Draft House of Lords Reform Bill - Draft House of Lords Reform Bill Joint Committee Contents



Lord Luce

I am a supporter of the Campaign for an Effective Second Chamber and of their submission to the Joint Committee on the draft House of Lords Reform Bill.

I have only one additional point to make. The Coalition Government have made it clear that, in proposing a largely Elected Chamber, there is no intention on their part to change the current powers and responsibilities of the House of Lords as a Revising Chamber. However the Government has not demonstrated how an Elected Chamber would perform these responsibilities better than a reformed Appointed House. I should make it plain, as I did on Second Reading, that I am in favour of a substantially reformed Appointed House of which the Steel Bill incorporates some of the required provisions for reform.

May I ask the Joint Committee to give priority to a full analysis as to whether a reformed Appointed House or a substantially Elected House is best equipped to carry out the current powers and responsibilities of the House of Lords? I suggest that this is the salient aspect that needs assessing by the Committee before any other proposals in the draft Bill are examined.

14 October 2011


 
previous page contents next page


© Parliamentary copyright 2012
Prepared 23 April 2012