Lords reforms proposed

Updated 17.41 Mon Jul 14 2008
Keywords: reform, Hous of Lords, Jack Straw

The Government has shelved plans to reform the House of Lords until after the next General Election.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said ministers backed proposals to make the second chamber 100 per cent or 80 per cent elected.

"The White Paper represents a significant step on the road to reform and is intended to generate further debate and consideration rather than being a final blueprint for reform" - Jack Straw

Mr Straw published a White Paper on the reforms but insisted it had never been the Government's intention to legislate on the issue in this Parliament.

Instead the proposals will be put to voters as part of a manifesto commitment at the next general election, he said.

Mr Straw told the Commons: "The White Paper represents a significant step on the road to reform and is intended to generate further debate and consideration rather than being a final blueprint for reform."

But the Government's plans were attacked by Baroness D'Souza, one of the cross-group on Lords reform.

She said: "The changes outlined in the White Paper will neither enhance nor improve the work of this House and may result in politicisation and a degree of confusion, to the ultimate detriment of the crucial work that this House undertakes."

Lady D'Souza added: "Legitimacy is not necessarily or exclusively guaranteed by elections."

Elections, she warned, would harm the "expertise, independence and diversity" of the Lords, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of a wholly-appointed second chamber last year.

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