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Parliament (Joint Departments) Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 1: 1: Clause 2 , page 2, line 5, leave out ““Commission”” The noble Lord said: I have observed that there is a difference between the arrangements in the two Houses. Clause 2(3) deals with the arrangements for deciding which functions should be exercised as joint functions under the mechanism to be set up by this Bill. We have been told that the proposal is for only computers and information technology to be jointly managed, but the Bill is deliberately worded much wider than that. It would allow other functions to be made joint, subject to this subsection. It was clear at Second Reading that there is some favour for the idea that other functions should be made joint; for example, the Library, the refreshment department and potentially other things. In your Lordships’ House, changes in the functions can be made only with the approval of the whole House. But in another place changes can be made with simply the approval of the Commission. In other words, the Government propose that this House is to be in this respect the more democratic House; that is, trust the Peers, but do not trust the people’s elected representatives. Some might say that that is a very proper attitude, but it is odd given that last week we were told that we are not democratic enough—illegitimate, in fact. However, we seem to be able to look after our own affairs collectively and not be subjected, as the Bill proposes for another place, to an elected dictatorship. Why are the two Houses being treated differently? I beg to move.