§ 2.40 p.m.
§ Viscount HANWORTHMy 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 they agree that only the adoption of proportional representation will 359 make politicians put the national interest first and Party interest second, and thus avoid constant changes by both Parties on issues such as wage restraint.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Harris of Greenwich)My Lords, no. I do not think that the pursuit of the national interest depends on the adoption of any particular electoral system.
§ Viscount HANWORTHMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask whether, in fact, he saw the Liberal Party broadcast; and, if he did so, does he not think that there were strong and cogent arguments for the substance of the Question that I have raised?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, I regret to say that I did not see the last Liberal Party broadcast.
§ Lord LEATHERLANDMy Lords, has my noble friend considered how many seats that proportional representation would give to the National Front in the House of Commons?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, that is no doubt an issue which can be discussed when this House addresses itself to this particular issue, as it does, if 1 may say so, with considerable frequency.
§ Lord BYERSMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that that last remark is totally incorrect and it has been proved to be so? Any proportional representation system which has a threshold of 5 per cent. or more makes it quite impossible—as it has in West Germany—for a neo-Nazi Party to rise in any country.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, this rather strengthens my feeling that this issue can be discussed more appropriately on a substantive Motion rather than at Question Time.
§ Lord SEGALMy Lords, can my noble friend say whether the national interest would be served by the introduction of a second ballot to enable an enlightened electorate either to confirm or to correct its decision on the first ballot?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, without, I hope, repeating myself, I think that issues of this sort are matters for debate rather than Question Time.