---

Parliamentary Representation (England)

It is always interesting to hear the Liberal Democrats' arguments for proportional representation. We will never be convinced by them, but we understand exactly why it is always their first priority. If we turn the clock back, we will find that the Liberal party did not stand for PR 100 years ago. Then, they wanted to be in government, but they now know that they will not be in government. They were not in government for most of the last century and they will not be in this century, so we forgive them for always making proportional representation their top priority. I heartily congratulate the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Derek Wyatt) on introducing this debate. It is a welcome opportunity to discuss an extremely important matter—I am only sorry that more Members of Parliament do not make it a high priority. I am nevertheless pleased to see that six of us are in the Chamber; what we lose in quantity we make up for, as ever, in quality. The issue must be discussed. I believe that that ought to happen in Government time, but as that has not happened, the hon. Gentleman is to be congratulated on opening the matter up. I am pleased to see the Minister—by my calculations looking at the clock, he will have plenty of time to answer all the matters that have been raised this morning. I will raise only a few more for him. The hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey was right that this is unfinished business, as it has been for a long time. The issue became known as the West Lothian question, rightly, because the then Member for West Lothian, Mr. Tam Dalyell, brought the subject up again and again in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when devolution for Scotland was discussed repeatedly in the House of Commons, and finally was put to more than one referendum in Scotland. Mr. Tam Dalyell was right to ask the question and to highlight the anomaly, and no Government have come up with an answer to the West Lothian question. The current Government want to sweep the whole matter under the carpet and have, indeed, successfully done so for 11 years. They have simply refused to address the problem, although I am sure that they would not answer it even if they did. That is simply not fair.