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Debate on Tuesday, 29 June 2010, in the House of Lords, led by Lord Strathclyde. The answering member was Baroness Royall of Blaisdon.

House of Lords Reform

Lords debate on motion to take note of the case for reform of the House of Lords. Agreed to on question.

Secondary information

Type
Parliamentary proceeding
Reference
719 c1661-785 
Session
2010-12
Department
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Related items
House of Lords: Working Practices
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Written statements
House of Lords
Proceeding contributions
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1664 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have no desire to irritate the noble Lord or, indeed, his noble friends, but the point i...
Lord Hughes of Woodside | 719 c1664 (Link to this contribution) Does the noble Lord agree that the path that he has now undertaken means that the House will be pres...
Show all contributions (142)
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1664 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in a way that is how it works in Parliament. Governments propose legislation and then Parl...
Earl of Onslow | 719 c1664 (Link to this contribution) I am normally an enormous fan of my noble friend on the Front Bench, but surely his argument about n...
Lord Grocott | 719 c1663 (Link to this contribution) Could the Leader of the House, in the spirit of the coalition document, referring as it does to the ...
Lord Hannay of Chiswick | 719 c1664 (Link to this contribution) Before we leave the matter of the composition of the committee, perhaps the noble Lord could explain...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1664 (Link to this contribution) I am very happy for the noble Lord, Lord Grocott, to discuss that with the Leader of the Opposition,...
Lord Barnett | 719 c1663 (Link to this contribution) Whatever is in manifestos, the plain fact is that at the moment the Front Benches of this House are ...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1662-3 (Link to this contribution) So I shall not bother telling him the good news about how often we hope to hear him speak in these q...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1666 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, was a senior Minister in the former Government. They must hav...
Lord Rooker | 719 c1666 (Link to this contribution) I seek clarification on this point. Like other Members, I have read all three manifestos, which all ...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1665-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, yes, it will deal with transition, which is one of the most important issues. I do not sug...
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton | 719 c1665 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hope I can save the noble Lord the Leader of the House a little time. Will the draft Bil...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1665 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, yes. I would hope that the noble Lord would not be so incredulous. One thing that has been...
Lord Richard | 719 c1665 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord has been very good in giving way. Perhaps he could help me a little. I understand tha...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1665 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am well aware that there is more than one view on this issue. Today we will hear from 68...
Lord Campbell of Alloway | 719 c1665 (Link to this contribution) Is my noble friend the Leader of the House aware that there is another point of view? On 5 July, the...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1665 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the point I was trying to make is that Back-Benchers will play their full part in the proc...
Lord Higgins | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) Will the noble Baroness clarify whether, in her understanding, this will be a government draft Bill,...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1666 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have consistently taken the view over a long period—I am not saying that I will retain t...
Lord Phillips of Sudbury | 719 c1666 (Link to this contribution) I am most grateful but, in the light of all the peculiar circumstances, it is important to know that...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1667 (Link to this contribution) We have yet to take a view on whether a reformed House should be fully or partly elected. Those word...
Lord Maclennan of Rogart | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) I remind the noble Baroness that the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which reformed the composition ...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1667-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am grateful to the Leader of the House for opening today’s debate with his characteristi...
Lord Goodlad | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) If, as we consider legislation, the party opposite presses for a referendum on the future of the Hou...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I acknowledge that there was no referendum on that occasion, but I respectfully suggest to...
Baroness D'Souza | 719 c1673-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as has been said, constitutional Acts affecting this House include the Life Peerages Act 1...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as I mentioned, this is a government committee on which the Government have invited member...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1671 (Link to this contribution) Indeed it would, should that be necessary. Obviously, these are still very early days. This committe...
Lord Haskel | 719 c1671 (Link to this contribution) Would it be open to members of the committee to put in a minority report?
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1671 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, with respect, the setting up of the committee and the process that is being followed on wh...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1672-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it would give me great pleasure to listen to the Cross-Benchers and to put forward their v...
Lord Anderson of Swansea | 719 c1672 (Link to this contribution) My noble friend appears to agree that the Government have made a crashing error of judgment in exclu...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1671-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I well understand the concern being expressed around the Chamber about due process, but qu...
