Lord Bownessasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Statement by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 18 September 2003 (HL Deb, cols. 1057–60) on constitutional reform, how many elected hereditary Peers they intend should remain in the House of Lords; and by what mechanism they will be selected and nominated. [HL1472]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonThe Government strongly believe that the hereditary principle should no longer play a part in deciding who sits in the second chamber and set out their intention to bring forward legislation to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers from the House of Lords in their consultation paperConstitutional reform: next steps for the House of Lords. I made clear in my Statement on 18 September that the Government would like to see the House of Lords benefit from the contribution of at least some of the existing hereditary Peers "should they be nominated as life Peers in the future" [col. 1058].