House of Lords: Conventions

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Excerpts

Thursday 13th January 2011 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Viscount Montgomery of Alamein]

To ask the Leader of the House what assessment he has made of the importance of behavioural and procedural conventions in the Chamber.

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

My Lords, self-regulation works only when Members act to support it. It puts the responsibility on us all as individual Members, in our political groups and on the Cross Benches, to ensure that the rules set out in the Companion and the conventions of the House are adhered to in spirit as well as in letter.

[Viscount Montgomery of Alamein]

My Lords, that is a very helpful reply, but does the noble Lord not agree that too many bad habits have been brought from the other place and are causing a problem, such as interrupting in timed debates and not giving way at Question Time? In a self-regulating House, these are extremely important and valuable parts of our procedure.