§ Lord EltonMy Lords, I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 6th March be approved.—(Lord Elton.)
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, 1 do not want to extend this debate, but I want to say just two things. First, I do not regard putting a case for local community ties and putting a case for not interfering with local government boundaries as nibbling away at small points. I think they are quite important points, which I want to be looked at for the future. I am certain that the noble Baroness was not accusing me of being a hypocrite. I am certain that in her own charming way she was saying that my policies reflected that.
I am prepared to debate proportional representation any time, any place, on the right occasion. I have done so before, and I shall do so again—at the right time. I have criticised forms of PR as not being proportional representation. I do not regard STV as being proportional representation—it is a different system of elections—and I am prepared to debate that at any time, but not here tonight.
Furthermore, I recall that we had a Select Committee which dealt with the question of uniform procedure for these elections. We debated that in this Chamber, and I spoke on it. I am not criticising my colleagues in the Alliance for putting their point of view tonight. It is a good propaganda exercise for them. But I think that I have the right to put the two points that I have made on the record.