House of Lords: Peers Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

House of Lords: Peers

Baroness Hayman Excerpts
Thursday 8th November 2012

(12 years ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Strathclyde Portrait Lord Strathclyde
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My Lords, why do we not just wait and see whether it is picked up by a Back-Bench Member?

Baroness Hayman Portrait Baroness Hayman
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My Lords, may I encourage the Leader of the House to go ahead with those conversations that he suggested as there is a widespread feeling in the House that there is a possibility of a rational, staged and fair way of reducing the size of the House? He was very relaxed about the Bill in the other place. I suggest to him that the danger to the reputation of this House is not only in its size. At the moment it is also in the fact that those with serious criminal convictions are free to return to the membership of the House. The Steel Bill would put that right and I suggest that it would be wrong not to take that opportunity.

Lord Strathclyde Portrait Lord Strathclyde
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My Lords, like the noble Baroness, I think that the most important part of my noble friend’s Bill is that which deals with serious offenders.