House of Lords Reform (Draft Bill)

Dan Poulter Excerpts

Tuesday 17th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman says “now”, but we have been criticised in the past for pushing forward with changes too quickly and not subjecting them to sufficient scrutiny. What we are doing now is moving very deliberately, very methodically and as consensually as possible, presenting a Bill with our best guess of what would work legislatively; keeping the options on some key issues open in the White Paper; and then inviting a cross-party Joint Committee to subject that to full scrutiny in the months ahead. I do not think that we can be criticised either for moving too fast or for seeking to escape from proper scrutiny.

[Dr Daniel Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the hereditary principle is wrong in principle? Whatever comes out of these reforms, will he ensure that people do not take part in the democratic process as a right of birth, and that people should be either elected or appointed to that Chamber?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

That is exactly what we propose: that either by election or appointment, but not by heredity, people will be represented in a reformed House of Lords.