Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

House of Lords Appointments: Diversity

Thursday 29 February 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Gwynne inquired about the assessment of trends in diversity for House of Lords appointments since 2010.
  • Female representation has increased to 29.1 percent and ethnic minority representation to 6.6 percent as of November 2021.
  • The Minister defended the practice of former Prime Minister Liz Truss using a resignation list to appoint individuals to the House of Lords.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Standards & Ethics
Context

The question is prompted by a need to assess progress in diversity within the House of Lords.

Question

What assessment has his Department made of trends in the diversity of appointments to the House of Lords?

Answer from Esther McVey

Since 2010, female representation has risen to 29.1% and ethnic minority representation had risen by November 2021—to 6.6%. Those are the latest verified figures I have.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The question is prompted by criticism over appointments made following a resignation.

Question

That is good progress, but can the Minister explain why her right hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss)—Liz of the 50-day reign—was allowed to award her mates for their part in her failure with jobs for life in the legislature? Is she proud of that?

Answer from Esther McVey

It is a long-standing tradition that anybody who reaches the height of Prime Minister—irrespective of which party that is for—has a resignation list. The former Prime Minister has appointed accomplished people, and I am quite sure that they will contribute significantly to the other House.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific criticism about awarding mates was not directly addressed.

How: A Long-Standing Tradition

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email