House of Lords Bill [HL]

My Lords, one thing unites many of the radical Members to whom reference has been made: their ignorance of the work that is done in this House. The Lord Speaker is doing a great deal to correct that, but I do not want to be a Member of a House that is often subject to the caricature of consisting of old men—women are rarely mentioned—who are asleep, some with ear trumpets and some dressed in wigs. I have seen that in a parliamentary publication in the past six months. Many people, including many in another place, are totally ignorant of the work that is done here. I am a member of a county council, an interest that I have declared in the past. If I do not attend the county council for a few months—I think that it is three—without good cause, I am dispossessed of my seat and there is a by-election. If I were a member of a school governing body and I failed to attend four consecutive meetings, I would be dismissed. My noble friend—whom I congratulate, as has everyone else—should address the issue, which has been raised by several noble Lords, of the need for people who come here to actively participate in the work of the House. I am totally against the idea of celebrity Peers, or peerages given in reward for something else but where the person concerned does not appear. I would support some sort of gratuity paid to people who voluntarily relinquished their membership of the House. I realise that that may be difficult, but, if these things were done, this place would be seen for what it is: somewhere that concentrates on doing hard, unglamorous, sometimes boring but very necessary work.