Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Heald and Patrick Grady

Tuesday 25th April 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sir Oliver Heald]

I have always tried to uphold the vision expressed by Sir Winston Churchill in his great speech at the Place Kléber, when he spoke up for the need for human rights across Europe, and, of course, he did not mean the EU.

[Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP)]

17. What the Government’s policy is on the UK remaining party to the European convention on human rights.

[The Minister for Courts and Justice (Sir Oliver Heald)]

We are in favour.

[Patrick Grady]

The European convention on human rights guarantees the right to free and fair elections to the legislature, but the vast majority of legislators in this country are unelected peers of the House of Lords. Have the Government ever taken legal advice on whether the existence of the House of Lords is compatible with protocol 1, article 3 of the ECHR?

[Sir Oliver Heald]

I spent about 18 months on the Joint Committee looking at reform of the House of Lords in the last Parliament, and we took legal advice on every possible issue. If the hon. Gentleman would like to read the proceedings, he will enjoy them.