Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill — New Clause 7 — Reduction of maximum number of Ministers —rejected — 25 Oct 2010 at 21:45

The majority of MPs voted against reducing the maximum number of Ministers permitted in proportion with a proposed reduction in the size of the House of Commons.

Charles Walker, the Conservative MP for Broxbourne, proposed adding a new clause to the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill which would have stated:

• The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 is amended as follows.
• (2) For section 2(1) substitute-
• "(1) The number of holders of offices specified in Schedule 2 to this Act (in this section referred to as Ministerial offices) entitled to sit and vote in the House of Commons at any one time, whether paid or unpaid, must not exceed 95 if the number of constituencies in the United Kingdom is 650.".
• (3) After section 2(1) insert-
• "(1A) If the number of constituencies in the United Kingdom decreases below 650, the limit on the number of holders of Ministerial offices entitled to sit and vote in the House of Commons referred to in section 2(1) must be decreased by at least a proportionate amount.".
• (4) In subsection (2), after "subsection (1)", insert "or subsection (1A)

Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith spoke in favour of the proposal saying^[2]:

• We have heard over the past few days and weeks very strong arguments for equalising the size of constituencies and reducing the number of MPs, but to do that without also reducing the number of Ministers would profoundly undermine the authority of Parliament. The proposal is not radical, or even a solution to the problem that so many hon. Members have identified. It would neither minimise the power of the Executive nor increase that of the legislature. It merely calls for a reduction in the size of Government in line with the planned cuts to the number of Members of Parliament. In effect, it will do no more than prevent trends from getting worse.

Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat David Heath was left to explain the Government's current opposition to the proposal, he did so without much passion and while expressing "sympathy with the view of Mr Walker"^[3], the MP who had introduced the new clause.

Mr Heath's main reason for rejecting the clause was explained when he said^[4]:

• "I do not think that there is a simple arithmetical relationship between the number of Ministers in the Government and the number of Members in this House".

Mr Heath suggested that while he and his Government didn't support the reduction in the number of Ministers at that moment, he indicated they might in the future as he said^[5]:

• "...various elements of our proposals for reform of the constitutional arrangements and for the politics of this country are moving forward in various pieces of legislation and at various times. By the end of this Parliament, they will be in place, but this is not the right time for this measure."

During debate Mr Walker, the MP proposing the change, noted that reducing the number of Ministers by eight would save £4 million pounds^[6]. It should be noted though that his proposal would have not prevented the Prime Minster from appointing additional Ministers from outside of the Commons.

• [2] Zac Goldsmith MP, House of Commons, 25 October 2010
• [3] David Heath MP, House of Commons, 25 October 2010
• [4] David Heath MP, House of Commons, 25 October 2010
• [5] David Heath MP, House of Commons, 25 October 2010
• [6] Charles Walker MP, House of Commons, 25 October 2010

Debate in Parliament | Source |