Peer review
Sir: A neat solution to the levels of inactivity of some members of the House of Lords (‘Peer pressure’, 1 August) might be annual self-assessment against national minimum standards: record of attendance (including duration), contributions to debates, questions asked, involvement in legislative procedure, notable achievements, charitable works. Any peer falling short should be shown the ornate door, as should any caught popping in just to claim their £300.
David Edwards
Norton sub Hamdon, Somerset
Matrix of success
Sir: It is agreed that the purpose of the Upper House is to employ its wisdom and experience to improve draft bills emanating from the Commons. The present occupants of the Lords hardly represent a font of all wisdom. There is wisdom there — but not enough. My suggestion is to create a matrix of seats each to be occupied on an ex officio basis. The matrix would be made up of the recently retired heads of a range of organisations such as selected FTSE 100 companies; armed forces and police; along with presidents of professional bodies, former PMs and chancellors of the Exchequer, and so on. Each member would have already earned his or her place by success in their chosen field. They would serve for a set term and then be replaced.
The whole structure would need careful design and management, but the prize would be an extraordinary concentration of wisdom and experience with control of numbers and natural regeneration.
Colin Amies
Docking, Norfolk
Blood clots
Sir: Please forgive me for the vanity of writing about my own article (‘Seeing red’, 25 July) but I must sadly report that I was prevented from entering the donor centre where I had planned to give blood on Monday. A corporate functionary from the Blood Service’s headquarters had, to my surprise, discovered what I thought were the private details of my appointment and emailed me to say that they would be ‘unable’ to take my donation.
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