HC Deb 18 November 1998 vol 319 cc922-3
2. Dr. Tony Wright (Cannock Chase)

If he will make a statement on the responsibilities of the Cabinet Office in respect of the Government's policies for constitutional reform. [58912]

The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Dr. Jack Cunningham)

The Cabinet Office is responsible for ensuring the effective co-ordination and implementation of the Government's wide-ranging programme of constitutional reform. The Cabinet Office also has policy responsibility for advising Ministers on implementing the Government's proposals for reform of the House of Lords.

Dr. Wright

I am grateful for that answer. The Government are to be congratulated on their bold and ambitious programme of constitutional reform, soon happily to include the House of Lords, but is there not a difficulty, in that we have a big programme–11 Bills this year—but responsibility for it is spread among no fewer than eight Departments? Is it not time to make the Cabinet Office the Department of the constitution, driving the programme forward and making my right hon. Friend even more powerful than he is already?

Dr. Cunningham

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind remarks about the Government's fundamentally important constitutional reform programme, most of which, as he rightly said, has been delivered. The question whether to make the Cabinet Office and my role more powerful is not one on which I wish to comment, except to say that I believe we already have sufficient power and responsibility in the Cabinet Office to co-ordinate a process that, of necessity—given devolution to Scotland and Wales and changes to the European Parliament—involves a significant number of Departments of State.

Mr. Paul Tyler (North Cornwall)

Can the Minister confirm that the Bill to introduce a fairer system of voting for elections to the European Parliament is an integral and essential part of the Government's constitutional reform programme? Can he comment on the fact that the unelected seem to be prepared, at a late stage and after having taken no interest in the Bill during its Committee stage, to wreck the will of the elected?

Dr. Cunningham

Yes, I can confirm both those points. It is the Government's intention to press ahead with our legislation in this area. As the hon. Gentleman said, it was clear that only a majority of hereditary peers prevented the will of the elected Chamber from prevailing in this matter. If Opposition Members want to assert the authority of the hereditary peerage over elected Members of the House of Commons, that is a battle that the Government are only too willing to fight.

Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle)

The remit of the Cabinet Joint Consultative Committee, on which Liberal Democrat Members sit, is to be expanded to encompass welfare reform, Europe, health and education. Liberal Democrat Members are to receive classified documents that are not available to all Government Members. Do Liberal Democrats have to sign the Official Secrets Act? What penalty will apply if any of the Liberal Democrats leak that confidential information?

Dr. Cunningham

Perhaps I can reassure my hon. Friend, in that what he said is not altogether accurate. There are simply to be discussions between the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) and myself about the success of the co-operation between the Liberal Democrats and the Government in driving forward the shared constitutional agenda, to reflect on how the Joint Consultative Committee has operated in the past and to see whether it is possible to widen and/or deepen the process. Those decisions have not yet been taken. We have simply started the process, and one meeting has taken place.

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire)

In view of the right hon. Gentleman's overall responsibility for House of Lords reform—he has just told us about that—will he give an assurance to the House that every stage of any Bill on that subject will be taken on the Floor of the House?

Dr. Cunningham

As I have said, the Cabinet Office has policy responsibility for advising Ministers on taking forward the matter. I did not claim to have overall responsibility for the subject. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, the issue raised in his question is not a matter for me.