House of Lords: Reform

Lord Howarth of Newport Excerpts

Wednesday 6th February 2013 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Howarth of Newport]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to proceed with any reforms to the composition of the House of Lords.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Hill of Oareford)]

My Lords, as noble Lords know, the Government have no further plans for legislation to reform this House in this Parliament.

[Lord Howarth of Newport]

My Lords, given that the House of Commons has made it absolutely clear that it will not tolerate the challenge to its primacy of an elected second Chamber, given the Deputy Prime Minister’s sensible acknowledgement that the best is the enemy of the good and given the undesirability in the interests of good government that the question of Lords reform should overshadow the next Parliament, will Ministers introduce legislation in this Parliament to enable us to resolve the issues of how Members are to be appointed to the House of Lords, the future size of the House, how the balance between the political parties, the Cross Benches and the Lords spiritual is to be determined, the future of hereditary membership and life peerages, and provision for retirement and disqualification, all of which need to be resolved and upon which sufficient consensus could be achieved?