Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Lord Bassam of Brighton Excerpts

Monday 20th December 2010 Lords Chamber

52: Clause 9, page 7, line 2, after “reallocated” insert “by the proportion of its preference (that is to say if the candidate was ranked 3 then one third of a vote, if ranked 4 then one quarter of a vote and so on)”

[Lord Bassam of Brighton]

My Lords, before we come to consider my noble friend’s amendment, I ought to advise the House that it is customary that we conclude our business at 10 pm, other than by agreement.

I was happy in discussions with the usual channels to agree to the House going until taxis. Taxis is commonly understood to be 10.40 pm. We are now at 11.10 pm and this would be an appropriate moment for the House to draw its proceedings to a conclusion, given the inclement weather, among other good reasons.

I do hope that is going to be the case, and I was rather looking to the government Benches to move that the House now be resumed. It would be very helpful to the House if the government Benches indicated exactly what they do intend, because there are many people at work this evening in the House and we have a number of Members here listening to the debate. The agreement was to taxis; we are now well past that point.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Strathclyde)]

My Lords, we seem to be getting on very well. Let us just finish the clause.