DO WE need the House of Lords? I would say yes, but it has to be reformed to be taken seriously. As a legislature it’s being compared for its size - to China’s National People’s Congress, which is the largest legislature in the world, the Lords is the second largest. The big difference being the communist Chinese can claim that their version is elected - if only from one party. The Lords isn’t elected at all. The main political parties talk tough, and with forked tongue about Lords reform but carry on selling titles, to wealthy donors, a few newsworthy names to sweeten the pill, and also titles given to politicians pass their sell by date, belittling those who are in the House by honest endeavour. David Cameron has created 151 peers since 2010 surprising considering at the same time he was arguing that the elected Commons should be reduced by 50 MPs. (yet to happen) The reform needed to the House of Lords is that the numbers should be cut down to 500, that the Lords should take some responsibility for their own destiny, there should be a cut off age, and those who do not fulfil an attendance requirement should be excluded not from their titles, but from their deliberations. 30 pieces of silver comes to mind at this moment in time. N Plaisted Vivian Road Newport