Peerage Act 1963

HC Deb 14 October 1996 vol 282 cc458-9

26. Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what responsibility he has for overseeing the provisions of the Peerage Act 1963. [37952]

Mr. Streeter

I have no such responsibilities. The Lord Chancellor has personal responsibility for supervising the working of the Act, which is exercised not through the Lord Chancellor's Department but through the office of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery.

Mr. Mackinlay

Why will not the Government agree with the Opposition's modest proposition to modernise Parliament by ending the hereditary right to sit and vote in the House of Lords? Does not the Minister understand that it is absurd for a seat in Parliament to be decided, as in the case of the late Lord Moynihan, by whether and when a person made love to someone in the far east? Did the Minister notice that, on 28 and 29 August, Conservative peer Lord Noel-Buxton said that he went to the House of Lords for free meals, heating and lighting? If we switched the lights off in the other place in December, half of the peers would not be facing the Lord Chancellor but St. Peter. It is time for reform.

Mr. Streeter

I am proud to be British and proud of our history, constitution and heritage, but here we have another Labour Member who wants to tear all that up. The issues raised by the hon. Gentleman have nothing to do with my Department. I can only speculate that the hon. Gentleman's sudden interest in life peerages flows from his anxiety about his prospects in Thurrock at the next election.

Dr. Spink

Does my hon. Friend agree that the other place works well and with great integrity? Does he also accept that, at times, the other place has given even his Department some difficulties in reviewing legislation? Does he agree that tinkering with the other place would damage it, as tinkering with the rest of our constitution would damage it?

Mr. Streeter

My hon. Friend makes a valuable point. I believe in the maxim, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The truth is that our constitution works well and is the envy of the world.