Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 10 March (HL5107) concerning England's traditional counties, whether, in the light of their pride in waving the flag of St George they intend to hold a referendum on the establishment of an English parliament with equal status and powers to the Scottish Parliament.

I refer the noble Lord to the answers I gave on 8 December 2014, 16 January 2015, 26 January 2015 and 23 February 2015 to HL3166, HL3924, HL4275 and HL4634.

The Government has no plans to hold a referendum in England to ascertain the level of support for an English Parliament. Discussions on this issue and other proposals relating to 'the English question' are ongoing.