Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Tuesday, 24 April 2012.

House of Lords: Reform

Question: My Lords, can my noble friend tell the House whether the Government have made an assessment of the risks of not proceeding with legislation for the reform of this House? For example, does he appreciate that if each incoming Prime Minister wished to rebalance the party representation in this House, we would soon exceed 1,000 Members? Does he also recognise that the public at the moment are more in favour of abolition of your Lordships' House-by a very considerable margin-than retaining the all-appointed element?

Answer: My Lords, the best thing this House can do for its own reputation is now to deal with the issue of Lords reform, aided and assisted by the report we have just received and by our normal process of debate. I do not think the country will be satisfied with a House of Lords that seems self-confidently smug about its own rectitude-and that groan of noble Lords will, I suspect, only confirm the country's opinion of that. Let us proceed with dignity and responsibility. If we allow the status quo to develop-which I do not want to see because I love this House of Lords-the House will drift into public contempt because of its lack of reform.

Secondary information