HC Deb 10 May 1976 vol 911 cc27-8
32. Mr. Skinner

asked the Lord President of the Council what proposals he has to streamline the functions of Parliament.

33. Mr. Adley

asked the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to reform procedures within the House of Commons

34. Mr. Whitehead

asked the Lord President of the Council what proposals he has for the reform of parliamentary procedures.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Michael Foot)

I hope to be able to table a motion shortly to appoint a further Select Committee with wide terms of reference.

Mr. Skinner

Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the road blocks placed in the path of this Government has been the undemocratic House of Lords? Does he deplore the practice of dispensing life peerages, as exemplified by my right hon. Friend the previous Prime Minister—240 in all—and being able to get only 100 to vote Labour in the other place? Will my right hon. Friend, in line with his well-ventilated views of 1968 and 1969, introduce a measure abolishing the House of Lords once and for all?

Mr. Foot

A few years ago in the House I commented extensively on the question of the House of Lords. I do not think that I could repeat all those comments at the Dispatch Box now. I doubt whether such proposals would fall within the terms of reference of this Select Committee. They are matters for wider debate in the country.

Mr. Adley

As the present Government's legislation owes more to quantity than quality, will the right hon. Gentleman consider recommending an early General Election or giving the House of Commons a sabbatical year, with hon. Members making their contribution to reducing the public sector borrowing requirement by forgoing their salaries during that year?

Mr. Foot

I am not quite sure whether any particle of that question has anything to do with the original Question, but I am sure that hon. Members have a whole series of legislative matters that they want to see proceeding through the House. We want to find out whether the whole matter can be organised better than at present. That question should be examined properly by a Select Committee.

Mr. Whitehead

Does my right hon. Friend agree that many hon. Members could be valuably employed by being a check on the Executive among other things? Will he consider an extension of the Select Committee procedures? Does he agree that there is no excuse for delay in setting up the Select Committee on the reform of our procedures, so that these matters may be deliberated? Is he aware of the intense frustration felt by Back Benchers on the Government side because it has been delayed?

Mr. Foot

I fully understand the frustration of my hon. Friend and several others of my hon. Friends at the delay. I trust that a motion will be put on the Order Paper very speedily to deal with the matter. I am not prejudging whether the establishment of more Select Committees is the way to deal with the problems of the House. The matter must be all looked at afresh.

Mr. Michael McGuire

Will my right hon. Friend include in the wide terms of reference that he is to give the Select Committee the necessity to examine Question Time, with a view to giving Members from the North-West, in particular, their own Question Time?

Mr. Foot

Certainly. That would not be excluded, although it might be a better subject for the ordinary sessional Select Committee on Procedure. I am sure that one or other of these Committee will be able to look at the matter.