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House of Lords (Members’ Taxation Status) Bill [HL]

When we were debating the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, suggested that I was between a rock and a hard place. The noble Lord, Lord Elton, clearly thinks that I am again in that rather difficult position. I do not think so, because although we do not think that Mr Gordon Prentice's Bill meets all the points, it deals with the issue in another way that perhaps does not transgress so much the point about taxation changes that I made in relation to this Bill. On the more general point raised by the noble Earl, Lord Ferrers, the cross-party group is working on the basis of the vote in the other place. There were two votes in favour: for an 80 per cent elected and for a 100 per cent elected House. It is working on that basis, but it is also working on the basis that whatever proposals are in the White Paper, they should be based on the essential foundation of the primacy of the Commons. It is perfectly possible to have an 80 per cent or 100 per cent elected second Chamber that still respects and reflects the primacy of the Commons.