ABSTRACT
It is notable that the Parliament Acts have been used infrequently. Aside from the Parliament Act 1949, which was passed under the 1911 Act, the Government of Ireland Act 1914, the Welsh Church Act 1914, the War Crimes Act 1991, the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 and the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Hunting Act 2004 were passed under this procedure. The explanation for the usually low use of the procedure lies largely in conventional practices regulating the relationship between the two Houses. First, as has been seen above, the House of Commons accepts a great many Lords’ amendments, for a variety of reasons. Secondly, the House of Lords exercises its delaying powers with some caution. In debate on the War Damage Bill 1965, Lord Salisbury stated that the House of Lords should insist on amendments under two circumstances:
(a) if a matter raises issues important enough to justify such ‘drastic’ action; (b) if the issue is such that the electorate can understand it and express approval for the
House of Lords’ position. In this regard, the House of Lords acts as a ‘watchdog of the people’.23
