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Local Transport Bill [HL]

My Lords, I still believe that what the Minister is proposing is a negation of the proper democratic rights of the people of this country to come to the House of Lords and to present the case that they may have against an order. The Minister will know—and he will probably gain considerable experience of the way in which affirmative orders are dealt with in this place—that there is usually no way that such orders ever get voted against. This procedure would allow people to have their say. Therefore, I would defend it as being superior to the affirmative procedure, which no doubt government officials would like to put in place because they like nothing better than to have everything organised. Occasionally, the interests of democracy are best served by allowing the people to approach Parliament and to have their say.