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Business of the House

Now that the tectonic plates appear to be shifting in respect of the Government’s attitude to House of Lords reform and in view of the heightened public awareness of the composition of the House of Lords and related issues, does my right hon. Friend remember that the last time this House was given an opportunity to vote on Lords reform we could not reach agreement on any of the seven options? Does that not provide a powerful argument for an early debate on the subject in this House before the Joint Committee is established to do its work so that we avoid the risk of once again not being able to agree on any of the options that the Committee may bring forward.