Lord Campbell of Alloway | 719 c1671 (Link to this contribution) I apologise for interrupting but exactly the same problem is raised by the intervention of my noble ...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1662 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord who asked a question a moment ago is now leaving the Chamber.
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1661 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I for one am delighted to have been able to find this very early opportunity in the lifeti...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1661 (Link to this contribution) That this House takes note of the case for reform of the House of Lords.
Lord Richard | 719 c1680-1 (Link to this contribution) If he wishes, the noble Lord can take the view that that is a massive justification for a non-electe...
Lord Maclennan of Rogart | 719 c1681-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have been involved in several attempts to move the House of Lords towards a 21st-century...
Lord Richard | 719 c1680 (Link to this contribution) Perhaps I may finish the sentence. But we are not a debating Chamber. This is a legislative Chamber;...
Lord King of Bridgwater | 719 c1680 (Link to this contribution) I wondered if the noble Lord recalled the fact that if it had not been for the intervention of this ...
Lord Richard | 719 c1679-80 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, there is a strong sense of déjà vu about this debate. We go round and round and round agai...
Lord Howe of Aberavon | 719 c1677-9 (Link to this contribution) Before the noble Lord speaks, it is not customary to give way in a speech of this kind. I fell into ...
Lord Sentamu | 719 c1674-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in my speech on House of Lords reform in 2007, I said that the key issue in reform of your...
Lord Howe of Aberavon | 719 c1676-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a great privilege to follow the most reverend Primate in a debate of this importance...
Lord Grenfell | 719 c1692-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I begin by thanking the noble Lord the Leader of the House for introducing this debate. I ...
Lord Steel of Aikwood | 719 c1694-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I wish to express the hope that our colleagues on the Front Bench will convey copies of th...
Lord Denham | 719 c1684-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, having been a Member of your Lordships’ House for an inordinate length of time, I have oft...
Lord Filkin | 719 c1685-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, follow that. When the Leader of the House spoke to us before multiple interruptions, he se...
Lord Low of Dalston | 719 c1687-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I would certainly support the Motion standing in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Steel of...
Bishop of Leicester | 719 c1689-90 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I know that brevity and clarity are at a premium in a debate of this length. I therefore a...
Lord Maclennan of Rogart | 719 c1683 (Link to this contribution) My time is almost up. That should not be included in this House directly, but it might be incorporat...
Lord Wright of Richmond | 719 c1683-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall make four very brief points. First, in response to the Prime Minister’s invitation...
Lord Higgins | 719 c1707-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we are asked to take note of the case for reform of the House of Lords. In fact, we have h...
Lord Rooker | 719 c1709-10 (Link to this contribution) My theme is very much along the lines of my intervention on the Leader of the House earlier. I agree...
Lord Cope of Berkeley | 719 c1703-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I wish to express my views on the main issue of whether or not we should have an elected, ...
Baroness O'Loan | 719 c1704-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the debate on reform of the House of Lords has been, as Members have stated, a very length...
Lord Wright of Richmond | 719 c1710-1 (Link to this contribution) I intervene very briefly to remind the House that I am the only surviving Cross-Bench member of the ...
Viscount Eccles | 719 c1700-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I suppose we are hoping that, whatever the outcome may be, we are going to be better gover...
Lord Lea of Crondall | 719 c1701-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the fundamental flaw in the approach in the Statement made by the Leader of the House yest...
Lord Bilimoria | 719 c1696-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, at a time like this we need to be extremely careful as we move forward, because a step in ...
Baroness O'Cathain | 719 c1698-700 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I must apologise for being absent for most of this debate. Unfortunately, I had to go to a...
Lord Elder | 719 c1718-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I intend to make just a few points. I have supported and opposed referendums in the past, ...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy | 719 c1719-21 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, before you can decide on how to reform this House, you have to decide what you want it to ...
Lord Campbell of Alloway | 719 c1721-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I do not have a prepared speech, but I made a few jottings and shall try to deal with them...
Lord Morris of Aberavon | 719 c1722-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, since I first came to Parliament, I have listened to many debates on the reform of this Ho...
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank | 719 c1723-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Morris, we are all allowed a personal reminiscence—perhaps an in...
Lord Wright of Richmond | 719 c1711 (Link to this contribution) But not another Cross-Bench Member. We made it very clear that an elected House would totally change...
