Constitutional Reform (Prerogative Powers and Civil Service etc.) Bill [HL]

I first salute and pay tribute to the two noble Lords who have just spoken for being here at this late hour and for the generous things that they have said. Secondly, I am greatly heartened not only by what they have said but what the right honourable David Cameron has said in public, and what the right honourable Kenneth Clarke and others have said in their party, which indicates a great deal of enthusiasm for appropriate constitutional change in this area. I am also greatly encouraged by remarks attributed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who also seems to be open-minded on the need for change in this area. I certainly agree that it is important that a constitutional issue of this magnitude is not a party matter and that one seeks consensus and popular support for it. I also agree that with a change of this magnitude, which is in essence to give Parliament greater authority over the prerogative and the ability not to rely on ancient monarchical traditions that are out of place in the modern world, the two-year period in my Bill is too short, for the reasons given by the noble Lord, Lord Waddington. I wish that glasnost had reached No. 10 Downing Street. I fear that we shall have to wait until there is regime change of some kind before we can see this happening in practice. In most countries, it should belong in a written constitution. For all those reasons, I am very glad to accept the amendment on the basis on which it has been moved.