HC Deb 23 May 1977 vol 932 cc1012-3
49. Mr. Skinner

asked the Lord President of the Council what further steps he is taking to reform the legislature at Westminster.

Mr. Foot

The Select Committee on Procedure is currently engaged on a major study of the procedures of this House. As regards the other place, the Government will continue to keep the position under review.

Mr. Skinner

Is my right hon. Friend aware that people outside are amazed by the fact that Parliament always wants to change things outside but never wants to change things inside? This has been witnessed by local government reform, health service reorganisation, the reorganisation of the water boards, and a thousand and one other things. Why does the Lord President not look at some of his past speeches and introduce a measure to get rid of patronage? If he did so, we would not have things like the Peter Jay affair. We could also get rid of the honours system, which is another sleazy business, and the House of Lords. This would renew the faith of a lot of people who vote Labour at the elections.

Mr. Foot

I do believe that there should be some changes in the way in which this House conducts its procedures. Also, I think there should be some changes in another place, although I would not exactly specify them here and now. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why not?"] I gave evidence to the Select Committee that is examining these matters. I hope that my hon. Friend will study carefully the suggestions that I made on all these questions, because they embrace most of the matters that he has raised.

Mr. Ronald Bell

Coming back to the more practical matters, will the Lord President consider raising with the Select Committee the possibility of rationing the number of Questions that are orally answered per Member per Session? This would mean that those who did receive Oral Answers would raise more topical issues than is the case at present.

Mr. Foot

Any question of rearranging Questions could go to the Sessional Committee. If the hon. and learned Member wishes to submit suggestions to the General Procedure Committee, these will be taken into account.

Mr. Lipton

As a gesture of parliamentary independence on the part of the House of Commons will my right hon. Friend, in the Jubilee celebrations, bring back the Cromwell statue to its original place, and possibly include a few apt quotations from the speeches at the battle of Dunbar?

Mr. Foot

I agree that it would be a good idea to have the statue back in its place for this occasion. I should like to see a statue of John Lilburne next to it, so that we had a proper representation of the Commonwealth period.