Committee (House of Commons)

Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee Announcement

21 January 2013

For Immediate Release:

Committee announces new inquiry – House of Lords reform: what next?

The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has decided to conduct an inquiry into what smaller-scale changes to the membership and structure of the House of Lords would be likely to command a consensus.    The Committee is issuing a call for written evidence that addresses some or all of the following points:

·                         The desirability, practicality and effectiveness of mechanisms for reducing the size of the House of Lords, including the following:

Ø  no longer replacing hereditary peers in the House of Lords when they die;

Ø  measures to remove persistent non-attendees;

Ø  a moratorium on new peers;

Ø  fixed-term appointments for new peers; 

Ø  a retirement age for peers.

·         The effectiveness of the current voluntary retirement scheme for peers introduced following the recommendations of the Leader’s Group on Members Leaving the House.

·         The desirability and scope of a mechanism to expel peers who have been convicted of a serious offence. 

·         The desirability, composition and remit of a Statutory Appointments Commission.

·         The scope for establishing a consensus about the principles which should determine the relative numerical strengths of the different party groups in the House of Lords, and for codifying such principles.

How to respond:

The deadline for written submissions is Tuesday 26 March 2013.  Submissions should not significantly exceed 3,000 words unless this has been cleared in advance with the Committee secretariat.  Written responses to the Committee will usually be treated as evidence to the Committee and may be published. If you object to your response being made public in a volume of evidence, please make this clear when it is submitted.

Responses should be submitted by email in Microsoft Word or rich text format to pcrc@parliament.uk

If you do not have access to email, you may send a paper copy of your response to the Clerk of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, Committee Office, First Floor, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Committee Membership is as follows:  Mr Graham Allen (Chair) (Nottingham North), Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch), Paul Flynn (Newport West), Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East), Mr Andrew Griffiths (Burton), Mr Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East), Simon Hart (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire), Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central), Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest), Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) and Stephen Williams (Bristol West).

Specific Committee Information:  pcrc@parliament.uk 020 7219 6287

Media Information: Jessica Bridges-Palmer bridgespalmerj@parliament.uk 07917 488 447

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/pcrc

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:  www.parliamentlive.tv 

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474).  Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk

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House of Lords Reform: Where next

3/2/12

I am minded that tomorrow in the CofE diocesan cathedral of my birth Justin Welby (rt Rev Bishop of Durham) is to be legally inducted as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Much is made of the House of Lords having bishops of the C of E ex officio as the 26 ‘double jury’ on the basis of seniority in the post (longest term served) as the basis of the original 1215 Magna Carta reform that sought to change from Saxon gradated aristocratic witans into the House of Lords and Commons of the modern age, with an one intermediary tri chamber parliament of the house of bishops. This is the modern day inspiration for the tri chamber General Synod of the two ‘home provinces’ of the Church of England.

However in state there are two chambers of Parliament. The idea behind that is that so long as people raise the next generation well and ideally as part of the Church of England or one of its recognised denominations or faiths that advise the crown, the common ideals of tolerance are maintained. Hence the idea of the Heir to the Throne to defend faiths and none as well as being the FD title of Henry VIII.

These are only allegorical as the Tudor reforms put due process and the removal of harsh punishments from the united English and Welsh legal systems, now operating into similarly compassionate separate jurisdictions, similar to other Commonwealth jurisdictions.

Now, since 1829 for previous and current abilities and achievements, faith leaders of other churches and faiths sit in the chamber and can offer advice, especially with the end of the death penalty and compassion with legal support. This is based on the ideals of faith tolerance started in the Parliamentary Republic of Oliver Cromwell.

This is regarded as Ken Clarke’s compassionate time as Home Secretary through to tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.

As such the United Kingdom has faith within its ‘senate’ and the question should be, should this continue or not? I would argue that as under the laws of state, non faith organisations exist such as Richard Dawkins and the National Secularist association,  have patrons from the Royal Family. As such all should within the ex officio component, similar to the hereditaries under a Government of Britain Bill with a codified constitution passed similar to the European Human Rights Act 1999, as amended and with a right of secession for the territories of Scotland, Wales and the six counties of Northern Ireland by develoution enabling leglislation, subsequent developments and Westminster devolved standing orders.

This should be approved by referendum after a constitutional convention as part of resolving the following issues:
Turning to the hereditaries, in the realism agenda they should be kept in the interim. IN an Age of austerity it is better that they keep their peerages linked to the crown and in an age of austerity this aids those with ability to make wealth to do so lawfully.

This requires proper parliamentary guidelines and company law to include the tax havens and financial instruments such as LIBOR regulated up to Treasury standards for the inflation target. This should be codified into the laws of the Commonwealth and IMF / World Bank to ensure that all play fair and can be held to account to deal with the threats of piracy and smuggling.

James A. Ware

The 8^th February conference @ Prifysgol Aberystwyth,

Question topics to ask and research?

1872-2006/7 Prifysgol Cymru Aberystwyth an obituary

James Ware

1)      Historical problems of Ceredigion since the nineteenth century fires and fences

a.       When there wasn’t proper regulation and why were the Tories Blamed? Loss of key personnel in the Boer War and in Conquering Zimbabwe by Cecil Rhodes.

