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

My Lords, following on from the questions I was asked yesterday, I thought today, before Oral Questions, was a good time to remind all noble Lords that at Question Time the House wants short, sharp, crisp, clear questions, not speeches. Ministers responding have an equal duty to be short, sharp, crisp and clear in their answers. The House does not want speeches in either asking or replying to questions. The same applies when we move on to Back-Bench questions on the Statement repeats—questions not speeches. In my roles as Government Chief Whip and as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, I try always to make myself available and accessible to Members on all sides of the House. My door is open. If any noble Lords have any concerns or issues, then talk to me outside the Chamber; I will always do my best to try and find a solution and deal with the issues before me.