Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

My Lords, the Leader of the House, his noble friend Lord McNally and even the courteous noble and learned Lord, Lord Wallace, have not answered the question about when a Government last determined in advance of a proper independent inquiry the number of people who should sit in the House of Commons. My noble friend Lady Nye has done some research to help me. Apparently it was 1832 when it was last decided by the Government and, in order to get it through Parliament, they introduced a very large number of new Members to your Lordships’ House. I thought that would help the noble Lord because I cannot see why we cannot have the normal custom and practice of looking at parliamentary boundaries independently and a report back. Then we would not have to have the notional figure of 600. It would be done properly, not on the back of an envelope.