HL Deb 22 November 1971 vol 325 cc817-9

2.58 p.m.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)

My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.

Moved, That a Select Committee be appointed to select and propose to the House file names of the five Lords to form a Select Committee for the consideration of each opposed Private Bill; and that the Lords following, with the Lord Chancellor and the Chairman of Committees, be named of the Committee:

That the Committee have leave to report from time to time.—(The Earl of Listowel.)

LORD HOY

My Lords, I should like to ask the noble Earl a question. Can he tell me who selected the Select Committee to appoint the Select Committees? According to the Report on Procedure—I do not want to anticipate to-morrow's debate—the greatly increased attendance in this House is attributable to Life Peers. Looking at this particular Committee of ten, I see that there are nine hereditary Peers and one Life Peer. I should like to know whether this regarded as a fair balance. I should also like to know—and I am sure it would interest many Members of your Lordships' House—how this Committee came to be selected.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, this Committee, like other Committees of the House, is appointed by the House, and the names of the Members of the House who are proposed are always submitted to the House for the House to approve. May I suggest to the noble Lord that his comments on the composition of Committees of this House would be welcome to me and to many other noble Lords if he would care to make them during the debate to-morrow.

LORD HOY

My Lords, I do not want to take the point any further, but the Report at least suggests that the considerable new life that has come to this House is a result of the appointment of Life Peers. If these Life Peers have made this contribution, I find it difficult to understand why they have only one-tenth of the representation on this particular Committee.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, may I ask further why it is that this Committee has a monopoly of one sex?

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords. I can only say that I hope very much that in the course of the debate to-morrow afternoon the noble Baroness will amplify the comment she has just made. That will give an opportunity to any noble Lords and Ladies who wish to speak to express their views about the composition of the Commttiees of the House.

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords. may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that, looking at this list, someone appears to have been unfair to the hereditary Peers? At least they are Peers by succession. May I suggest to him, since I know from my experience that the work which this Committee does is onerous and unsung, that my noble friend Lord Hoy is clearly a candidate to participate in its work?

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords. I will certainly look very carefully into all that the noble Lord, speaking for the Opposition, has just said.

LORD SHINWELL

My Lords, is not the answer this, that the disproportion as between the hereditary Peers and Life Peers is based completely on ability?

BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY My Lords, without questioning the difference between hereditary and Life Peers. to some of us here how these names are put forward is a mystery. We should rather like to know what the procedure is and how the selection is eventu

My Lords, in answer to the noble Baroness may I say that so far as possible the Committees of the House represent a cross-section of the opinions of the whole of the House. It is not easy to get a precise representation of every point of view, but I try to the best of my ability to collect the views of the Parties and of the independent Members of your Lordships' House in order to try and select for the approval of the House a Committee which will at any rate be a cross-section of the views of the majority of the Members of this House.

LORD ROBBINS

My Lords, would the noble Earl not agree that it is perhaps unfortunate that the surgeon's knife which accomplishes this cross-section seems almost always to omit the female sex?

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

Hear, hear!

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, I will certainly note very carefully what the noble Lord has said.

On Question, Motion agreed to.