HC Deb 18 April 2000 vol 348 cc826-7
47. Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle)

What progress she has made in identifying candidates suitable for appointment as chairman of the Appointments Commission. [118173]

The Parliamentary Secretary, Privy Council Office (Mr. Paddy Tipping)

Although my right hon. Friend is not responsible for appointing the Appointments Commission, I understand that the appointments process is making good progress. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister hopes to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.

Mr. Prentice

So am I right in thinking that the Prime Minister appoints the chair of the Appointments Commission which, in turn, appoints Members to the upper Chamber? Is that not a bizarre state of affairs, and is not appointment very much second best to election? As we move towards the next general election, we need the Labour party and the Labour Government to nail their colours to the mast and to argue vigorously for a small, directly elected second Chamber rather than the ridiculous melange that we have been invited to accept at the moment.

Mr. Tipping

I do not think that my hon. Friend is right. He will have an opportunity to discuss those matters when we debate the Wakeham commission on, I believe, 4 May. The Appointments Commission will have seven members, three of whom will be appointed by the main political parties. The present Prime Minister is the first Prime Minister to lose—or reduce—his powers of patronage as a result of a decision by the Appointments Commission. [HON. MEMBERS: "Ah!"] Opposition Members may scoff, but the Conservative party remains the major, dominant party in the House of Lords.

Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet)

I associate myself entirely with the remarks of the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice), and draw the Parliamentary Secretary's attention to more modest appointments. When the commission or the Privy Council makes an appointment, will the person responsible for doing that be entirely dependent on the clerk of the Privy Council trawling the relevant Departments, or will he put in a mechanism encouraging other institutions and voluntary bodies to submit the names of those whom they believe suitable for appointment?

Mr. Tipping

The hon. Gentleman makes important points and I look forward to his contribution in the debate on the Wakeham report on 4 May. The Government intend that appointments should be made from a wider range and different groups of people. One of the Appointments Commission's tasks will be to ensure that a wider choice of names is available. The Government have made substantial progress on the number of people from the black and ethnic communities, as well as the number of women, who have been appointed.

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire)

How on earth can the Parliamentary Secretary say that the Prime Minister is self-effacing and abdicating when the right hon. Gentleman is the very fount and geyser of honours? When will the chairman of the Appointments Commission be appointed? The Prime Minister promised that the appointment would be made before Easter. Are we to take that to mean this week, before Orthodox Easter or next Easter? When will it happen?

Mr. Tipping

The hon. Gentleman should not bluster so much. I accept that he is recovering from ill health, but he should listen to my answer, which is that the appointment will be made very soon.

Mr. Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)

There is a difference between a commission that appoints cross-party or independent peers, and the new development that the Parliamentary Secretary appears to be introducing by saying that the commission should make political appointments. Does he intend that the Prime Minister should give the commission that power?

Mr. Tipping

I am sorry about that confusion. The Appointments Commission will look for, trawl and appoint Cross-Bench peers from many different groups. Party leaders will still submit their chosen names to the Appointments Commission, which will then make decisions about them.