HL Deb 29 July 1958 vol 211 c384
VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask the Leader of the House how many Peers failed to reply to his letter of June 23 and have in consequence been granted leave of absence, and how many Peers have to the present date neglected to take the Oath.]

THE EARL OF HOME

My Lords, if the noble Viscount will allow me, I will give the complete picture. The number of applications for leave of absence for the remainder of this Parliament is 133. The number of applications for leave of absence for the next Session is 62. Eighty-six Peers stated that they did not wish to ask for leave, and three Peers have answered but have not yet finally stated their wishes. The answers to the noble Viscount's particular questions are that 47 Peers failed to reply to the Lord Chancellor's letter, out of a total of 331 to whom the letter was sent, and the number of Peers who have not taken the Oath in this Parliament is 228.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, has leave of absence been granted to the Peers who have not taken the Oath.

THE EARL OF HOME

My Lords, it will be, but I am not sure that it has yet gone out.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, it is rather difficult to send an unsolicited paper giving leave of absence to a Peer who has not qualified to sit.

THE EARL OF HOME

My Lords, I think the answer to that is that the Peer can qualify himself at any moment.