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| EU Referendum Bill debate continues | EU Referendum Bill debate continues |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Supporters of a bill to legislate for an "in-out" EU referendum in 2017 are continuing their efforts to get it on the statute book in the House of Lords. | Supporters of a bill to legislate for an "in-out" EU referendum in 2017 are continuing their efforts to get it on the statute book in the House of Lords. |
| A bill authorising a referendum was approved by MPs earlier this month. | A bill authorising a referendum was approved by MPs earlier this month. |
| But there are doubts whether the private members bill will make it through the Lords before the end of the current session in April to become law. | But there are doubts whether the private members bill will make it through the Lords before the end of the current session in April to become law. |
| The bill is not backed by Labour or the Lib Dems, who are expected to use blocking tactics to frustrate it. | The bill is not backed by Labour or the Lib Dems, who are expected to use blocking tactics to frustrate it. |
| Independent crossbench peers and a few Conservatives are also expected to try and delay its progress. | Independent crossbench peers and a few Conservatives are also expected to try and delay its progress. |
| The EU bill is on the second day of its committee stage in the Lords, but could be pushed into a third day. | |
| So far there has been little sign of the filibustering tactics seen at previous stages of the bill's passage through Parliament, with peers steadily working their way through 15 groups of amendments. | |
| Even if the committee stage concludes on Friday, there is normally a two-week gap before the report stage, meaning it would not return to the chamber until 14 February, when peers are on a half-term break. | Even if the committee stage concludes on Friday, there is normally a two-week gap before the report stage, meaning it would not return to the chamber until 14 February, when peers are on a half-term break. |
| But there may be an attempt to bring the report stage forward. | But there may be an attempt to bring the report stage forward. |
| 'Controversial' | 'Controversial' |
| The next available sitting day is 28 February, which is also the last day set aside for the Commons to deal with private members' bills, leaving the bill some way from becoming law. | The next available sitting day is 28 February, which is also the last day set aside for the Commons to deal with private members' bills, leaving the bill some way from becoming law. |
| BBC Parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said: "The other alternative is to set aside the Lords' usual conventions and take report stage on 7 February, when according to the forward calendar of Lords business, 'the House may sit.' | BBC Parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said: "The other alternative is to set aside the Lords' usual conventions and take report stage on 7 February, when according to the forward calendar of Lords business, 'the House may sit.' |
| "This would be controversial - there have already been pungent complaints that this bill is being treated more favourably than other private members legislation, and the peers' procedural bible, the Companion to the Standing Orders, says that the normal timescales should not be reduced except for a bill of no great length and complexity. | "This would be controversial - there have already been pungent complaints that this bill is being treated more favourably than other private members legislation, and the peers' procedural bible, the Companion to the Standing Orders, says that the normal timescales should not be reduced except for a bill of no great length and complexity. |
| "The passing of amendments means that the bill now has to go back to the Commons, which makes the timing extremely tight, and near-impossible if the Commons rejects the amendments and sends it back to their Lordships, and thereby triggers a round of parliamentary ping-pong between the two Houses." | "The passing of amendments means that the bill now has to go back to the Commons, which makes the timing extremely tight, and near-impossible if the Commons rejects the amendments and sends it back to their Lordships, and thereby triggers a round of parliamentary ping-pong between the two Houses." |
| He said he did not think the Lords amendments - including one calling for a change to the wording of the proposed referendum question - were not "of themselves, unacceptable". to the Conservatives. | He said he did not think the Lords amendments - including one calling for a change to the wording of the proposed referendum question - were not "of themselves, unacceptable". to the Conservatives. |
| "They could easily decide to accept them, if that were the price of keeping their bill alive," he added. | "They could easily decide to accept them, if that were the price of keeping their bill alive," he added. |
| "What would be much more troublesome would be the passage of an amendment they couldn't live with - and they will have to ward off several such this week, or at the subsequent report stage." | "What would be much more troublesome would be the passage of an amendment they couldn't live with - and they will have to ward off several such this week, or at the subsequent report stage." |