HL Deb 14 November 2002 vol 641 cc28-9

11.13 a.m.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

My Lords. I beg to move the Motion on the Order Paper standing in the name of my noble and learned friend the Leader of the House.

Moved, That it is expedient that a Joint Committee of Lords and Commons be appointed—

(1) to consider issues relating to House of Lords reform, including the composition and powers of the second Chamber and its role and authority within the context of Parliament as a whole, having regard in particular to the impact which any proposed changes would have on the existing pre-eminence of the House of Commons, such consideration to include the implications of a House composed of more than one "category" of Member and the experience and expertise which the House of Lords in its present form brings to its function as the revising Chamber; and

(2) having regard to paragraph (1) above, to report on options for the composition and powers of the House of Lords and to define and present to both Houses options for composition, including a fully nominated and fully elected House, and intermediate options; and to consider and report on—

  1. (a) any changes to the relationship between the two Houses which may be necessary to ensure the proper functioning of Parliament as a whole in the context of a reformed second Chamber and, in particular, any new procedures for resolving conflict between the two Houses; and
  2. (b) the most appropriate and effective legal and constitutional means to give effect to any new parliamentary settlement; and, in all the foregoing considerations, to have regard to—
    1. (i) the report of the Royal Commission on House of Lords Reform (Cm 4534);
    2. (ii) the White Paper, The House of Lords—Completing the Reform (Cm 5291), and the responses received thereto;
    3. (iii) debates and votes in both Houses of Parliament on House of Lords reform; and
    4. (iv) the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee report, The Second Chamber: Continuing the Reform, including its consultation of the House of Commons, and any other relevant Select Committee reports.—(Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean.)

Lord Wigoder

My Lords, perhaps I may ask the noble Baroness for her undertaking that the items set out in paragraphs (i) to (iv), to which the committee shall have regard, are not intended to be an exclusive list and that the committee can have regard to any other matters that it considers appropriate.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Yes, my Lords. I believe that it is a continuation of what we did in the previous Session but it is not an exclusive list.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

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