Reports of Committees
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.1963.tb00715.x |
| Published date | 01 May 1963 |
| Date | 01 May 1963 |
REPORTS
OF
COMMITTEES
REFORM
OF
THE
LORDS
Report of the Joint Committee
on
House
of
Lords
Reform
FOR
the second time in fifteen ?ears we have an agreed statement
by
au
all-party body
on
the reform of the composition of the House
of Lords. But whereas the
1948
scheme was in the nature of outline
proposals which had already been relegated to never-never land
by the time they were published (for the conference of party
1eade.x which formulated them had broken down on the question
of the powers of a reformed second chamber
"),
the
1962
proposals
are clear-cut, original but modest in scope, and ripe for
implementation.
The terms of the reference of the Joint Committee of the
Lords and Commons were
"
to consider whether any, and
if
so
what, changes should be
made
in
the rights of Peers
. .
.
and of Peeresses in their own
right, to sit in either House of Parliament,
or
to vote at
Parliamentary elections, and whether, and
if
so
under what
conditions, a Peer should be enabled to surrender a peerage
permanently
or
for his lifetime
or
for any less period having
regard to the effects and consequences thereof."
Participation of the Labour Party in the composition of the com-
mittee had been ensured by drafting the terms of reference widely
enough to cover the case of Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Viscount
Stansgate, and by reaching a general understanding that in other
matters the work of the committee would be limited to the removal
of minor anomalies. Of anomalies there is indeed a superabun-
dance. Peers of the United Kingdom (and of Great Britain and
of England) and peers of Scotland cannot be elected to member-
ship of the House of Commons, but non-representative peers of
Ireland can (except
in
constituencies in Northern Ireland) and
if
so
elected can vote at parliamentary elections. Peeresses
in
their
own right are not qualxed for membership of the Lords (unless they
acquire an additional life peerage) and are probably disqualified
(though nobody is quite certain)
for
membership of the Commons,
but they can vote at parliamentary elections. The committee recom-
mended that the distinction between representative and non-repre-
sentative peers of Scotland should be abolished, and that all peers of
1
H.L.
23
and H.C.
38 (1962-
).
For
an earlier Report see
H.L.
125
and
H.C.
262 (1961-62).
For pmrliamentary debates
on
the motion to set
up
the Committee, fiee
656
H.C. Deb.
1363-1457
(March
28, 1962), 339
H.L.
Deb.
379-462
(April
10, 1962).
2
(1948)
Cmd.
7380,
noted by
W.
H.
Morris-Jonee
in
(1947)
11
M.L.R.
332.
288
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