Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Baroness Anelay of St Johns Excerpts

Tuesday 25th January 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Liddle]

I shall withdraw my amendment, but I hope that when we get to Report—

[Baroness Anelay of St Johns]

My Lords, I hesitate to interrupt the noble Lord, Lord Liddle. It is not that we do not wish to hear from him; it is just that we have procedures.

[Lord Liddle]

The Chairman asked me to speak.

[Baroness Anelay of St Johns]

I beg the noble Lord’s pardon.

[Lord Liddle]

To tell you the truth, I was not sure what I was supposed to do. I just wanted to say that I hope that we do not have to raise this issue again at Report, because I hope that the Government will bring forward more flexibility in the way that the Boundary Commission operates so that the needs of communities in places such as Cumbria can be taken more fully into account. If the Government do that and allow much more local flexibility in the rules than at present, which does not breach the principle by which we have operated in Britain since the Second World War of equal constituencies, there will be no need to press this issue again.