2)      Problems from the protectionist era and trade and stock slips on the smallholdings and aristocracy alike, the exploitation of this by disestablishment as neither could sustain the economy post world war one slaughter in the somme and paschendelle?

3)      Post world war II housing in a nineteenth century town surrounded by marshland, the gas bubble from first attempts at ‘Fracking’ near Holy Trinity and excavation of the First National Library of Wales (Welsh Books Council) as well as flood waters from streams to the North of town?

4)      Power from the Rheidol Valley and underground control of the water supply into the Rheidol to protect the upper valley, stabilising of all property and reduction of flood damage, but still not coordination of fence repairs to allow gradual drainage after high rainfall.

5)      Draining the marsh and building the Rheidol Levees

6)      To many pubs in Aberystwyth owing to each church having a social club.

7)      Impact on these on property buying by students who wanted to build up equity for future housing, resulting in the equality based motion of housing all first years in university housing so that all end up on the same housing benefit after uni unless aided by their home citizens advice?

a.       Does that mean that then federal university claimed its own grants to maintain housing prior to the seafront fire and hall reconstruction

b.      Did this delay investment in the rail sector with passing loops and the now one hour frequency aim for Aberystwyth-Birmingham

8)      Devolution and Democratic accountability for coastal erosion and flood defence priorities.

9)      The Diamond Jubillee grants for community provision for Rural renewal, does this mean that a new route Aber-Lampeter-Carmarthen line gets built according to question in the Welsh Assembly by the duly elected constituency member?

wales needs a central bank to regulate the new tax transactions between devolved nations and Northern Ireland with the United Kingdom exchequer and to maintain enough oversight of reserves and investment in keeping open factories or warm mothballing them so that in the few months between owners steel making skills (the current example) isn't lost nd the area become soverwhelmingky dependant on the...

welfare state.

These reserves could be held in terms of Welsh gold if the Crown estates sought to devlove the south welsh mines it owns or currency reserves of teh Euro to help the Irish republic given recent treaties on economic interdependance between the Uk and Ireland following the visits of each of their heads of states to the others countries.

All of this is on top of the welcome recommendations of the Silk Commission.

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When gaza gets its hands on Egyptian explosives and iranian missiles, peace talks region iwde are needed that include the states bordering SYria nad Saudi Arabia. The jeddah version of the Koran may have to be noted and set aside with its references to Christains and Jews to create a lasting peace and two state solution with final status for Jerusalem. There is a modern translation (the Muslim version of teh NRSV / AV in the CofE) that omits the contentious and inflamatory phrases and that needs to be used for teh basis of Arab league summits regarding theology for it and peace talks. The problem is that Hamas are past masters in taking a view and avoiding things that go against it, particulary when attcked back, and with a dmeocratic mandate within Gaza territory.

The peace talks may be concluded with Arab coffee but they need a lot of milk from west bank kibbutzs whose status and citizenship need resolution peacefully.

All of which means that when Peace envoy calls for calm, I agree with him Tony Blair.

I've had an email regarding riosks to properties in Aberystwyuth town based on a question I asked as a resident in HIllingdon (England / Lloegr) to my boroughs MPs as thats how in a non devolved England cross parliamentary issues can be corresponded and questions asked.

If you or anyone at risk from flooding has insurance difficulties as premiums may rise from teh last flood this Summer, please conatct www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk in advance and get help for grants from heritage bodies if in grade listed properties or conservation areas (The rural welsh version of portland stone georgian - through to mock tudor of Metroland in London).

North wales care homes

The North wales care homes were a pre welfare state response to industrial poverty in Manchester and liverpool using funds from teh non conformist churches. as such these homes are now under local social services and charitable shop care and funding. This could ensure that current residents are aided and helped by Rowan Cantuar solving what he couldn't do as what was then the sub 'province' of wales as its (the Anglican church of England and Wales) status hadn't entirely been resolved. However for every case of abuse there is a loving couple in the rural areas who want to settle down together at sixth form age and need help in trinaing and support.

This is therefore a a sub judice matter of the highest import through the Childrens Commissioners of the Uniteed Kingdom and The Irish Republic through the Council of the Isles.

If you know of wnyone affected who needs counselling the Met Police have an abuse line for current cases, the number is 0207 610 4345

at this time of year my mind turns to the seafront fire of 1998 when i was fresher at Aberystwyth.

Since then the halls have all bee n refurbished and better alarmed under a private company like the hotels and care homes.

However these seafronts also have nineteenth century buildings or HMOs which have large numbers of residents unable ot maintain both the insurance premium and the day to day maintenance unless they are under housing association or local authority / county council ownership where differring laws of tenancy apply.

As such a housing assn is needed for teh Town council to use WDA grants to buy the less repaired housing such as South Marine Terrace and turn it inot postgrad housing at better maintained standards, after all its what the Polish builders did for Acton and Ealing in London.

This requires a civil contingencies map and assessment as done during teh second world war in london after each nights blitz or doodlebug damage and displayed on the uni website like the walking speed and pacing initiative of a few years back in conjunction with the environment agency. The person there to contact is Cedric Moon.

Then teh College can finally sort out teh basement of its old college building (probably the location of Neil Hamiltons and my exam papers).