Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

House of Lords Reform

Thursday 24 October 2024 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Abtisam Mohamed questioned the need for hereditary places in the House of Lords, suggesting they preserve aristocratic privilege.
  • The Minister responded that hereditary privilege in the House of Lords is surprising given the Conservative party's current stance.
  • Sarah Olney inquired about a timeframe for further legislation on democratic reform of the House of Lords and safeguards against cronyism.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Abtisam Mohamed Lab Sheffield Central
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill was supported by the government and passed in the first 100 days. The bill aims to remove hereditary peers' right to sit and vote.

Question

What steps are being taken to reform the House of Lords, given that it is not reflective of society or regions like South Yorkshire and Sheffield? Does there need to be a change in places reserved for certain families?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

The Conservative party stands for few things currently, and it was astonishing that one of them is hereditary privilege in the House of Lords.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Q2 Abtisam Mohamed Lab Sheffield Central
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill was supported by the government and passed in the first 100 days, aiming to remove hereditary peers' right to sit and vote.

Question

Does the Minister agree that places reserved for certain families should end in the House of Lords as it only preserves aristocracy's privilege?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Conservative party stands for few things currently, and it was astonishing that one of them is hereditary privilege in the House of Lords.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Q3 Sarah Olney Lib Dem Richmond Park
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill was supported by the government and passed in the first 100 days, aiming to remove hereditary peers' right to sit and vote. The bill is seen as an initial step towards broader reform.

Question

Will the Minister outline a timeframe for further legislation on democratic reform of the House of Lords? Can he assure that safeguards against cronyism will be implemented with improved mechanisms for reviewing appointments?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

We want the current Bill on the statute book as soon as possible. We will then move on to the second stage of reforms, looking carefully to build a consensus for a smaller, better value House of Lords that provides more considered scrutiny. Specific points about the appointments process will be considered.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeframe and assurances against cronyism were not provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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