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Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 16 September 2026

Debate

Procedure and Privileges

Contribution

My Lords, I welcome the report in general. I say a personal word of thanks to the Leave of Absence Sub-Committee, which has dealt sympathetically with those of us who have either chronic or incurable diseases. It is very encouraging in relation to that. I want to mention other aspects of the report, particularly on Members reading speeches and the length of questions and ministerial answers. That has supposedly been part of our procedure for some time now. In spite of the fact that the Government Chief Whip gets up regularly and asks for questions and answers to be shorter, most Members pay no attention whatever to him. I do everything that the Government Chief Whip tells me, so I do not know why everyone else does not do what he tells them. However, it may be that he—or she, as it was before—is not the most appropriate person to do this. I am wondering whether the Procedure and Privileges Committee might consider once more the role of the Lord Speaker.

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