House of Lords: Reform

Lord Kakkar Excerpts

Tuesday 24th April 2012 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Kakkar]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of potential risks arising from proposals for reform of the House of Lords.

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): My Lords, the Government have carefully considered their proposals for reform of this House and will continue to do so, particularly in the light of the Joint Committee’s report published yesterday, which supported a mainly elected House. We believe that this House will continue to perform its role as an effective scrutinising and revising Chamber.

[Lord Kakkar]

My Lords, does characterising House of Lords reform in exchange for House of Commons boundary changes as coalition civility risk an erosion of confidence in democracy, as the people of our country are coming to terms with the spectacle of one party in coalition attempting better to control the House of Commons in exchange for the other party trying to achieve control of a future elected second Chamber, all being pushed through using the Parliament Act in what would amount to a monumental gerrymander?

[Lord McNally]

That is a rather harsh judgment on the Government. It is right that the case for boundary reform and House of Lords reform are judged on their merits. The Government put them through this House for scrutiny separately. They are not interlinked but are part of the Government’s and the coalition’s overall commitment to constitutional reform.