§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ensure that the political appointments to membership of the House of Lords reflect the proportion of votes cast for the main political parties at the previous general election; and, if not, what criteria are to be used in recommending such political appointments to the Sovereign. [HL5567]
§ Baroness AmosThe Government have proposed that representation of the political parties in the House of Lords should have regard to the outcome of the previous general election. The Government are presently consulting on whether this should relate only to votes cast or whether some regard should also be given to the number of seats won by each party. The period for consultation closes on 12 December. The Government will, of course, welcome representations from members of both Houses.