Overview

This bill proposes major reforms to the House of Lords, establishing an independent Appointments Commission to recommend life peerages, reducing the number of hereditary peers, and introducing rules for permanent leave of absence and expulsion for serious criminal offences. The aim is to make the House of Lords more representative and accountable.

Description

Appointments Commission: A nine-member commission, with a balance of political affiliations and independent members, will be created to recommend life peers to the Crown. Recommendations must meet criteria including "conspicuous merit" and ability to contribute to the Lords' work. The commission will aim for a House of Lords with at least 20% independent members, no single party majority, and a government majority not exceeding 3% over the opposition. The commission will also aim to keep the size of the House of Lords below that of the House of Commons.

Hereditary Peers: The number of hereditary peers allowed in the House of Lords will be further reduced to a maximum of 92, with no replacements for those who die.

Permanent Leave of Absence: Lords can be granted permanent leave of absence if they apply or if they fail to attend for a significant portion of a session (over three months), unless there are extenuating circumstances. This will result in them losing their seats.

Expulsion for Criminal Offences: Lords convicted of serious criminal offences (resulting in imprisonment of over a year) will be expelled from the House.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending figures. The main cost will likely be related to establishing and running the Appointments Commission and any associated administrative changes.

Groups Affected

• Hereditary Peers: Many will lose their seats.
• Aspiring Peers: The process for becoming a life peer will change significantly.
• Political Parties: Their influence on the composition of the House of Lords will be reduced.
• House of Lords Members: Their attendance and conduct will be subject to new rules regarding leave of absence and expulsion.
• The Public: The bill aims to improve the representativeness and accountability of the House of Lords.

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