are we talking ‘a cup of tea’ or ‘high tea’, since the incentive for an answeree diminishes the further from London she gets.

Unless travel share is on offer…

Congratulations. Michael, stephenpaterson and Croft were the first three to respond, each identifying three current women peers who have served as Cabinet ministers in the Commons. Len, Jonathan, AJackson and Steph also receive commendations for contributing correct answers as well.

The answers, though, do throw up another fascinating question. I will post this as a supplementary question.

On specific points: stephenpaterson – I checked the link and I see what you mean! Croft – I don’t know if any peers do contribute answers, but a number certainly read the blog and find the quiz interesting. One (a holder of ministerial office) volunteered that he was an avid reader of the blog, adding ‘but I can’t answer the quiz questions’. I have tried to avoid obviously ‘in’ questions so as not to privilege those who work within the Palace. Jonathan – you are right in assuming that Margaret Thatcher counts both as PM and as Secretary of State for Education.

I’m not sure if Prime Minister counts as a “Cabinet minister” (‘though I don’t see why not) but Mrs Thatcher was Education Secretary before anyway.

I’ll admit, that was quite entertaining. And didn’t take as long as I expected…

My curiosity is definitely caught wondering which peers do the quiz.

…and the third one was a bit of a b***er! Which is how quizzes should be, of course.

Baroness (Margaret) Thatcher, former PM, Minister of Education under Edward Heath etc.

My favourite crossbencher, Baroness (Shirley) Williams of Crosby, with whom I had a most enjoyable train journey from Lincoln to Newark during the Winter of Discontent, whilst on strike as a local journalist. She was then Minister of Education and had come to Lincoln to support then Lincoln MP Margaret Beckett nee Jackson (then one of her junior ministers) in the then forthcoming 1979 General Election. She kindly agreed to be interviewed for our strike newspaper.

Margaret sadly lost Lincoln, but had the compensation of being proposed to the same night by her agent Leo, with whom she has been happily (I trust) married since. I had the misfortune to walk in half way through the proposal at Lincoln Labour HQ to bare the sad tidings of Shirley’s defeat at Stevenage (not my best moment!)

And the one that had me guessing. Nevertheless I diligently ploughed through a list to some up with Baroness (Virginia) Bottomley of Nettlestone, the former Health Minister.

And now, to adapt the late Spike Milligan, I claim my free fibreglass coffin and the chance to be buried with the Noble Baroness of my choice!

Oh, by the way, on my researches I came across
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/HofLBpmembership.pdf
which, as it stands, makes your Noble Lords and Ladyships look like something rather nasty’s happening to you half way through a Dr Who episode. Maybe a word in the right ear that a few more pixels on the front wouldn’t come amiss?