Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

House of Lords Reform

Thursday 5 December 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 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government brought forward the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill to remove hereditary peers' rights to sit and vote.
  • Political parties nominating for peerages must publish a 150-word summary explaining their nomination.
  • The Bill passed the House unamended and will have its Second Reading next week.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The question addresses recent progress in the reform of the House of Lords, focusing on changes to hereditary peers' rights and transparency in nominations.

Question

What recent progress his Department has made on reform of the House of Lords. This includes the introduction of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill which removes the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote, and measures to increase transparency for peerage nominations by political parties.

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

The Government have brought forward the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill to remove hereditary peers' rights, which has passed this House unamended. A written ministerial statement ensures political parties nominating for peerages must publish a 150-word summary explaining their nomination. The Bill will have its Second Reading in the other place next week.

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Q2 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The supplementary question addresses the Government's mandate for further House of Lords reforms, particularly regarding the abolition of the hereditary principle.

Question

Does he agree that we have a mandate for reform, and while respecting individuals, we are absolutely determined as a Government to progress the abolition of the hereditary principle in lawmaking?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; it should not be the case that places are reserved by accident of birth in a modern legislature. The Bill has passed this House unamended and will have its Second Reading next week. We want to get the Bill on to the statute book as soon as possible.

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