Lecture 5

House of lords
Introduction

The House of Lords is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom,
alongside the House of Commons. As a crucial component of the UK’s legislative system, the
House of Lords plays an important role in reviewing and revising proposed legislation, providing
expertise, and facilitating in-depth debates on national issues. It has 804 members. House of lords,
the only house which has more members then lower house in the world.

Historical Context

The House of Lords has a rich historical legacy that dates back to the medieval period, evolving
from the King's Council, which advised the monarch on governance. Over the centuries, it has
transformed into a formal legislative body with distinct roles and functions. Its members, known
as Lords, include appointed life peers, bishops from the Church of England, and hereditary peers,
representing a diverse range of perspectives and expertise.

Kinds/ types of Lords

The House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK Parliament, consists of several types of
members, each with distinct roles and methods of appointment. Here are the main kinds of
members in the House of Lords:

1. Life Peers

 Definition: Life peers are appointed members who hold their titles for life but do not pass
them on to their descendants.
 Appointment: They are usually appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime
Minister or the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
 Purpose: Life peers are typically appointed for their expertise, experience, or contributions
to society, and they often bring diverse skills to the House. They are the majority in the
House of Lords.

2. Bishops

 Definition: The House of Lords includes 26 bishops from the Church of England, known
as the Lords Spiritual.
  Members: This group includes the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, along with other
senior bishops.
 Role: Bishops contribute to debates on moral and ethical issues and represent the Church's
perspective in legislative discussions.

3. Hereditary Peers

 Definition: Hereditary peers inherit their titles and historically had the right to sit in the
House of Lords.
 Appointment: The House of Lords Act 1999 significantly reduced the number of
hereditary peers allowed to sit in the House. Currently, only 92 hereditary peers remain,
and they are elected by their fellow hereditary peers to represent them.
 Role: While their numbers are limited, hereditary peers still play a role in the legislative
process

Role of the House of Lords

The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It plays a vital role in making
and shaping laws and checking and challenging the government; it shares this role with the House
of Commons. The Lords has a reputation for thorough and detailed scrutiny. Members come from
many walks of life and bring experience and knowledge from a wide range of occupations. Many
Members remain active in their fields and have successful careers in business, culture, science,
sports, academia, health, politics and public service. They bring this wealth of knowledge and
experience to their role of examining matters of public interest that affect all UK citizens – from
pensions policy and TV advertising regulation to ID cards and nanotechnology. Members also
represent the House of Lords and UK Parliament at home and abroad. Through a range of formal
and informal outreach activities, Members explain the work of the House of Lords and encourage
people to engage with Parliament.
Work of the House of Lords
The chamber of the House of Lords is where much of its legislative work and scrutiny of
government takes place and where any Member can be involved.

Making better legislation

The House of Lords shares responsibility for making laws with the House of Commons. Bills (draft
laws) have to go through various stages in both Houses before they receive Royal Assent to become
law. The House of Lords spends most of its time in the chamber (60%) on legislation. It examines
and revises bills from the Commons, carefully checking government proposals and making
changes through debate on amendments. Unlike the Commons, there is no selection of
amendments, all can be considered, and debate on amendments is not time limited. Because the
House can take the time to deliberate and consider potential problems, it helps to make better,
more effective laws.

Powers of the House of Lords

The House of Lords has important law-making and scrutiny functions but its powers are limited
by a combination of law and convention.

1)The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949

These define the powers of the Lords in relation to Public Bills as follows.
• Money bills start in the Commons and may receive Royal Assent a month after being introduced
in the Lords, even if the Lords has not passed them.
• Most other Commons bills can be held up by the Lords for about a year but ultimately the elected
House of Commons can reintroduce legislation in the following session and pass it without the
consent of the Lords. Bills not subject to the Parliament Acts are:

• bills prolonging the length of a Parliament beyond five years

• private bills

• bills sent up to the Lords less than a month before the end of a session • bills which start in the
Lords. Although rarely invoked, the Parliament Acts provide a framework and a means of solving
disagreement between the Commons and Lords.

