Identity Cards Bill

My Lords, I say to my noble neighbour, or rather my noble friend Lord Barnett—I think that I may allow myself to call him my noble friend—that I have not been used by the opposition parties in this matter. The Motion which I put down today was not put down at their behest or at their request; it was put down because it seemed to me that here was a different form of compromise from any of those previously considered, which was worth considering, and worth considering very seriously. I was encouraged by some of the remarks made by the noble Baroness, Lady Scotland, but not by all, and I was encouraged by what the Secretary of State said last week in another place. The House has to weigh the serious points that the noble Baroness made about the ultimate supremacy of the will of the other place, which I certainly do not call in question, with the question whether there is here a new possibility of compromise that could avoid a confrontation or possible use of the Parliament Act. I know the noble Baroness said that she was not talking about the Parliament Act and I very well understand that. I am sorry that my Motion comes at such a late stage in the process which we have been through, but I think that this compromise is different from others which have been suggested. I think that it could still form the base of an acceptable compromise, perhaps with the insertion of a time limit, and I beg the Government to consider that. It will be for your Lordships to decide whether the merits, such as they are, of these amendments should prevail against the very serious and moving remarks which the noble Baroness has made about the game of ping-pong that we have been playing and its continued extension. However, I should like to take the opinion of the House on that balance. On Question, Whether the said Motion (No. A1) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 219; Not-Contents, 191. On Question, Motion A, as amended, agreed to. Bill returned to the Commons with amendments.