HC Deb 18 May 1922 vol 154 cc544-5
35. Captain BENN

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he can give the House any official information about the progress of the movement for the reform of the House of Lords?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

No, Sir. There are no official statistics on the subject.

Captain BENN

Can the right hon. Gentleman give the House any information about the powers of which it is proposed to deprive them by these Resolutions?

Dr. MURRAY

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the progress of this movement is backward or forward?

Mr. HOGGE

When the Foreign Secretary has recovered his health will these Resolutions be introduced into the House of Lords, or, in view of the fact that the Foreign Secretary is apparently still seriously ill, will the Government take any other steps to table the Resolutions, so that we can know exactly what the form will be?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

That is a very natural question to ask, and the hon. Gentleman will feel that it is equally natural that the Government should have desired that this question should have been introduced into the House of Lords by the, Leader of that House. I hope that my Noble Friend will be sufficiently restored to health to take up his duties again in that House before long; but I agree that even his absence cannot be allowed to defer indefinitely the progress of this matter.

Captain BENN

Can the right hon. Gentleman renew his pledge that these proposals will be carried into law before this Parliament is dissolved?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I am always anxious to gratify my hon. and gallant Friend, but perhaps I had better not on this occasion.