Tories attack House of Lords reforms

Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:00 AM

Plans by the Lord Chancellor to limit the length of time bills spend in the House of Lords have been attacked by the Conservatives.

Today's Department of Constitutional Affairs priority paper promises further reform of the House of Lords, with a joint committee of both houses to "review its conventions".

There is also the promise of a maximum limit on the time the bills spend in the upper house, the removal of the remaining hereditary peers and a free vote on the future composition of the house.

It is not known whether these measures will be introduced into next week's Queen's Speech.

But Oliver Heald, the Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, said that the suggestion of reducing the time available in the Lords showed "arrogance and contempt".

Mr Heald said: "Barely a few days into his third term Mr Blair is showing the same arrogance and contempt for parliamentary government that he has shown in his first two.

"For eight years, Mr Blair has sought to sideline and marginalise the House of Commons. Now he wants to disable the House of Lords - the only chamber of Parliament these days that is able to stand up to him and ensure that Government legislation is properly debated and examined."

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