Lord Mayhew of Twysden | 719 c1711-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, and rather a surprise to follow t...
Lord Howarth of Newport | 719 c1712-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, an elected second Chamber is the wrong answer to the wrong question. Even those who accept...
Lord Butler of Brockwell | 719 c1715-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I take it that, notwithstanding the title of this debate, it provides an opportunity for y...
Lord McNally | 719 c1784-5 (Link to this contribution) It slightly chills the soul to think that my sole supporters are the noble Earl, Lord Onslow, and th...
Earl of Onslow | 719 c1784 (Link to this contribution) What is slightly odd in this thing is that those on the two Front Benches and I, and the noble Lord,...
Lord McNally | 719 c1784 (Link to this contribution) I am not aware of that. My noble friend Lord Strathclyde said that the Labour Party must have had mo...
Lord Tyler | 719 c1772-3 (Link to this contribution) Unless my noble friend is going to give me some injury time for his intervention—and I do not believ...
Lord Kakkar | 719 c1773-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I address your Lordships as one of the most recently appointed Members to your Lordships’ ...
Lord Elton | 719 c1767-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hope that the House will forgive me if I go back briefly to first principles and stand b...
Lord Neill of Bladen | 719 c1766-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is past 10pm and I am the 60th person to speak. I will try to be brief and depart from ...
Lord Tyler | 719 c1771-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, at this hour of the evening the time for opinions—particularly mine—has passed, so I will ...
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe | 719 c1769-71 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank noble Lords on the Front Bench for providing us with the opportunity for this deba...
Earl of Caithness | 719 c1760-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, when I saw that I was going to follow the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, I was reminded of tha...
Viscount Astor | 719 c1764-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, one of the strengths of this House is that political parties in opposition love the place....
Lord Walton of Detchant | 719 c1762-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, when I was a boy in a mining village in Durham County, and even when I entered the Newcast...
Lord McNally | 719 c1784 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, is already preparing a book on the whole subjec...
Lord Rooker | 719 c1784 (Link to this contribution) With respect, he deserves an answer. The political parties all took legal advice before they drafted...
Lord Desai | 719 c1784 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord mentioned the Salisbury convention. That convention had to do with a party’s manifest...
Lord McNally | 719 c1784 (Link to this contribution) That is why I was going to sit down before the noble Baroness asked her question. She has been in Go...
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1783 (Link to this contribution) Forgive me, my Lords. The noble Lord answered the question from the noble Lord, Lord Norton, about f...
Lord McNally | 719 c1780-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I was interested to hear the quotation of Abbé Sieyés. The only one I know is that he was ...
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath | 719 c1777-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this is from the party which did not offer a referendum on Maastricht. In UK terms, an ele...
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath | 719 c1776-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this has been a long, substantive and highly enjoyable debate. I say to my noble friend Lo...
Lord Lucas | 719 c1775-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall come in as Pollyanna, even if I leave as Cassandra. I support an elected House of ...
Lord Selsdon | 719 c1755-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, for most of the day, I sat on the Steps of the Throne because I like to see my enemy and m...
Earl of Sandwich | 719 c1754-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this debate goes on so long that I almost feel that I have been here for 350 years—in some...
Lord Selsdon | 719 c1757 (Link to this contribution) And I need to tell the noble Lord that I am not an Earl, but I much appreciate the compliment.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath | 719 c1757 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I need to tell the noble Earl that on this side of the House, we have been elected.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath | 719 c1757 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in view of his tremendous work, he jolly well ought to be.
Lord Naseby | 719 c1747-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have a pretty cynical view of this debate, not least the word ““reform””, which we all k...
Lord Birt | 719 c1748-9 (Link to this contribution) This is a powerful debate with more consensus than I anticipated. It is a privilege to follow so man...
Lord Jenkin of Roding | 719 c1749-51 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I rise as number 50 on the list and I am conscious of the fact that there are still anothe...
Lord Gilbert | 719 c1751-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I start by declaring an interest as probably the most prehistoric of your Lordships to add...
Baroness Hooper | 719 c1753-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it has always been my view that we should be looking at the whole of Parliament in determi...
