House of Lords: Reform - Question

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 3:07 pm on 1 May 2024.

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Photo of Lord Beith Lord Beith Deputy Chairman of Committees, Deputy Speaker (Lords) 3:07, 1 May 2024

I thank the Minister for paying tribute to our dear colleague, Andrew Stunell, whom we have lost.

Given that the Government have no time left in this Parliament for fundamental reform—I agree on that—why have they continued to appoint Peers at a rate that clearly prejudices any claim the House has to be generally representative? There have been 74 new Peers. Is the Government’s intention to maintain a situation in which they can always dismiss the views represented by the House of Lords when it is arguing with the Commons, on the grounds that we are not sufficiently democratically representative?