Comments on: The Lords Resume – and reforms http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/ Life and Work in the House of Lords Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:26:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Nick http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5876 Nick Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:29:33 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5876 Well, 2,500 amendments are made in a year. Total cost of the lord 107 million. 720 lords. That means on average you make 3 1/2 amendments a year, each. That's not particularly productive is it? What about cost per amendment? 43,000 pounds per amendment. So the obvious question. What are the figures for other second houses? What about your failure rates? ie. What legislation have you not amended, that has been a disaster? Nick Well, 2,500 amendments are made in a year. Total cost of the lord 107 million. 720 lords.

That means on average you make 3 1/2 amendments a year, each. That’s not particularly productive is it?

What about cost per amendment?

43,000 pounds per amendment.

So the obvious question. What are the figures for other second houses?

What about your failure rates? ie. What legislation have you not amended, that has been a disaster?

Nick

]]> By: Clive Soley http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5875 Clive Soley Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:20:39 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5875 How about calling it 'Lordy Lordy'? I had my own blog from about 2003 but on moving to the Lords decided a group blog might work better. We are still the only group blog of any legislature in the world! How about calling it ‘Lordy Lordy’?

I had my own blog from about 2003 but on moving to the Lords decided a group blog might work better. We are still the only group blog of any legislature in the world!

]]> By: Clive Soley http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5874 Clive Soley Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:12:51 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5874 The Lords is one of the cheapest if not the cheapest second chamber in the western world - and good value for money as long as you think detailed examination of legislation is important. The Lords is one of the cheapest if not the cheapest second chamber in the western world – and good value for money as long as you think detailed examination of legislation is important.

]]> By: Nick http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5873 Nick Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:26:08 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5873 I notice two complaints on the PCC site from you. One related to a complaint about Labour being racist. How does that square up with Gordon Brown's comments about British Jobs for British Workers. Doesn't that discrimate against foreigners who are allowed to work here who aren't British and consist mainly of people of a different race? Nick I notice two complaints on the PCC site from you.

One related to a complaint about Labour being racist.

How does that square up with Gordon Brown’s comments about British Jobs for British Workers. Doesn’t that discrimate against foreigners who are allowed to work here who aren’t British and consist mainly of people of a different race?

Nick

]]> By: Croft http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5872 Croft Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:25:28 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5872 I'm sure you're right that image does matter but it seems to concentrate entirely disproportionate time and attention to those 'unsexy' reforms that would actually make the house and the legislative process run better. I can't see much (save the expulsion of peers for wrongdoing) that were any more or less compelling 6 months ago nor will be in 6 months time. In effect we seem to be doing much of this now because the government has nothing better too do and is rather desperate to been seen to be doing something. Not generally, I feel, a good atmosphere to produce legislation. Obviously my remarks applied only to some life peers and I wouldn't want to attack some of the gems in the Lords who really would have to be invented if they didn't exist. As to improved Hansard linkage and theyworkforyou's 'free our bills' campaign there has been outside support and submissions to Lord Renton's Information Committee. As with Lord Soley's remarks such outside suggestions only get the process so far and Lords' themselves can really do much to lean on the right people :-) I’m sure you’re right that image does matter but it seems to concentrate entirely disproportionate time and attention to those ‘unsexy’ reforms that would actually make the house and the legislative process run better.

I can’t see much (save the expulsion of peers for wrongdoing) that were any more or less compelling 6 months ago nor will be in 6 months time. In effect we seem to be doing much of this now because the government has nothing better too do and is rather desperate to been seen to be doing something. Not generally, I feel, a good atmosphere to produce legislation.

Obviously my remarks applied only to some life peers and I wouldn’t want to attack some of the gems in the Lords who really would have to be invented if they didn’t exist.

As to improved Hansard linkage and theyworkforyou’s ‘free our bills’ campaign there has been outside support and submissions to Lord Renton’s Information Committee. As with Lord Soley’s remarks such outside suggestions only get the process so far and Lords’ themselves can really do much to lean on the right people :-)

]]> By: baronessmurphy http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5871 baronessmurphy Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:05:12 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5871 Croft, How we appear in the media is I suspect more important than people realise in maintaining a notion of the House as a rather grand bunch of fuddy-duddies, although of course what we do or don't do is of course more important. Again you are right that many appointed life peers wouldn't voluntarily wish to leave the Lords in favour of an elected house. But we don't all feel like that. I would like to see an elected element introduced to see what impact that had on the business of the house, since it undoubtedly would change the processes, with a longer term view of making it a fully elected chamber. But because I would like radical reform introduced in an orderly fashion, that does not mean that we shouldn't put right what needs improvement now. We shouldn't let the best be the enemy of the better. I would stand down to make way for elected peers and I know many of my colleagues would too. I don't use printed Hansard either but I wish the web version was more readily searchable. Croft, How we appear in the media is I suspect more important than people realise in maintaining a notion of the House as a rather grand bunch of fuddy-duddies, although of course what we do or don’t do is of course more important. Again you are right that many appointed life peers wouldn’t voluntarily wish to leave the Lords in favour of an elected house. But we don’t all feel like that. I would like to see an elected element introduced to see what impact that had on the business of the house, since it undoubtedly would change the processes, with a longer term view of making it a fully elected chamber. But because I would like radical reform introduced in an orderly fashion, that does not mean that we shouldn’t put right what needs improvement now. We shouldn’t let the best be the enemy of the better. I would stand down to make way for elected peers and I know many of my colleagues would too.

I don’t use printed Hansard either but I wish the web version was more readily searchable.

]]> By: Bedd Gelert http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5870 Bedd Gelert Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:56:02 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5870 "I also hope we produce a version of Hansard in edited form soon. With good editing and with pictures it might sell in the shops and provide people with an alternative to the gossipy and trivial news coverage of Parliament in some of the newspapers." HILARIOUS !! What would such a magazine be called ? 'Heat-sard' ?? ClosErmine ?? Lord Soley, I think it is time for you to try a spin-off from Lords of the Blog, or an adjunct to it, to compete with Messrs Dale & Fawkes.. “I also hope we produce a version of Hansard in edited form soon. With good editing and with pictures it might sell in the shops and provide people with an alternative to the gossipy and trivial news coverage of Parliament in some of the newspapers.”

HILARIOUS !! What would such a magazine be called ? ‘Heat-sard’ ?? ClosErmine ??

Lord Soley, I think it is time for you to try a spin-off from Lords of the Blog, or an adjunct to it, to compete with Messrs Dale & Fawkes..

]]> By: Clive Soley http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5869 Clive Soley Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:23 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5869 Cheer up! And I have an interesting complaint before the Press Complaints Commission at the moment so watch this space! Cheer up! And I have an interesting complaint before the Press Complaints Commission at the moment so watch this space!

]]> By: Clive Soley http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5868 Clive Soley Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:57:50 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5868 You're right - as Baroness Young reminded me in an email yesterday. I don't know why I got it wrong - I think I just fancied coming in wearing a sari! You’re right – as Baroness Young reminded me in an email yesterday. I don’t know why I got it wrong – I think I just fancied coming in wearing a sari!

]]> By: Clive Soley http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/10/11/the-lords-resume-and-reforms/comment-page-1/#comment-5867 Clive Soley Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:55:58 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.net/?p=3620#comment-5867 That's an interesting point. You could send the suggestion to Hansard who are looking at new ways of communicating Parliament to the public. That’s an interesting point. You could send the suggestion to Hansard who are looking at new ways of communicating Parliament to the public.

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