William Wallace doesn't think that a courtesy title for me is important. I don't think that I quite agree...

As I noted in Sunday's review of the coming week in the Lords, yesterday saw an oral question from Baroness Deech regarding equality in the use of courtesy titles.

At the moment, the wife of Baron X gets a courtesy title, becoming Lady X. The husband of Baroness X doesn't, which is why I am, for purposes of etiquette, Mr Valladares (at least, when people aren't calling me Mr Scott - a perfectly understandable error which I correct with humour and good grace when it happens). Curiously, a surprising number of people, when they first discover who I am married to, ask whether or not I get a title and many of them seem surprised to hear that I don't. Of course, as a member of the liberal family, my friends have come up with the entirely typical solution of referring to me as the Honourable Lady Mark, an elegant poke in the eye of convention.

As I have remarked before, I'm not particularly bothered, a stance which is clearly not that unusual, as noted by William Wallace, responding on behalf of the Government;

I have asked some female colleagues in this House how much their husbands care about not having a title and a number of them have told me robustly that their husbands not only do not care but positively do not wish to have them.

He had already suggested that the issue was rather complex due to long-standing custom and practice, which appeared not to impress Baroness Deech, although her suggestion that;

equality has to start in this House

did at least raise a laugh or two beyond the chamber

"Equality has to start in this House," Baroness Deech in the House of Lords, now known as Comedy Central http://t.co/pS2Og3BbRe
— John Rentoul (@JohnRentoul) February 24, 2014

But, whilst I don't particularly feel the need for a title myself, there is the principle of equality to be considered. Yes, it isn't a big issue, like equal pay, or equality of opportunity in the professions, but it is indicative of an attitude that you can give lip service to the notion of equality of treatment which runs contrary to the way society has changed.

Curiously, a surprising number of people, when they first discover who I am married to, ask whether or not I get a title and many of them seem surprised to hear that I don't, which perhaps suggests that such a change would barely be noticed.

There are, as I see it, two options. Firstly, take all of the courtesy titles away, excepting those that have already been assumed - it is to my mind unnecessarily cruel to take something away that it of little practical import. Second, grant the entitlement to all spouses, or civil partners, of those being honoured. I suspect that this is more complex, because you would need to determine what the courtesy title would be. If the wife of a baron is a Lady, should the husband of a baroness be a Sir? Or is 'the Honourable' more suitable? I, for one, have no idea, but I'm sure that someone at Debrett's can probably come up with a suggestion.

But I put it to William, which is less illiberal, gender inequality or the maintenance of a system of privilege? And why should it be left to a Liberal Democrat to defend either?...