House of Lords

Question 1

Why do the hereditary peers face so much criticism

Answer 1

• cost the tax payer £50 million since 2001
• the average age is 71
• half went to Eton
• they speak far less than life peers

Question 2

HoL is effective at legislating

Answer 2

• Approximately 1/4 is crossbench so is more bipartisan
• since the 1999 reform they are far more likely to challenge government

Question 3

HoL is not effective at legislating

Answer 3

• the Parliament act of 1949 makes the Lords weaker than the Commons because they can only delay bills for a year
• Salisbury convention means the lords cant block anything in the governments manifesto

Question 4

Examples of the Lords stopping legislation

Answer 4

• In December 2020 the Lords forced the government to U turn the internal markets bill to protect the rights of the devolved parliament
  Legal aid - In March 2013, the government suffered a defeat in the Lords over its plans to cut the legal aid budget by £350 million

Question 5

Examples of the Lords being ignored

Answer 5

• All defeats by the Lords on both the EU withdrawal bill and the Article 50 bill were overturned in the Commons
• The Lords returned the Welfare reform Bill with seven amendments for the Commons and all were ignored

Question 6

Lords effective at scrutiny

Answer 6

• there is no government majority in Lords
• increased independence and time to debate
• the use of permanent committees to provide full scrutiny

Question 7

Lords ineffective at scrutiny

Answer 7

• There is no direct form for the Lords to scrutinise the government
• there is a lack of departmental Select committees to effectively scrutinise
• the Lords cannot question and check the PM

Question 8

Example to Lords scrutiny

Answer 8

The constitution committee examines the constitutional implications of public bills coming before the House

Question 9

Lords can represent

Answer 9

• they don’t have to worry about re-election so can discuss more unpopular and controversial topics, for example, asylum and protection of Human Rights is not something that is electorally popular
• they appreciate their oath to work to protect the values of the public
• they represent areas of expertise outside of politics

Question 10

Lords cannot represent

Answer 10

• They are unelected so no accountability
• they have no people who they directly represent (Constituents)
• The structure of the Lords works against increases of women’s membership as hereditary peerages pass down to first-born son

Question 11

Example of Lords using expertise

Answer 11

The zoologist John Krebs chairs the Lords’ Science and Technology Committee

Question 12

Example of Lords lack of representation

Answer 12

Women make up only 14% of the Lords