Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

My Lords, I can be fairly brief. I thank my noble friend Lord Snape and all the others who have spoken so well in this debate. I know the Minister came on shift just before this debate began; I do not know how much of the last debate he heard. I do not know if he heard my brief address before taking over. I will make just a couple of points. From the many important points that have been made in this debate, the real principle has been the relationship between a Member of Parliament and his or her constituency, about which many—some with great experience of the other place and some without—have spoken. There are two points that I want to ask the noble and learned Lord about. First, there is the issue, which arises again, about the fact that Parliament has not set an exact number of Members of Parliament since, we believe, 1832. Rules that have provided pretty adequately in earlier years—most latterly, in 1986—have been very carefully and sensibly worded. It is not as though Parliament does not give a clue as to the area in which the number of MPs should be, but it refuses to give an exact figure. On this side, we think that is an excellent thing and believe that the exact number should be a matter for the independent boundary review. It also acts as a sort of security key and means that the Government cannot be criticised for having got through Parliament an exact figure. Why is it that the Government want to change that well-established principle? The second issue I want to raise is the one about lowering the number of Members of Parliament to 600. We believe that the policy of reducing the House of Commons to 600 seats has so far been proposed without, I am afraid, any coherent explanation, any coherent analysis, or indeed any proper consideration. Many voices across the political spectrum—in both Houses and outside—have criticised the Government’s failure up till now to explain why 600 seats is the appropriate level at which to fix membership of the other place. I repeat a quote that the Minister will have heard before from the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee of the other place, which concluded in October, "““There may be a case for reducing the number of Members of the House to 600, but the Government has not made it””." The Government have not explained how this figure corresponds to the role of Members of Parliament, about which we have heard in this debate, or what that role itself should be. They have not explained how this figure will enable Members of Parliament to provide a better service to their constituents or a more effective performance as parliamentarians. I say to the Minister that it is time that the Government at last make the case for why the number is 600, and why there should be a lowering of the number of Members of Parliament from 650 to 600. One thing I am sure of is that the noble and learned Lord will, as he customarily does, answer in his reasoned and measured way, unlike—I am afraid—some others on the Front Bench.