HOUSE OF LORDS

What is it?What is its Current Role?

What Reforms has it went through?What Reforms are ongoing

What is it?• The UK is a BICAMERAL system –

meaning it has two Chambers in its democratic system.

• ’The House of Lords is the UK’s Second Chamber of Parliament

• Its Main aim is to Scrutinise and delay Legislation being put forward by the Government.

Origins

• From 1500 it had EQUAL status to the House of Commons

• (The House of Commons was both Elected and much bigger than the Lords!)

• MEMBERSHIP was – By INHERITANCE – By being made a PEER

Origins

• From the 1600s the Commons took the Chief role in policy making

• The House of Lords was Conservative and tended to support the Monarch

19th / 20th Centuries

• HOL played MINOR role in Government

• By CONVENTION its role was limited

• It was to play NO PART in financial bills

• It was meant to simply agree on what the elected house had passed.. And perhaps suggest Ammendments.

19th / 20th Centuries

• This Convention however was challenged – The House of Lords

rejected the Irish Home Rule Bill AFTER the House of Commons had PASSED it.

– It did so again with a Progressive Liberal budget

– REFORM was called for

20th Century Reform

• PARLIAMENT ACT 1911

• Prevented the Lords exercising a VETO (rejecting) any Bill

• Its role was reduced to DELAYING for a maximum of three Parliamentary sessions

• (In 1949 this was reduced to 1 session)

20th Century Reform

• The 1911 Act did NOT change the Membership of the Lords

• This remained made up of unelected Hereditary Peers, Bishops and Law Lords

• In 1950s Life Peers were introduced – appointed by PM for Life only

ROLE OF HOL • Custom dictates the Role

as it is an unwritten part of the Constitution

1. SCRUTINISE THE EXECUTIVE: The Lords has a Question time and every Government department has a Peer linked to it

2. DEBATE BILLS – All Bills have to be passed by HOL and HOC

3. REVISE BILLS – HOC sometimes has little time to deal properly with Bills- The HOL makes many amendments and returns it to the HOC – Pressure groups often rely on the HOL to make changes

ROLE OF H.O.L 4. DELAY Bills: It has the ability to delay

bills it feels are wrong or inadequate. This has been criticised by Government however as ‘Holding Tactics’ and leads to Government restricting Power

5. TO CHECK A GOVERNMENT – A Government with a large majority may be able to steamroller bills – The Lords acts as a brake on excessive legislation – Fox hunting

6. Non controversial matters – Many of these non controversial matters require legislation which the Commons has little time for

ROLE OF H.O.L 4. Examine Bills and Debate- The party

whip is not as strong in HOL and this allows for better debate

5. Debate major issues – Controversial issues such as Genetic engineering may be discussed freely without constraints of HOC

6. Provide Ministers – The HOL may provide Ministers who do not have to worry about Constituents- This is a good way of bringing talent into the Government