Member

My noble friend Lord Howard of Lympne, in his powerful speech, reminded us that this solemn undertaking of 1999—binding in honour, as it is now said—is being swept aside by this Bill without the merest sniff of a draft reform Bill. We appreciate the many discussions that the noble Baroness the Lord Privy Seal has had and what she has said today, but I must note there have been no formal discussions about the terms of reference or composition of any such Select Committee. My noble friend Lord Parkinson asked a number of questions. A Select Committee, as she proposes, might be a guaranteed route map to new law or might be simply another route into the long grass, whether that is intended or not. We look forward to hearing more details of what is proposed because all of us here, particularly those of us of a certain age, are affected.