§ 3.5 p.m.
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the fact that this House has twice resolved in favour of the admission of Peeresses in their own right, they will now introduce legislation to give effect to these Resolutions.]
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)No, my Lords, the enlargement of this House by this particular extension of the hereditary element would not, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, be desirable or practical, now or in the immediate or foreseeable future.
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, I am mildly obliged to my noble friend for his reply. Could he perhaps help me, and those who agree with me, in one respect? Could he give any indication of how often this House has to pass a Resolution concerning its own composition before Her Majesty's Government are prepared to take any notice of it?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I am mildly pleased by my noble friend's supplementary question. We have always sought in these matters—although, of course, it is not necessary—to mobilise the maximum agreement, and this is a matter on which there is 770 clearly no agreement. As I have said, I do not think that either now or in the immediate or foreseeable future Her Majesty's Government would feel disposed to act, although, of course, we acknowledge that the House has passed two Resolutions with comparatively narrow majorities.
§ THE EARL OF SWINTONMy Lords, may I ask the Leader of the House this question? Would it not be competent for any Peeress in her own right to petition the Committee for Privileges to decide whether or not she has the right to sit, bearing in mind that two Committees have sat, one of which reported one way and the other of which reported the other way? Is it not quite open to any Peeress in her own right to make her application now to the Committee for Privileges?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, off the cuff, I would have said that it is open to any Peeress to do so. If I have to give a considered answer to that question, I should like to have it on the Paper, but I should have thought the position was as my noble friend has described it.