House of Lords Appointments Commission

Lord Jay of Ewelme Excerpts

Tuesday 5th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

I beg your pardon. I am so sorry; I just got carried away. We will continue with the noble Lord, Lord Jay.

[Lord Jay of Ewelme (CB) [V]]

Thank you, Lord Speaker. I declare my interest as a former chairman of HOLAC. Its advice was accepted by all Prime Ministers, from Tony Blair to Theresa May. If its advice is discarded, the system pretty quickly falls into disrepute. Does the Minister agree that the Appointments Commission should be seen as a creature of this House and that its chairman and members should be chosen by this House?

[Lord True (Con)]

My Lords, many will reflect on the matter that the noble Lord raises, but I think it is dangerous for this House to assert the right to decide who should or should not be its own Members. That is a constitutionally strange place for an unelected House to go. I repeat that the Prime Minister said in his published letter that he gave very careful consideration to the points raised in the advice of the House of Lords Appointments Commission in the case referred to today, and weighed them against other factors. The Prime Minister will always give close attention to the commission’s careful and considered advice.