Commons Bill [HL]

My Lords, we used to have in this House a debate on the Motion that the Bill do now pass. Sometimes it was known as ““Fourth Reading””, but it was not in any sense a fourth reading. All the tributes that I understand have been paid now to the Minister came up under the amendment spoken to by the noble Lord, Lord Greaves. It seems odd to me that no one speaks on the Motion that the Bill do now pass. This is the time when the Bill has now been done, and we do not have any particular problems. We all accept that this Bill has gone through this House and has been debated—I will not say endlessly—at some length, both in Committee and on Report. I am most grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, and the noble Duke, the Duke of Montrose, who have been very persuasive in their arguments, and the noble Lord, Lord Livsey, who has spoken very much for the Welsh interest, as I have tried to do. Above all, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Bach, who has been an absolutely brilliant Minister on this.   We have had all sorts of advice and plenty of documentation, as my noble friend led us through the various amendments that the Government produced—as well as the arguments on the opposition amendments. Although it is an awful cliché, this has been the House of Lords at its best. But I really want to congratulate my noble friends Lord Bach and Lady Farrington, because they have been exemplary in their patience and intelligence. I also congratulate their support staff, who I am not allowed to mention, but who sit on my left and contribute endlessly to the pigeons that arrive at the Dispatch Box. I am grateful to the House, my noble friends, the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, the noble Lord, Lord Livsey, and others, because this has been a good experience in how a Bill should be considered in this House.