To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 4 February (WA 66), whether there is discrimination between life Peers and excepted hereditary Peers in respect of their ability to return to the House of Lords after ceasing to be members of the European Parliament. [HL2189]

The position of hereditary Peers was given full consideration by the House of Lords during the debate held on the European Parliament (House of Lords Disqualification) Regulations 2008 on 14 October 2008. We do not consider that these regulations are discriminatory in nature. The regulations were an interim measure in response to a particular issue that had arisen prior to the European parliamentary elections in June 2009.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 4 February (WA 66), whether they will table an amendment to repeal the European Parliament (House of Lords Disqualification) Regulations 2008 in the Constitutional Reform and Government Bill currently before Parliament, or table an amendment to that bill extending the scope of the regulations to excepted hereditary Peers so that life Peers and excepted hereditary peers can serve as Members of the European Parliament on the same basis. [HL2190]

The Government have no plans to table such amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, as the Bill includes provision to allow a person who is a life Peer or an hereditary Peer who is a member of the House of Lords to resign at any time from the House of Lords.