§ VISCOUNT SAMUELMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government a question of which I have given them private Notice—namely whether they are prepared to summon a conference of representatives of the three Parties in this House with a view to considering the question of the constitution of the House of Lords.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOINT ADDISON)My Lords, the Government have given careful consideration to the suggestion made in the noble Viscount's question. As the Prime Minister stated in another place, the Government "will be ready to look at any proposal for the reform of the Second Chamber," but they feel that this consideration should not delay or jeopardize the progress of the Bill dealing with the powers of the House of Lords that is now before Parliament. The Government, therefore, do not feel that it is appropriate at the present time to convene the formal conference suggested by the noble Viscount.
§ VISCOUNT SAMUELMy Lords, my question had no relation to the present Bill, which must be judged upon its merits or demerits, but I am disappointed to hear that the Government do not think that the time is suitable for some investigation of the problem of the composition of this House. The question was put down because I believe that among all sections in this House there is a desire for a reform in the constitution, and I was assuming that the Government would take the initiative in summoning a conference of all sections in order that the ground might be explored in the hope 703 that some measure of agreement might be discovered—which is not impossible—that would avoid what otherwise would, perhaps, be a prolonged and bitter controversy. Of course, if such a conference were summoned consisting of representatives of both Houses of Parliament, its value would be greatly increased.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I would like to re-echo what has been said toy the noble Viscount the Leader of the Liberal Party. I must say that all of us on this side of the House will deeply regret the answer which has been given by the Leader of the House. It will, I believe, create a deplorable effect in the country that the Government should refuse even to consider the reform of the composition of this House, a House which they themselves say is at present an unrepresentative body. I think it is an utterly illogical position. I think that the answer that has been given only reacts on the heads of the Government themselves.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONI hope that the noble Lord will not misunderstand my answer. We do not refuse to consider any proposition. We say we are ready to look at proposals, but some of the considerations mentioned by the noble Viscount were discussed with great care by us in framing this answer, and I would ask noble Lords to look at it more carefully and perhaps bring it up again on another occasion.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYIf I may say so, it is really not a case of the Opposition Parties proposing certain plans and then submitting them to the Government, it is a question of the collective wisdom of the House being pooled with a view to getting an agreement satisfactory to all concerned, and I do not think that the Prime Minister's suggestion had any bearing whatever in that connexion.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONI do not think that the happy event which the noble Marquess refers to is in any way prejudiced by this reply.