SPECIAL REPORT
JOINT COMMITTEE ON HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM
The Joint Committee has been appointed:
(1) to consider issues relating to House of Lords
reform, including the composition and powers of the Second Chamber
and its role and authority within the context of Parliament as
a whole, having regard in particular to the impact which any proposed
changes would have on the existing pre-eminence of the House of
Commons, such consideration to include the implications of a House
composed of more than one "category" of member and the
experience and expertise which the House of Lords in its present
form brings to its function as the revising Chamber; and
(2) having regard to paragraph (1) above, to report
on options for the composition and powers of the House of Lords
and to define and present to both Houses options for composition,
including a fully nominated and fully elected House, and intermediate
options;
and to consider and report on—
(a) any changes to the relationship between the two
Houses which may be necessary to ensure the proper functioning
of Parliament as a whole in the context of a reformed Second Chamber,
and in particular, any new procedures for resolving conflict between
the two Houses; and
(b) the most appropriate and effective legal and
constitutional means to give effect to any new Parliamentary settlement;
and in all the foregoing considerations, to have
regard to—
(i) the Report of the Royal Commission on House
of Lords Reform (Cm 4534);
(ii) the White Paper The House of Lords—Completing
the Reform (Cm 5291), and the responses received thereto;
(iii) debates and votes in both Houses of Parliament
on House of Lords reform; and
(iv) the House of Commons Public Administration
Select Committee report The Second Chamber: Continuing the
Reform, including its consultation of the House of Commons,
and any other relevant select committee reports.
The twelve Lords members, appointed on 4 July 2002,
are:
Lord Archer of Sandwell
Viscount Bledisloe
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
Lord Carter
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean
Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen
Lord Goodhart
Lord Howe of Aberavon
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
Baroness O'Cathain
The Earl of Selborne
Lord Weatherill
The twelve Commons members, appointed on 19 June
2002, are:
Janet Anderson
Mr James Arbuthnot
Mr Chris Bryant
Mr Kenneth Clarke
Dr Jack Cunningham
Mr William Hague
Mr Stephen McCabe
Joyce Quin
Mr Terry Rooney
Mr Clive Soley
Mr Paul Stinchcombe
Mr Paul Tyler
At its first meeting, on 9 July 2002, the Committee
elected Dr Jack Cunningham as its Chairman.
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