Yesterday was the sixth day in committee on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill. The Bill has not made rapid progress and yesterday consideration of the Bill was limited by the fact that there were two ministerial statements, an urgent question allowed in the Commons repeated as a statement, and a one-hour Question for Short Debate. In order to make progress on the Bill, the House sat late, much later than most were expecting. We rose at 1.14 a.m., having completed Part 1 of the 3-Part Bill.
Given the time we rose, the chamber was not packed but I did notice the level of attendance by peers from my office. There are eight of us in the room – it is a large room and was initially, I gather, Black Rod’s living room – and we are a busy office. On a sitting day, some of us are usually in between 8.00 and 9.00 a.m. and still at work at 10.00 p.m. I noticed last night that five of us were present after midnight in the chamber. I like to think our work ethic is infectious, not least since the latest peer to become a blogger – Lord Bates – is one of the recent arrivals in the room. Three bloggers on Lords of the Blog – Lord Lucas, Lord Bates and me – occupy the office. I am trying to persuade some of the Baronesess to join us…
Please Lord Norton can you get the Baronesess to join I am a big fan of Baroness Knight and Baroness Fookes who share your office. My favorite Baroness of them all is Lady Trumpington so if you can get her to join I shall be very happy.
tory boy: I have already mentioned it to the Baronesses O’Cathain and Fookes; the former is a regular reader and the latter has now looked at the blog following my prompting. Baroness Trumpington is not in our office, so I am not sure of her familiarity with the blog, or indeed the Internet. Everyone in our office is regularly to be found in front of a screen.
The only thing infectious in my office at present is me, cold/flu viri are prevelent in my house at present. 🙁
I watched some of the Bills progress, noting the attention drawn to the fact that if one part is refused it all is. Was this a manipulative move by Government, one part should be refused in my opinion.
Eight to an office for such a position is not ideal and this situation really does need looking at.