British Prime Minister Tony Blair declared his support Wednesday for a half-elected, half-appointed House of Lords, the country's upper house of Parliament.

The proposal would cut the number of peers to 540 from 746 and prevent the heirs of 92 hereditary peers from inheriting positions in the chamber in the future.

Commons leader Jack Straw presented the reform idea to MPs, noting it would not remove any current members of the house.

Church of England bishops would also remain in the House, and appointments would be made by an independent statutory appointments commission reporting to the Parliament.

"I will back these proposals," Blair told the House of Commons, though in the past he had favoured an appointed upper house.

Opposition Conservatives did not support the idea.
 
"We want reform that strengthens Parliament. It puts the political parties even more in control of the upper House," said spokeswoman Theresa May.

Reform proves difficult

All peers in the House of Lords are currently appointed, with the exception of the 92 hereditary peers.

Reform has proved difficult in the past because of the need to find balance between election and appointment.

A fully elected House of Lords would mirror the House of Commons, while an entirely appointed chamber brings up the question of accountability and cronyism.

When the issue comes to vote, MPs will be given a free vote and have the option of choosing from seven possibilities for the House of Lords:

  • All members elected.
  • 80 per cent elected, 20 per cent appointed.
  • 60 per cent elected and 40 per cent appointed.
  • Half elected and half appointed.
  • 40 per cent elected, 60 per cent appointed.
  • 20 per cent elected, 80 per cent appointed.
  • All members appointed.

The House of the Lords has the ability to amend legislation, with the consent of the Commons, or delay the passage of legislation for a limited amount of time.

Reform promised

Its reform has been a decade-long project for the Labour government, which promised changes when it came to office in 1997.

Two years later, the government reduced the 600 hereditary peers to 92 but was unable to reach agreement on a formula for member selection.

Five options for reform were presented to the House of Commons in 2003, but none was selected.

In Canada, Parliament's appointed upper house is also the focus of reform measures.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has introduced a plan to bring in elections for Senate positions from various provinces and territories as vacancies occur. It has yet to be debated in the House of Commons.

With files from the Associated Press