Functions of the House of Lords

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746 peers 92 hereditary 26 bishops 12 law lords
Study the diagram of the Lords. How is it
different from the Commons? ?What would you
reform about the Lords?
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Membership of HoL

• Lords Temporal (Peers that have been created by
  the monarch on the advice of the PM)
• Lords Spiritual (26 most senior bishops)
• Hereditary peers (Peers who inherited their
  title)
• Life peers (Appointed as members for life, i.e.
  non-hereditary)
• Non-party or peoples peers (Recommended on the
  advice of the public by the Appointments
  Commission)
• Crossbenchers (Independent peers)

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Do we still need an Upper Chamber?
? LOs

• To identify its key functions and compare them
  with the HoC
• TBAT identify explain key reforms in the powers
  and functions of HoLo

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? Starter

• Read through Watts, p.185-6 and in your notes
  record the similarities differences between the
  two chambers.
• ? Do you think the Lords does any of these jobs
  better than the Commons?

Differences from the HoC Similarities with HoC

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Comparisons
Differences from the HoC Similarities with HoC
Unelected Lords (not MPs) Life, Hereditary Peoples Second Chamber has a secondary role Not paid Judicial role includes Law Lords Includes clerics bishops archbishops Scrutinises Debates Select committees (though not departmental) Whips Speaker (though called Lord Chancellor in HoL) Acts as a check on govt.
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? Your task

• Read Watts, p.185-6 and create a timeline of
  reform of the HoL. Look for these dates in
  particular
• 1911 1949
• 1958
• 1998
• ?Extension. Add these dates, too 1999, 2000,
  2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009

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The history of reform

• 1911 Parliament Act Lords lose power to veto
  bills or delay bills more than two years
• 1945 Salisbury Doctrine estd. ensures Labour
  govts manifesto commitments to nationalisation
  welfare state are not overturned in Lords
• 1949 Parliament Act Lords block Labour steel
  nationalisation plans. Delaying power cut to one
  year.

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• 1958 First life peers created by Harold
  Macmillan. Women peers arrive.
• 1998 House of Lords act, first stage of reform,
  only 92 hereditary peers left
• 2000 Wakeham Report published with
  recommendations for second stage of reform,
  including largely appointed chamber

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• Nov 2001 New Labour unveils final stage House of
  Lords reform. Stiff opposition from MPs from all
  parties to call for only 20 of peers to be
  elected by public
• March 2003 Queens speech introduced bill to end
  hereditary peers entirely
• March 2004 Reform of House of Lords kicked into
  the long grass

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• 2006, Speaker of House of Lords
• 2009 - Supreme Court -

Baroness Hayman
? Extension task. Visit the Supreme Court website
and produce a factoid on its history and current
cases being heard there.
Supreme Court
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? Your task

• Study Roberts, p.287-8 and Watts p.186-7 and
  create a spider diagram summarising the key
  functions of the HoL
• Consideration and revision of Bills
• Initiation of legislation
• Power of delay
• Deliberation
• Other roles, e.g. scrutiny, ministerial posts etc.

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This house believes that the Lords are in need of
further reform.
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? Homework

• Write up the notes from todays lessons. Use
  p.187-9 and produce a scales chart, recording
  evidence the Lords does need reform and evidence
  it doesnt. Underneath reach a judgement.
• Conduct some online research into the current
  position of the coalition government on reform of
  the Lords

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? Plenary

• Lords Temporal Spiritual / Peoples Peers
• Key functions of the Lords
• Key reforms, e.g. 1911 1949
• Case for keeping Lords
• Case for further reform
• ?Extension. Why have people resisted reform of
  the HoL?