Overview

This bill aims to completely remove hereditary peers from the House of Lords, ending the system where they could inherit a seat. It repeals the by-election system for hereditary peers and phases out their presence in the House of Lords.

Description

The House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill amends the House of Lords Act 1999. Its key changes are:

• Removal of By-elections: The bill abolishes the by-election system that allowed for the election of new hereditary peers to fill vacancies.
• Phased Removal of Hereditary Peers: The bill initially keeps in place those hereditary peers who were members of the House of Lords before a specified date (before the House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Act 2018 was passed). However, a later phase (beginning after December 31st, 2020), will remove all remaining hereditary peers completely.
• Amendments to the 1999 Act: The bill makes several amendments to the 1999 Act to reflect the removal of the by-election system and the eventual complete exclusion of hereditary peers.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to significantly impact government spending. The costs will likely be associated with administrative changes to the House of Lords' processes. No specific figures were provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Hereditary Peers: This bill will directly affect hereditary peers, eventually removing all of them from the House of Lords. Those already in place before a specified date will be grandfathered in before being phased out.
• House of Lords: The composition and operation of the House of Lords will be fundamentally altered by this legislation, requiring adjustments to its procedures and internal processes.
• The UK Public: The bill may indirectly affect the public through changes to the legislative process and the representation of different viewpoints within Parliament.

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