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Answering member
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Lord Wills
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Answering member
Wills, Lord (5)
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Legislation
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The issue of fixed-term Parliaments has been debated in this House on a number of occasions. Most recently, the hon. Member for Cambridge (David Howarth) introduced a private Member's Bill that would have provided for general elections every four years.
The issue of fixed-term Parliaments has been debated in this House on a number of occasions. Most recently, the hon. Member for Cambridge (David Howarth) introduced a private Member's Bill that would have provided for general elections every four years.
Answered by
Lord Wills
(Labour)
Asked by
Jo Swinson
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
What recent representations he has received on the proposal for fixed-term Parliaments.
Subjects
General elections; Fixed-term parliaments; Dissolution; Parliament
Date
28 October 2008
Reference
481 c714
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I agree with part of what the right hon. and learned Gentleman said, and the Prime Minister has already said that he wants the dissolution of Parliament to be subject to a vote in this House for precisely the reasons that the right hon. and learned Gentleman gave. There is a misunderstanding that fixed-term Parliaments would somehow remove the Executive's ability to hold an election at a time of their choosing. That is not necessarily the case. For example, the former West Germany had fixed-term Parliaments, but in 1972 and 1983 the Government of the day were able to engineer a general election by engineering a vote of no confidence in the Government, so what the right hon. and learned Gentleman is looking for would not necessarily transpire.
I agree with part of what the right hon. and learned Gentleman said, and the Prime Minister has already said that he wants the dissolution of Parliament to be subject to a vote in this House for precisely the reasons that the right hon. and learned Gentleman gave. There is a misunderstanding that fixed-term Parliaments would somehow remove the Executive's ability to hold an election at a time of their choosing. That is not necessarily the case. For example, the former West Germany had fixed-term Parliaments, but in 1972 and 1983 the Government of the day were able to engineer a general election by engineering a vote of no confidence in the Government, so what the right hon. and learned Gentleman is looking for would not necessarily transpire.
Answered by
Lord Wills
(Labour)
Asked by
Viscount Hailsham
(Conservative)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
May I say to Ministers that the present system gives far too much influence and control to the Prime Minister of the day? Those of us who want much greater parliamentary democracy and curbs on the Executive would like fixed-term Parliaments.
Subjects
General elections; Fixed-term parliaments; Dissolution; Parliament
Date
28 October 2008
Reference
481 c715
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
On the hon. Lady's final point, she will be aware that we are bringing a Bill before the House that will address all those issues, and I look forward to her contribution to debates on it as we tackle what I agree is a very important issue. On the other issue that she raised, there are arguments on both sides. They have been exhaustively rehearsed, and no doubt we will continue debating them for the foreseeable future.
On the hon. Lady's final point, she will be aware that we are bringing a Bill before the House that will address all those issues, and I look forward to her contribution to debates on it as we tackle what I agree is a very important issue. On the other issue that she raised, there are arguments on both sides. They have been exhaustively rehearsed, and no doubt we will continue debating them for the foreseeable future.
Answered by
Lord Wills
(Labour)
Asked by
Jo Swinson
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
Many excellent arguments are commonly used in favour of fixed-term Parliaments, but does the Minister agree that another advantage of such a system is that it would make it much easier to regulate party political spending over the entire electoral cycle? Surely that is particularly desirable, as there is clearly a need for much tighter control of party funding and spending.
Subjects
General elections; Fixed-term parliaments; Dissolution; Parliament
Date
28 October 2008
Reference
481 c714
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his contribution. He will be aware, of course, that we are coming to terms with how we get a grip on the prerogative power; that is the basis of the ““Governance of Britain”” programme. We are introducing a Constitutional Renewal Bill, as he is well aware. We have built on the excellent work done by his Committee—the Public Administration Committee—to try to codify the royal prerogative. We will take that work further forward. Of course he is right that we have to get a grip on party spending at election time; that is precisely why we are introducing the Bill. Again, I look forward to his contribution to debate on the Bill. I point out to him, and to the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), who first asked the question, that there are arguments against fixed-term Parliaments. As they will both be well aware, there is an element of inflexibility in such a system that sometimes would not serve this country well.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his contribution. He will be aware, of course, that we are coming to terms with how we get a grip on the prerogative power; that is the basis of the ““Governance of Britain”” programme. We are introducing a Constitutional Renewal Bill, as he is well aware. We have built on the excellent work done by his Committee—the Public Administration Committee—to try to codify the royal prerogative. We will take that work further forward. Of course he is right that we have to get a grip on party spending at election time; that is precisely why we are introducing the Bill. Again, I look forward to his contribution to debate on the Bill. I point out to him, and to the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), who first asked the question, that there are arguments against fixed-term Parliaments. As they will both be well aware, there is an element of inflexibility in such a system that sometimes would not serve this country well.
Answered by
Lord Wills
(Labour)
Asked by
Tony Wright
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
When I introduced a Bill on the subject many years ago, I was told that I had to get royal permission, which surely reminds us that, at some point, we need to get serious hold of prerogative powers. Does not the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson) have a good essential point, which is that if we really want to control or get hold of the vexed issue of party funding, we have to get some more reliable control over the election spending period? Fixed-term Parliaments would enable us to do that.
Subjects
General elections; Fixed-term parliaments; Dissolution; Parliament
Date
28 October 2008
Reference
481 c714-5
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
What recent representations he has received on the proposal for fixed-term Parliaments.
What recent representations he has received on the proposal for fixed-term Parliaments.
Asked by
Jo Swinson
(Liberal Democrat)
Answered by
Lord Wills
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Tabled on
22 October 2008
For answer on
28 October 2008
Answered on
28 October 2008
The issue of fixed-term Parliaments has been debated in this House on a number of occasions. Most recently, the hon. Member for Cambridge (David Howarth) introduced a private Member's Bill that would have provided for general elections every four years.
Subjects
General elections; Fixed-term parliaments; Dissolution; Parliament
Date
28 October 2008
Reference
481 c714; 230372
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons