Both Houses rise for the summer recess on 21 July. We are going to be very busy over the next couple of weeks. Take next week: on Monday, we have the Policing and Crime Bill (its third day in committee); on Tuesday, the Coroners and Justice Bill (its fifth day in committee); on Wednesday, the Second Reading…
Pictures of Parliament are normally confined to the Palace of Westminster. However, the parliamentary estate stretches well beyond the Palace to the north and to the south-west. Just as the Palace shapes behaviour, so too does the way the estate is configured. The building of Portcullis House – modern, with a floor of dedicated committee rooms…
In Question Time on Thursday, there was a question about taking steps to ensure that people over 60 are able to access the Internet. Towards the end, there was an interesting exchange: “Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate: My Lords, is my noble friend aware that, as a person over 60, I am continually bombarded with spam…
This weekend’s quiz questions: 1. The chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed by enemy bombing on 10 May 1941. Until the chamber was rebuilt, the Commons sat in the chamber of the House of Lords. Where did the House of Lords sit? 2. Who was the last Leader of the House of Lords…
Yesterday, The Sunday Times carried an article by Jack Straw (‘Out with the Lords, in with the Senate’) explaining why he now supports an elected second chamber. Most of the article is taken up discussing the cross-party group he convened to discuss reform. Only in the last third does he offer arguments for an elected second chamber. His…
