My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth; his calm, measured tones are always difficult to follow. I also welcome the introduction of the Bill by the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. She was very clear and put forward a very powerful argument...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth; his calm, measured tones are always difficult to follow. I also welcome the introduction of the Bill by the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. She was very clear and put forward a very powerful argument...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, for the opportunity to discuss House of Lords reform again. I enjoyed her introductory remarks and agree that this is a very good opportunity to begin to discuss some issues that go beyond the particulars that some of the...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, for the opportunity to discuss House of Lords reform again. I enjoyed her introductory remarks and agree that this is a very good opportunity to begin to discuss some issues that go beyond the particulars that some of the...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the very thoughtful contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Burns, and I commend the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, on bringing forward this Private Member’s Bill.

I am the first to acknowledge that Governments—and, more to the point, the public—face challenges that may feel...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the very thoughtful contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Burns, and I commend the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, on bringing forward this Private Member’s Bill.

I am the first to acknowledge that Governments—and, more to the point, the public—face challenges that may feel...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, and I agree very much with most of her points. I am grateful to her for her forthright views. I am also grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Blunkett, Lord Bourne, Lord Scriven and Lord Burns, for their...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, and I agree very much with most of her points. I am grateful to her for her forthright views. I am also grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Blunkett, Lord Bourne, Lord Scriven and Lord Burns, for their...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the mellifluous contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Wigley, although invariably we disagree. I begin by congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, on bringing this Bill forward. She is above all consistent and principled. She came into this House...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the mellifluous contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Wigley, although invariably we disagree. I begin by congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, on bringing this Bill forward. She is above all consistent and principled. She came into this House...

My Lords, I add my voice to the swelling paean of praise for the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes. Peers on all

sides have commended her for her courage, which is true but also very telling. It presupposes that she knew that her Bill would be unpopular here, which...

My Lords, I add my voice to the swelling paean of praise for the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes. Peers on all

sides have commended her for her courage, which is true but also very telling. It presupposes that she knew that her Bill would be unpopular here, which...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, although whether the noble Lord would say the same about me if our positions in the list were reversed, I cannot say. I am sorry to say that I was not in the Chamber when the noble Baroness introduced...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, although whether the noble Lord would say the same about me if our positions in the list were reversed, I cannot say. I am sorry to say that I was not in the Chamber when the noble Baroness introduced...

It is a great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, and to express my entire agreement with him that we have to take the Bill forward. First, may I briefly add to what all noble Lords have already said about the excellent way in which the noble Baroness,...

It is a great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, and to express my entire agreement with him that we have to take the Bill forward. First, may I briefly add to what all noble Lords have already said about the excellent way in which the noble Baroness,...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, not only on her good fortune in the Private Member’s Bill ballot but because of the care she has taken in framing this Bill. She has chosen the wording very wisely. I must express solidarity with her, not just because I...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, not only on her good fortune in the Private Member’s Bill ballot but because of the care she has taken in framing this Bill. She has chosen the wording very wisely. I must express solidarity with her, not just because I...

My Lords, I thank your Lordships’ House for allowing me to speak in the gap. It is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, and to congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, on her Bill and on her powerful introductory speech. I very much agree with the noble...

My Lords, I thank your Lordships’ House for allowing me to speak in the gap. It is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, and to congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, on her Bill and on her powerful introductory speech. I very much agree with the noble...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, and express my envy of her luck in coming out of the ballot. I hope she might perhaps be tempted to buy me some lottery tickets this weekend. This is an important issue and, as both the noble Viscount, Lord...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, and express my envy of her luck in coming out of the ballot. I hope she might perhaps be tempted to buy me some lottery tickets this weekend. This is an important issue and, as both the noble Viscount, Lord...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak to this Bill, which has invited a broad debate on the future of your Lordships’ House. The noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, has a principled opposition to the House of Lords, and it is that principled conviction that underpins the Bill....

My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak to this Bill, which has invited a broad debate on the future of your Lordships’ House. The noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, has a principled opposition to the House of Lords, and it is that principled conviction that underpins the Bill....

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, on securing the Second Reading of her Bill. The noble Baroness has spoken passionately and eloquently in previous debates about reforming your Lordships’ House and today is no different. As a number of noble Lords, including the noble Baroness,...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, on securing the Second Reading of her Bill. The noble Baroness has spoken passionately and eloquently in previous debates about reforming your Lordships’ House and today is no different. As a number of noble Lords, including the noble Baroness,...

Before the Minister sits down, she said that this Bill would restrict the right of the Government on when and how to consult. As there is a manifesto commitment, what she did not give from the Dispatch Box was a commitment that the Government will start, or even end, the...

Before the Minister sits down, she said that this Bill would restrict the right of the Government on when and how to consult. As there is a manifesto commitment, what she did not give from the Dispatch Box was a commitment that the Government will start, or even end, the...

It was a manifesto commitment. I cannot say now exactly when it would start. What we do not want is to be bounced into a 12-week consultation from the point at which this Bill would become law.

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It was a manifesto commitment. I cannot say now exactly when it would start. What we do not want is to be bounced into a 12-week consultation from the point at which this Bill would become law.

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My Lords, I thank all Members who participated in the debate, for just over two hours. We have had a really good debate, with lots of interesting viewpoints, but I was, surprisingly, pleased to hear that the majority of Members who spoke today, barring one or two, support reforming this...

My Lords, I thank all Members who participated in the debate, for just over two hours. We have had a really good debate, with lots of interesting viewpoints, but I was, surprisingly, pleased to hear that the majority of Members who spoke today, barring one or two, support reforming this...

My Lords, the purpose of this Bill is to cut through the fog of uncertainty that now hangs over the Chagos Islands to provide a fairer, clearer and more principled way forward for not simply the Chagos Islands themselves but,

perhaps more importantly, the Chagossians—and I am delighted that many...

My Lords, the purpose of this Bill is to cut through the fog of uncertainty that now hangs over the Chagos Islands to provide a fairer, clearer and more principled way forward for not simply the Chagos Islands themselves but,

perhaps more importantly, the Chagossians—and I am delighted that many...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Weir of Ballyholme, on tabling this Bill and on his brilliant introduction of it. It is a very good, comprehensive and comprehensible Bill. When a Bill is lucid, it is a symptom of the clarity and sensibility of the objectives enshrined in...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Weir of Ballyholme, on tabling this Bill and on his brilliant introduction of it. It is a very good, comprehensive and comprehensible Bill. When a Bill is lucid, it is a symptom of the clarity and sensibility of the objectives enshrined in...

My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Weir, on advancing this eminently sensible and timely Bill before the House today. It is also a great privilege to follow my noble friend Lord Lilley and to inform the House that I am glad to say that he has given...

My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Weir, on advancing this eminently sensible and timely Bill before the House today. It is also a great privilege to follow my noble friend Lord Lilley and to inform the House that I am glad to say that he has given...

My Lords, I would like to congratulate my noble friend Lord Weir of Ballyholme on introducing this Motion and on the manner in which he introduced it. It is very rare that we get second chances. Providence has provided us with one here, and I really hope that Ministers will...

My Lords, I would like to congratulate my noble friend Lord Weir of Ballyholme on introducing this Motion and on the manner in which he introduced it. It is very rare that we get second chances. Providence has provided us with one here, and I really hope that Ministers will...