Parliament (Participation of Members of the House of Commons) Bill [HL]

My Lords, I happened also on one occasion to represent the county of Monmouthshire, and I recall that the motto of that county, as the Lord-Lieutenant was quick to remind me, was UtriqueFidelis; faithful to both. Indeed, it was part of Wales save for certain anomalies such as the legal side. I would be proud if I could say in Who’s Who and in Dod’s that I had been born in Newport, in Gwent, in the Principality of Wales. The other inconsistency is in Clause 4, where the Speaker and the Deputies can,"““cast his vote on any item of business””." So the Speaker, although he may be, as he is now, from a Scottish constituency, can vote—possibly in a decisive way. However, the Prime Minister will not be able to cast his vote on those issues that are designated. I assume that the next Prime Minister will come from a Scottish constituency. Finally, this is a UK Parliament. We are all Members of that UK Parliament, and we should be wary of any proposal that might subdivide. We should also avoid fanning the flames of English nationalism and giving comfort and aid to separatists. I am puzzled that this proposal comes from a member of a party that prides itself on being the Conservative and Unionist Party. It is in danger step by step of putting us on a slippery path to separatism. I know that the noble Lord, Lord Maclennan, is speaking next; I give him a platform for telling us about federalism if he so wishes.