To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the objective of their proposal to introduce the alternative vote system is to move towards a system of proportional representation. [HL1598]

No. The Government believe that the alternative vote would enhance the legitimacy of MPs and increase the electorate's stake in their representative. However, unlike proportional representation, the alternative vote would retain the link between an MP and a single geographical constituency. The Government believe that this is an essential feature of our democratic system. Ultimately, it would be for the public to decide in a referendum whether the alternative vote system should be introduced.