Harriett Baldwin highlights the constitutional sexism in the House of Lords where an eighth of the seats are reserved for men as a result of the hereditary peerages passing down to the oldest son and calls on the Government to support her Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill which would ensure that the succession of peerages moves in line with that of the Crown.
Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
T6. May I first associate myself with the Deputy Prime Minister’s words about the royal family? On 23 February, this House has the opportunity to correct the constitutional sexism that means that one eighth of the seats in the other place are reserved for men only. Will the Government support and work with me on my Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill to ensure that the succession of peerages moves in line with that of the Crown? (901044)
The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Alex Burghart)
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and the work she has done in this area; I know she has thought about it a great deal. I will be writing to her in due course. It is a complicated area of constitutional law, but we appreciate the position from which she is coming.