Overview

This bill aims to completely remove hereditary peers from the House of Lords, ending the system of by-elections for hereditary peerages and phasing out their presence in the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. It amends the House of Lords Act 1999 to achieve this.

Description

The bill makes several key changes to the House of Lords Act 1999:

• Removal of By-elections: It eliminates the by-election system used to fill vacancies created by the deaths of hereditary peers.
• Phased Removal of Hereditary Peers: It phases out hereditary peers over time. Those who were members before a specific date (the day before the House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Act 2018 was passed) will be allowed to remain, but future by-elections will not replenish the numbers. No new hereditary peers will be added.
• Amendments to existing act: The bill amends several sections of the 1999 Act to reflect these changes, removing clauses relating to by-elections and exceptions to the exclusion of hereditary peers.
• Geographical Extent: The bill applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
• Commencement: The bill's clauses concerning the removal of the by-election system will have effect until the end of the 2020 parliamentary session. The clause concerning the total removal of hereditary peers will take effect at the start of the parliamentary session following the end of the 2020 session.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to have a significant direct impact on government spending. The cost savings, if any, would likely be minimal and related to administrative functions associated with by-elections for hereditary peers.

Groups Affected

• Hereditary Peers: Those currently sitting as hereditary peers will be affected by the phased removal. Those in the House of Lords on a specific date will be permitted to remain. Those appointed after that date will be ineligible.
• House of Lords: The composition of the House of Lords will change gradually, leading to a reduction in the number of hereditary peers over time. Eventually, no more hereditary peers will be part of the House of Lords.
• The UK Public: The public will see a change in the composition of the House of Lords, reflecting a move towards a more appointed, rather than inherited, upper chamber.

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