of the Second Chamber, we will never really do that successfully unless we have an all-party agreement. The right hon. Gentleman the Prime Minister made the point quite fairly the other day when he asked why, during all the time that we were in power, we did not attempt to do it. I will give the right hon. Gentleman my answer. I will put it a little more politely, and I will give two reasons why we did not do it. The first was that, so far as I am concerned -- and I speak for myself -- that particular problem never seemed to me a desperately urgent one. [ Laughter .] I hoped I would get that reaction; it was just what I was looking for. Of course, I understand the hon. Gentleman -- because the House of Lords had a Tory majority. It was because I was absolutely convinced that the House of Lords as the Second Chamber would adapt itself to whatever the political situation of this Chamber happened to be. That is why. Was I not right? What is the right hon. Gentleman complaining about? The House of Lords have not taken action in respect 304 of this Government different from that which they have taken in respect of the Government of which I was a Member -- [ Interruption .] I cannot pick out of that muddle any coherent argument; if so, I would reply to it. I did not believe that if there was