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Peers may be limited to 15 years | Peers may be limited to 15 years |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Members of the House of Lords could be limited to serving a 15-year maximum term in reforms of the chamber, Justice Secretary Jack Straw has suggested. | |
Mr Straw said a third of the new chamber would be elected at the same time as each general election. | |
He made the comments at an event organised by the campaign group Unlock Democracy. | |
Mr Straw renewed a promise to publish proposals soon on making the House of Lords an elected chamber. | |
Legislation to phase out hereditary peerages was introduced in July as part of a raft of constitutional changes. | Legislation to phase out hereditary peerages was introduced in July as part of a raft of constitutional changes. |
The government is committed to an 80% or fully-elected House of Lords. | The government is committed to an 80% or fully-elected House of Lords. |
Mr Straw suggested a third of the new chamber would be elected at the same time as each general election. | |
That would make the maximum period anyone could serve 15 years, although most recent Parliaments have lasted less than the maximum five years. | That would make the maximum period anyone could serve 15 years, although most recent Parliaments have lasted less than the maximum five years. |
A reformed second chamber could breathe new life into Parliament while protecting the fundamental primacy of the Commons Justice Secretary Jack Straw | A reformed second chamber could breathe new life into Parliament while protecting the fundamental primacy of the Commons Justice Secretary Jack Straw |
Mr Straw said that each member elected to the Lords would represent large constituencies, and that there might be potential for using a system of proportional representation. | |
He said: "The 1999 reforms dramatically changed the Lords for the better. But this remains unfinished business. | |
"The current situation where a small remainder of hereditary peers retained their seats in the Lords was intended as an interim step, and now it is time to complete the process. | "The current situation where a small remainder of hereditary peers retained their seats in the Lords was intended as an interim step, and now it is time to complete the process. |
"A reformed second chamber could breathe new life into Parliament while protecting the fundamental primacy of the Commons." | "A reformed second chamber could breathe new life into Parliament while protecting the fundamental primacy of the Commons." |