Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Huppert Excerpts
Tuesday 12th February 2013

(11 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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No, I think the hon. Gentleman is reinventing history. The decision was taken not to proceed with the timetable motion and that was why the Bill did not proceed. He knows the precise reasons why that decision was taken.

Julian Huppert Portrait Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)
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Given that under the Labour Government 391 peers were created—and selected, in many cases—by the then Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr Brown), can my right hon. Friend think of any reasons why the Opposition want to keep the House of Lords frozen the way they left it, rather than allowing it to reflect how the country voted?

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend asks a good question. Given Labour’s record in packing the House of Lords for political advantage, it is extraordinary that Labour Members should now seek to lecture others about the reform of the other place, which they baulked at delivering when they had the opportunity to do so.