Commons Financial Privilege Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Commons Financial Privilege

Mark Pritchard Excerpts
Wednesday 28th October 2015

(9 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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The simple reality is that this House has now voted for these changes five times—prior to Monday it was three times. Ultimately, it must be the elected House of Commons that has the final say on these matters, which is why the actions of the House of Lords were, in my view, unacceptable.

Mark Pritchard Portrait Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con)
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I welcome the Strathclyde review and the Leader of the House’s reiteration of the primacy of the elected House of Commons. The shadow Leader of the House alluded to our unwritten constitution, which is a constitution of convention. Is it not the case that the House of Lords has breached that convention and therefore, by definition, is acting in a very unconstitutional manner?

Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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I very much agree with my hon. Friend. In recent years I have heard many Members of the House of Lords stress the importance of convention, but on this occasion they appear to have completely ignored it, which is why we now face this issue.