It seems that I am not the only one to have problems with Lords taking up Cabinet roles – as I wrote in my We The People column this week – that should go to elected representatives. Mark Oaten (remember him?) has tabled an Early Day Motion:

That this House notes the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to the House of Lords; further notes that the lead Minister for this Department will therefore not appear in the House of Commons; and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals to ensure that all Government Ministers who are members of the House of Lords be required to attend departmental Questions and make Ministerial Statements in the House of Commons so that the elected House can hold them to account.

Oaten has raised an interesting point. How can these ministerial Lords be held accountable to the Commons? They’re not allowed to go there, and their department cannot be held fully to account through the second minister.

It’s a conundrum all right.

via Dizzy