Some of the procedures of the House are longstanding. Others are recent. Changes are regularly made, as for example with the provision for a dedicated question time for Secretaries of State who sit in the House. Our guide is the Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords,…
It is usual, but not automatic, for former Cabinet ministers to be elevated to the Lords. Many who sit in the House are active contributors to the work of the House. Some have been drawn on to sit on the front benches, some chair select committees and many are regular contributors to debate. This week’s…
The Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, was at the University of Hull yesterday (Friday) addressing a politics sixth-form conference. One of the points she made about the House of Lords was the diversity of its membership. This encompassed the experience and expertise of peers. The House includes people drawn from different sectors, such as literature, the arts and…
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,…
The use of hereditary peerages meant that some peers entered the House at a very young age. Indeed, some succeeded to their titles while they were minors and thus before being entitled to take their seats. The consequence was not only that the House had some young members but that it also had some long-serving…