Lord Phillips of Sudbury | 719 c1760 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord’s party membership is going up—I am happy to hear it—by three in a month, probably. T...
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath | 719 c1759 (Link to this contribution) Labour Party membership is growing considerably since the election.
Lord Phillips of Sudbury | 719 c1759 (Link to this contribution) They are under an obligation, but a much more fuzzy and weaker one, and they are not constantly havi...
Lord Goodhart | 719 c1759 (Link to this contribution) What does my noble friend think is the difference between that situation and the present situation i...
Lord Selsdon | 719 c1757 (Link to this contribution) I really believe that one of the things that we can do is provide more information on this House. If...
Lord Graham of Edmonton | 719 c1757-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a pleasure to take part in this debate. I rise as the 55th speaker in a list of 65. ...
Lord Graham of Edmonton | 719 c1758-9 (Link to this contribution) I almost forgot what I was going to say. The point is that in a few months’ time we will have a prop...
Lord Phillips of Sudbury | 719 c1759 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am strongly in favour of reform of this House and I am strongly in favour of the Bill of...
Lord Brookman | 719 c1758 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, may I follow on from the noble Lord?
Lord Hoyle | 719 c1731-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we always get surprises in this House, and I did not imagine that I would agree so much wi...
Earl of Onslow | 719 c1731 (Link to this contribution) I am extremely sorry that the most reverend Primate is confused, and I will do my level best to try ...
Lord Pilkington of Oxenford | 719 c1733-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as an old history master, I must give a little correction; Peers assessed themselves until...
Lord Desai | 719 c1727-8 (Link to this contribution) I stand corrected. I always think of larger countries such as India and Pakistan. I apologise for th...
Lord Sentamu | 719 c1731 (Link to this contribution) I am confused; perhaps the noble Earl can explain. He says that by electing this Chamber, those powe...
Earl of Onslow | 719 c1730-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am probably one of those people who will support an elected House, although, having list...
Lord Norton of Louth | 719 c1725-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, like others, I have no problem with taking note of the case for reform of the House of Lor...
Lord Desai | 719 c1726-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a great privilege to follow the noble Lord, with whom I totally disagree, although I...
Baroness Howe of Idlicote | 719 c1746-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, for whom I have considerab...
Lord Faulkner of Worcester | 719 c1743-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am sorry that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Leader of the House, has tem...
Lord Inglewood | 719 c1741-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, having heard the noble Lord, Lord Jopling, I am sure that he will agree that it is better ...
Lord Jopling | 719 c1739-41 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, much has been said with which I strongly agree but, as Lord Peyton, whose name was mention...
Lord Goodhart | 719 c1738-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I think Lord Tonypandy and Viscount Whitelaw were given peerages in 1983, a year earlier. ...
Lord Anderson of Swansea | 719 c1736-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we are invited to note, "““the case for reform of the House of Lords””." In fact, the deb...
Lord Goodhart | 719 c1738 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is now 99 years since the passing of the Parliament Act 1911. I think it would have con...
Lord Cobbold | 719 c1734-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am one of those who strongly support the House remaining a fully appointed Chamber. I su...
Lord Skelmersdale | 719 c1735-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in discussing this subject, I believe that we should take a firm and objective view of our...
Lord Strathclyde | 719 c1663 (Link to this contribution) Because, my Lords, this committee is charged to create a Bill in draft. There will be a full role fo...
Lord Higgins | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) My point was not about a referendum; I was asking whether the cart is now being put before the horse...
Lord Waddington | 719 c1690-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is both a pleasure and a privilege to follow the right reverend Prelate. I am sure that...
Baroness Miller of Hendon | 719 c1716-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, let us face it—the subject of reform of the House of Lords is but a euphemism for introduc...
Viscount Tenby | 719 c1728-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I confess it is something of a shock to learn that there is a Back Bencher in favour of an...
Lord Pilkington of Oxenford | 719 c1727 (Link to this contribution) Can I correct the noble Lord? What about Canada?
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon | 719 c1670 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I could not at this juncture speak for my party on that issue, but personally I am a firm ...
Subjects
Elections House of Lords House of Commons House of Lords composition Legislation Powers Peers Proportional representation Reform Retirement Resignations House of Lords Reform Cross-Party Committee
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