The House of Lords

Question 1

Legislative power in detail

Answer 1

The UK Parliament which approves new laws & make decision

▸House of Commons: make laws & debate proposals
▸House of Lords: check proposed laws & suggest amendments
▸ The King: approves laws

Question 2

Bicameral

Answer 2

UK Parliament divided in two houses, the HOL being the upper house.

Question 3

How are members appointed in the HOL?

Answer 3

most new members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Sovereign, on the advice of the PM.

Question 4

How many members in the HOL?

Answer 4

760, the majority are life peers.

Question 5

What is characteristic of the HOL?

Answer 5

its “independence of thought”

Question 6

Colour of the HOL?

Answer 6

Red leather seats

Question 7

The Lords Spiritual

Answer 7

= The Clergy which makes up a total of 26 members, including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and 24 other senior bishops.

Question 8

The Lords Speaker

Answer 8

• mostly ceremonial duties within the HOL.
• exists only since 2006, replacing the Lord Chancellor’s post.
• The Lord Speaker is elected by members of the House of Lords for a period of five years, renewable once. ▶ Speaker becomes unaffiliated from any party and is not expected to vote.

Currently Lord McFall

Question 9

The Leader of the House

Answer 9

• a member of the Cabinet
• are responsible for the Government’s business in the HOL.

Currently Baroness Evans

Question 10

The HOL’s tasks

Answer 10

• Scrutinising laws and questioning the Government
• Approving laws
• Act as a safeguard as they represent the Unwritten Constitution

Question 11

How is a new law made?

Answer 11

All bills have to be considered by both Houses of Parliament before they can become law through the Royal Assent.

During several stages, members examine each bill, line-by-line, before it becomes an Act of Parliament (i.e. an actual law)

Question 12

Question time

Answer 12

Members scrutinise the work of the Government during Question time.
They debate for 30min in the chamber, where Government ministers must respond.

Question 13

Reform of the House of Lords

Answer 13

• 19th & 20th century > numerous reforms of the House of Lords to make it more democratic.
• Paramount was : The Representation of the People Actn, 1832 (aka the Great Reform Act) Increased the electorate.

Question 14

1999, The House of Lords Act

Answer 14

• removed the automatic right of aristocrats to sit in the house of Lords.
• removed most of the hereditary Peers.

Question 15

Constitutional Reform Act

Answer 15

2005,
The post of Lord Speaker was created

Question 16

What did David Cameron want?

Answer 16

David Cameron’s coalition government agreed following the 2010 General Election, on a wholly or mainly elected second chamber, elected by a proportional representation system.

These proposals have sparked an ongoing debate (still didn’t pass yet)

Question 17

The HOL Reform Bill 2012

Answer 17

The bill would have made the United Kingdom’s upper chamber mostly elected. It was abandoned by the British Government because of opposition from Conservative party backbenchers. (The Tories were against it).