Functions of the House of Lords

1. Legislative Review:
o The House of Lords reviews and revises legislation proposed by the House of
Commons. It can suggest amendments and send bills back to the Commons for
further consideration.
2. Debate and Discussion:
o Members engage in debates on important national issues, offering diverse
perspectives based on their expertise and experiences.
3. Committees:
o The House of Lords has various committees that investigate specific issues,
scrutinize legislation, and examine government policies. These committees provide
detailed reports and recommendations.
4. Expertise:
o The House of Lords brings together members with expertise in various fields,
including law, science, business, and public service. This expertise enhances the
quality of debates and legislation.
5. Scrutiny of the Government:
o Members of the House of Lords hold the government accountable by questioning
ministers, examining policies, and debating current issues. This function helps
ensure transparency and accountability in government actions.

Checking and challenging the government

Another important function of the House of Lords is to act as a check on government by
questioning its activities and challenging its decisions. The House does this by questioning the
government in the chamber or by submitting written questions, responding to government
statements and debating topical policy issues.

Questioning ministers
Questions enable Members to seek information and raise issues of concern about government
policy and activities. Question time takes place in the chamber at the start of business (Monday to
Thursday) and lasts for 30 minutes. It allows Members to question the government as a whole
when the House is at its fullest. A maximum of four questions are asked. Ministers can be asked
further questions about their answer. The House also submits about 6,000 written questions to the
government annually.

Debates
Debates are an opportunity to discuss important public policy issues and draw the government’s
attention to concerns. More than 100 debates take place over the parliamentary year on a huge
range of subjects. Members have a correspondingly wide range of experience and knowledge to
underpin the arguments they deploy in debate.
There are three main types.

1. General debates, normally for a maximum of five hours. Sometimes there is one long
debate, or there may be two shorter ones. Usually the subjects are chosen by the parties or
the Crossbenchers, but once a month two 21/ 2 hour debates are chosen by ballot from
topics suggested by backbench or Crossbench Members.
2. Short debates, lasting 60 or 90 minutes, usually at dinner time or sometimes at the end of
business.
3. Debates on committee reports, which are not normally time limited. Most debates have a
list of speakers; Members do not have to ‘catch the Speaker’s eye’ as MPs do in the
Commons.

Ministerial statements
Government ministers make statements in the Lords chamber, announcing important policy
initiatives, reports on national and international issues and government actions. There is a limited
time for immediate questioning of the minister, allowing Members another opportunity to raise
concerns and seek further information on government decisions.

Select committees
Committees are an important resource for the House of Lords and conduct wide-ranging inquiries
into policy issues and government decisions. During inquiries, members hear evidence from
ministers, experts and relevant organizations.

The Science and Technology Committee operates normally through two sub-committees
enabling it to carry out two inquiries at a time. Many of its members are distinguished scientists
with experience of high office in science policy-making, university and industrial research, clinical
medicine and so on. It has published reports on the scientific aspects of aging, avian flu and water
management. It recently examined the role of nanotechnologies in food production and packaging.
The Constitution Committee examines public bills that raise significant constitutional issues. It
constantly reviews the operation of the UK constitution and keeps a check on any broader
government policy that might affect the constitution. The committee members include senior
lawyers, former ministers and academic experts on the constitution. They have examined issues
such as the workings of devolution, the government’s war making powers and the Identity Cards
Bill.
The Economic Affairs Committee considers economic affairs and reviews aspects of the Finance
Bill and the work of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee. Its members are experts
on economic issues and have included former Chancellors of the Exchequer, senior Treasury
officials and high-profile business leaders.

The Communications Committee looks at a broad range of broadcasting and communications

issues, including those affecting new media and creative industries. It has conducted inquiries into
public service broadcasting and the ownership of the news and media, called for enhanced tax
breaks for low-budget films made in the UK, and for new tax incentives to encourage video games
producers to stay in the UK.

The end