House of Lords Amendments - House of Lords Bill

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Here you can browse the Amendment to the House of Lords Bill to be moved on Report in the House of Lords.

After Clause 1

BY THE LORD PEARSON OF RANNOCH

     Insert the following new Clause-- Membership of the House of Lords.

    ("  .--(1)  From the day on which this Act comes into force, the members of the House of Lords who shall be entitled to sit and vote in that House shall be--
(a)  the Lords Spiritual;

(b)  any holder of a peerage under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876;

(c)  not more than 700 peers who are elected in accordance with subsections (4) and (5);

(d)  any person who became a member of the House of Lords by virtue of the Life Peerages Act 1958 in any of the 4 Sessions preceding the Session in which this Act is passed; and

(e)  subject to subsection (2) below, any person who receives a writ of summons to attend the House of Lords by virtue of the Life Peerages Act 1958 after the date on which this Act is passed.
    (2)  Any person who receives a writ of summons under subsection (1)(e) shall be entitled to sit and to vote in the House of Lords for a period of 5 years, after which he may stand for election under subsections (4) and (5).

    (3)  From the day on which this Act comes into force--

(i)  all peers who would have been entitled to receive a writ of summons by virtue of the Life Peerages Act 1958 to attend the House of Lords but for the passing of this Act, and
(ii)  all peers who have been members of that House under subsection (1)(e) for a period of 5 years,

shall be entitled to sit, but not to vote, in proceedings in that House.

    (4)  The members of the House under subsection (1)(c) shall be comprised of not more than--
(a)  240 Cross Bench peers elected by Cross Bench peers;

(b)  200 Labour peers elected by Labour peers;

(c)  200 Conservative peers elected by Conservative peers; and

(d)  60 Liberal Democrat peers elected by Liberal Democrat peers.
    (5)  The electors for the purposes of subsection (1)(c) and (4) shall be members of the House of Lords at the date on which the election is held who--
(a)  have attended at least 10 per cent of sitting days in each of the 2 Sessions preceding the election, or

(b)  if they have become a member of the House in either of the 2 Sessions preceding the election, have attended at least ten percent of sitting days since the day on which they were introduced.
    (6)  The Clerk of the Parliaments shall certify--
(a)  the number of days of attendance of each member, and

(b)  the total number of days on which the House sat,
referred to in subsection (5).

    (7)  Standing Orders of the House of Lords shall make provision relating to the holding and conduct of elections under this section, and that such elections shall be held at intervals of 7 years.

    (8)  Subject to subsection (10), the Lord Chancellor may by order made by statutory instrument amend any number specified in subsection (4), but only to give effect to a resolution of the House of Lords.

    (9)  An order under subsection (8) shall be laid in draft before, and shall be subject to the affirmative resolution of, each House of Parliament.

    (10)  The two political parties with the largest number of seats in the House of Commons shall be entitled to equal representation in the House of Lords.

    (11)  Any question whether a person is elected under this section shall be decided by the Clerk of the Parliaments.")

© Parliamentary copyright 1999
Prepared 28 May 1999

	After Clause 1
	BY THE LORD PEARSON OF RANNOCH
	Insert the following new Clause--		Membership of the House of Lords.
	(" .--(1) From the day on which this Act comes into force, the members of the House of Lords who shall be entitled to sit and vote in that House shall be-- (a) the Lords Spiritual; (b) any holder of a peerage under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876; (c) not more than 700 peers who are elected in accordance with subsections (4) and (5); (d) any person who became a member of the House of Lords by virtue of the Life Peerages Act 1958 in any of the 4 Sessions preceding the Session in which this Act is passed; and (e) subject to subsection (2) below, any person who receives a writ of summons to attend the House of Lords by virtue of the Life Peerages Act 1958 after the date on which this Act is passed. (2) Any person who receives a writ of summons under subsection (1)(e) shall be entitled to sit and to vote in the House of Lords for a period of 5 years, after which he may stand for election under subsections (4) and (5). (3) From the day on which this Act comes into force--
	(i) all peers who would have been entitled to receive a writ of summons by virtue of the Life Peerages Act 1958 to attend the House of Lords but for the passing of this Act, and (ii) all peers who have been members of that House under subsection (1)(e) for a period of 5 years,
	shall be entitled to sit, but not to vote, in proceedings in that House. (4) The members of the House under subsection (1)(c) shall be comprised of not more than-- (a) 240 Cross Bench peers elected by Cross Bench peers; (b) 200 Labour peers elected by Labour peers; (c) 200 Conservative peers elected by Conservative peers; and (d) 60 Liberal Democrat peers elected by Liberal Democrat peers. (5) The electors for the purposes of subsection (1)(c) and (4) shall be members of the House of Lords at the date on which the election is held who-- (a) have attended at least 10 per cent of sitting days in each of the 2 Sessions preceding the election, or (b) if they have become a member of the House in either of the 2 Sessions preceding the election, have attended at least ten percent of sitting days since the day on which they were introduced. (6) The Clerk of the Parliaments shall certify-- (a) the number of days of attendance of each member, and (b) the total number of days on which the House sat, referred to in subsection (5). (7) Standing Orders of the House of Lords shall make provision relating to the holding and conduct of elections under this section, and that such elections shall be held at intervals of 7 years. (8) Subject to subsection (10), the Lord Chancellor may by order made by statutory instrument amend any number specified in subsection (4), but only to give effect to a resolution of the House of Lords. (9) An order under subsection (8) shall be laid in draft before, and shall be subject to the affirmative resolution of, each House of Parliament. (10) The two political parties with the largest number of seats in the House of Commons shall be entitled to equal representation in the House of Lords. (11) Any question whether a person is elected under this section shall be decided by the Clerk of the Parliaments.")