Overview

This bill aims to amend the House of Lords Act 1999, eliminating by-elections for hereditary peers. Instead of filling vacancies created by death, retirement, resignation, or expulsion of hereditary peers, the number of hereditary peers allowed in the House of Lords will remain capped at 90.

Description

The bill modifies Section 2 of the House of Lords Act 1999. Specifically, it replaces subsection (2) to limit the number of hereditary peers to 90 at any given time. Further, it replaces subsection (4) to state that any vacancies amongst these 90 hereditary peers, arising after the bill's enactment, will not be filled by further appointments. This effectively abolishes by-elections for hereditary peerages. The Act extends to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to significantly impact government spending. The main change is administrative; it eliminates the cost associated with holding by-elections for hereditary peer positions. No specific figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Hereditary Peers: The bill directly affects hereditary peers by removing the possibility of filling vacancies through by-elections. This limits their overall numbers in the House of Lords.
• House of Lords: The composition of the House of Lords will be permanently altered, resulting in a fixed number of hereditary peers.
• Government: The government will experience a simplification of the process for managing the composition of the House of Lords.

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