asked the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received regarding the abolition of the House of Lords.

I have been left in no doubt that such a step would enjoy considerable support.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is at this time in a Parliament's life that the House of Lords can be at its most dangerous, because its power to delay at the end of such a period is transformed into the ability to knock out any Bill it chooses, if the Government are getting towards the end of their period of office? Will my right hon. Friend therefore take full account of the massive majority at the Labour Party Conference and take no account of Lord Shinwell's remarks, especially when the noble Lord spent most of his time on the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill voting with the Tories?

My hon. Friend is correct in the facts he recited at the end of his supplementary question. Of course, the vote at the Labour Party Conference was one of the representations to which I referred in my original reply.

Has the right hon. Gentleman received or sought any views from the Liberal Party on the future of the House of Lords?

I have not actually discussed that matter with the Liberals, but I would imagine that some of them, at any rate, still hold to the old radical views that they held two or three decades ago.

Would not my right hon. Friend think it highly desirable for the House of Lords to destroy the Scotland Bill, because he could then kill two birds with one stone?

I hope that there will not be any other invocations from hon. Members in this House to invite the House of Lords to exercise its powers in that way. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heifer) referred to the matter the other day, but he did it in a highly jocular manner and people should understand that. Some people do not have as good a sense of humour as he has.