I want to make a few brief comments on the debate so far. First, somewhat frivolously, in response to the point made by the noble Earl, Lord Onslow, I think that...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I start by joining others in congratulating the noble Baroness Lady Greengross, on bringing a debate about a subject that is somewhat specialist but hugely important. I express the hope to the Minister that this will pave the way to what can only be called a win-win solution for Government to extend their own decision, at least for central government, to the rest of the country....
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, I had not intended to speak during the Report stage and must apologise to the House for doing so because I did not speak in Committee. That can be put down partly to inexperience as I am very new in this place and partly, quite frankly, because I had not understood some of the implications of this Bill as regards some of my activities. I must declare an interest at this point in...
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham: My Lords, it is, I suppose, natural for someone making their maiden speech to feel nervous; and so I do. However, like my old friend the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, in her wonderful and--from my point of view as I stand here--wholly enviable maiden speech, my nervousness has been substantially moderated by the warmth of the welcome that I have been shown by this House: by staff in all...
