Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

On that basis, I will take my cue and respond to a debate which started two hours and 50 minutes ago. The amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Kennedy, would maintain the number of constituencies in the other place precisely at 650. It is not entirely a defence of the status quo, because, unlike with the amendment that was moved by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, some 15 or 16 hours ago, the figure of 650 would be fixed and the Boundary Commission’s rules would be subject to it, as we would wish the number of 600 to be. I do not think that there are any arguments which will persuade noble Lords opposite that have not already been advanced. The noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, quoted at some length the interview given to Sky by my noble friend Lord Strathclyde, which echoes what has been said here. I have made it clear on more than one occasion that both parties in this coalition Government advocated a reduction in the number of Members of the House of Commons in their respective manifestos. I also indicated, picking up a point made in a much earlier debate by the noble Lord, Lord Howarth of Newport, and answering a question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady Armstrong of Hill Top, that there was a context for the figure 500—there is nothing new about that; I acknowledged that some 13 hours ago. We wanted as a party to go down to a figure of 500; nevertheless, we indicated that we still thought that the House of Commons should be reduced in size. We have advanced on occasions that there would be a saving of some £12.2 million annually. The noble Lord, Lord Liddle, said that that was a trivial amount. Perhaps it should not surprise us on this side that the party opposite ran up such a deficit when it has people such as the noble Lord, Lord Liddle, in its ranks. It is perhaps indicative of a mindset that was at work in his Government.