HL Deb 30 April 1969 vol 301 cc843-4

2.40 p.m.

LORD RATHCAVAN

My 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 decision not to proceed with the Parliament (No. 2) Bill, they will introduce without delay a Bill to abolish the disqualification of Peers from voting at elections for Members of the House of Commons.]

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, the Government's position remains as indicated in their White Paper on House of Lords Reform (Cmnd. 3799, November, 1968), that it would not, in the context of a reformed House of Lords, be any longer appropriate to maintain a Peer's disqualification from voting in Parliamentary elections, whether or not he is entitled to sit in the House of Lords. But the Government have no plans for singling out for legislative action this particular aspect of their proposals for House of Lords reform as a whole.

LORD RATHCAVAN

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord the Leader of the House for that not very helpful reply, may I ask whether it is not an extraordinary thing that this reform of the franchise, which in my opinion has noth- ing to do with reform of the House of Lords, to which the Government have committed themselves and which, as it would apply to all Peers, including hereditary Peers, is very desirable, should be shelved?

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, I think that we shall just have to wait on events.