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Proceeding contribution from Lord Norton of Louth (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 29 March 2011. It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HL) and Debate on bill on Fixed-term Parliaments Bill.


Fixed-term Parliaments Bill

I understand the argument that my noble and learned friend is developing. One of his objections to my noble friend’s amendment was that it seeks to encapsulate what is the current position, where the Prime Minister can say, ““Well, if we lose on this Second Reading of a major government Bill, we cannot continue; we make it a question of confidence””, and uses that to mobilise government supporters. My noble and learned friend is objecting to maintaining the current provision, whereby the Prime Minister can simply say: ““If we lose, we go””. I touch on the point that it is still open to the Government to resign. If the Prime Minister says, ““This is crucial to our programme; if we lose, we resign””, and therefore goes to the Palace in the wake of that to tender the Government's resignation, under the Bill, what happens?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
726 c1216 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Courts General elections Government Judgements Fixed-term parliaments Dissolution National Assembly for Wales Parliament Scotland Wales Scottish Parliament Speaker Resignations Censure motions
Legislation
Fixed-term Parliaments Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk