HL Deb 13 December 2000 vol 620 cc365-6

3.7 p.m.

The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Jay of Paddington)

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

Moved, That, unless any Lord objects, leave be given to the Chairman of Committees to move the five Motions standing in his name en bloc.—(Baroness Jay of Paddington.)

Lord Renton

My Lords, while again not opposing the Motion moved by the noble Baroness, can she say why the Committee of Selection decided that she was to be the only Peeress on the Committee for Privileges? Would not the committee be greatly strengthened if, for example, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, my noble friend Lady Blatch, were also made a member of the committee?

Baroness Jay of Paddington

My Lords, as I said to the noble Lord yesterday when he made a similar point on another Motion that I moved, this is not a House in which gender quotas are ever adopted. I take his point. But he will realise that much of the discussion as to who is to serve on individual committees is for the usual channels and therefore for the parties concerned. It is also a question of rotation. As I understand it, there are no vacancies on these committees to be replaced by either noble Lords or indeed noble Baronesses.

On Question, Motion agreed to.