There are a number of events on the horizon which together will re-ignite the debate about the future of the House of Lords. The Bill on Alternative Voting Systems and Constitutional Reform. Our new expenses. The expected influx of new Peers and the forthcoming report on Peers’ retirement. Only later will we have the proposals for an…
Lord Knight has raised the issue of poor or inadequate ministerial responses. This is not a problem confined to the Lords (see my earlier post on last week’s debate in the Commons on reducing the number of ministers) or to this Parliament. It is an enduring issue. The problem in large part is because ministers enter…
As a member of this committee I occasionally get asked about its role. It is very difficult to explain it in a short and simple way. So after some thought I am posting the links below for those who wish to know more but the following short extracts might help people understand its importance and its role.…
The last line in the Hansard for yesterday in the Lords reads: House adjourned at 11.43 pm We had a late one because 46 Lords wanted to speak in a debate on the Comprehensive Spending Review that started at 3.39pm. We had a lots to say and I was lucky to be number 11 rather…
Over the years, the House of Lords has become more specialised through the use of committees. It now utilises a number of sessional (in effect, permanent) investigative select committees. The members, including the chairs, are appointed by the House. The three peers who are pictured each chair a select committee. This week’s quiz is to…
I don’t think I will be the only person who would like to express admiration for Linda Norgrove and her parents John and Lorna. Linda Norgrove’s untimely death in Afghanistan needs no elaboration but her parents dignified response and the absence of any desire to try and blame the US forces attempting to rescue her deserves…
In an earlier post, Lord Tyler referred to the Deputy PM indicating his sympathy for the proposal for reducing the number of ministers in the event of the reduction in the number of MPs. This sympathy did not translate into Government action. On Monday, Charles Walker, the Conservative MP for Broxbourne, moved a new clause…
A running theme through conversations with my peers this week has been about the working practices of the Lords. Partly this came out of discussions with new peers on Monday, but Lord Goodlad’s working group on the subject has now asked for submissions and Lord Adonis has a challenging article in this week’s House Magazine.…
As Western governments try to extricate themselves from costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and UN peacekeepers face global condemnation for failing to avert mass rapes in the Congo, the question of how to resolve conflicts overseas is increasingly urgent. This is being addressed at the highest levels. Foreign Secretary William Hague, speaking last month…
