When the Constitution Committee of the House of Lords was created in 2001 – I was the first chairman – one of the the first reports we did was on the process of constitutional change. The Committee returned to the subject this year and has just published The Process of Constitutional Change, noting in effect that the situation…
I chaired the Science and Technology Committee inquiry into Behaviour Change. Our Report, which was published today, makes some interesting findings about efforts by the Government to change the way we behave. Perhaps the most important thing we say is that to solve the really big problems that face society – like increasing levels of…
I have been in Malta for a few days, at a long-arranged family law conference. It turned out to coincide with the vote in Malta to allow divorce for the first time, and the passage of the new divorce bill. The Prime Minister and the Archbishop attended part of the conference. The Maltese population is…
The House has elected a new Lord Speaker: Baroness D’Souza (pictured). She will take up the post on 1 September, succeeding Baroness Hayman. You can read details, including the breakdown of the votes, here. Baroness D’Souza led in every round, being elected, after four candidates were eliminated, by 296 votes to 285 for Lord Colwyn.
One of our regular readers, @CommentatorIntl, has asked, “Why are there still Bishops in the Lords?” Good Question. The short answer is that successive Prime Ministers and Governments have been too scared of all the other reactionary elements to want to take on the Church of England as well. However, the history of the presence…
When the position of Lord Speaker was created in 2006, it was clear that the House was cautious about the Speaker’s role in the Chamber, but enthusiastic about the representative and ambassadorial aspects of the job. Alongside my procedural, domestic committee and security responsibilities, I have, therefore, made building a sustainable programme of external engagement,…
This week sees the beginning of the long summer recess for both the Lords and Commons, but with the Lords working an extra day. This ought not be remarkable as long as events are proceeding in a normal way. But they are not. The Commons finish on Tuesday. For a small group of backbenchers who…
Hannah is a 15 year old student who has just completed a week of work experience with me. She was a bright and enthusiastic student very interested in the work we do and I said I would put her thoughts on the Blog. Here they are: There are many ways in which the Peers from the House of Lords reach…
Sticking with Lord Norton and Lord Tyler’s theme of Select Commons committees and their powers. Before I came into parliament I was summoned twice to appear before the Commons Health Ombudsman’s Committee. It was an experience I shall never forget. Both occasions followed investigations by the Ombudsman of serious failures of administration by the NHS.…
