This week’s quiz relates to peers who sit on the cross-benches, that is, peers with no party whip. They presently number almost two-hundred, have a convenor (Baroness d’Souza) and constitute the only grouping in the House with its own website. Their number has increased in recent years with the nominations made by the independent appointments commission, albeit now off-set in part by the departure of the law lords.
This week’s questions:
1. Other than the 92 hereditary peers retained under the provisions of the House of Lords Act 1999, some hereditary peers sit by virtue of having been made life peers. There is one hereditary peer who was made a life peer who sits on the cross-benches. Who is he?
2. Who is the only convenor of the cross-bench peers to have previously sat in the House of Commons?
3. The two principal opposition parties receive some funding (Cranborne money) to assist them in fulfilling their parliamentary duties. Similar financial assistance is now provided to the cross-bench peers. When was this financial assistance to the cross-benchers introduced?
As usual, the first two readers to suppy the correct answers will be the winners.
1. The Earl of Snowdon
2. Lord Weatherill
3. October 1999
1. The Earl of Snowdon
2. Lord Weatherill DL
3. 1st October 1999
1) The Earl of Snowdon, although I believe Lord Grenfell almost counts as a non affiliated peer
2) Lord Weatherill
3) 1999
1. The Earl of Snowdon. I think thee lifee peeraage was offered to all 1st hereditary peers
2. Lord Wetherill – who moved the ammendment that allowed the 92 hereditary peers to remain.
3. 1996
1. The Earl of Snowdon
2. Lord Weatherill
3. For the 1999/2000 session
The cross-bench hereditary peer with a life peerage is indeed the Earl of Snowdon (Baron Armstrong-Jones). Rob is correct in pointing out that all hereditary peers of first creation were offered life peerages. Croft mentions Lord Grenfell – an hereditary peer who holds a life peerage – who, when he was Deputy Chairman of Committees – did indeed sit as a non-affiliated peer. However, he has now returned to the Labour benches having completed his term of office.
Lord Weatherill was indeed the only convenor to have sat in the Commons (1964-92). Again, all five of you are correct.
Financial assistance was extended to the cross-benchers in 1999. Rob: 1996 was when financial assistance was first provided to the main opposition parties.
This week’s prize winners are thus Michael Fryer – joining the list of prize-winners for the first time – and Jana, who is on something of a roll, having been last week’s sole winner.
Cool – only just squeeked in though!
Jana: Yes, you just pipped Croft at the post.
Lord Norton: apologies if there has been some confusion, but I believe this has been the third time I have been a prize-winner as I accidentally included my surname this time round but have up to know simply been known by my first name as Michael. I hope that you can confirm this by the fact that my email address has always been the same each time I have entered the quiz.
Michael: When I added your name to the list of prize winners, I did wonder if that may be the case. I am glad to add you to the list of our grand prize winners. An invitation to tea at the Lords will be on its way shortly.