§ 31. Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the progress of arrangements to mark the tercentenary of the Bill of Rights.
§ The Leader President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Wakeham)Arrangements for Parliament's celebration of this tercentenary have been approved by the Lord Chancellor and Mr. Speaker on the advice of a Committee of Members of both Houses. I understand that the main components of the celebrations will be the presentation of Addresses to Her Majesty the Queen in Westminster Hall on the morning of Wednesday 20 July, and an exhibition in the Banqueting house in Whitehall, to be opened on Wednesday 29 June by Lord Hailsham. Her Majesty will also visit the exhibition on 20 July. There will be associated publications, including material for schools. It is hoped that many Members and their spouses will be able to attend the ceremony in Westminster Hall and the exhibition.
§ Mr. AllenAs the Bill of Rights was designed to protect the individual against the oppressive power of the state, would not the best form of celebration be to have another one?
§ Mr. WakehamWe believe that such a radical constitutional change could proceed only on the basis of agreement between the parties. There is no evidence of substantial support for the idea on either side of the House and I think that a review would be premature and unnecessary. A written constitution would have to be entrenched, which would weaken the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. If legislation conflicted with it, the constitution would have to be interpreted by some kind of supreme or constitutional court, which would push judges into the political arena and might endanger their justified reputation for impartiality.