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Browse the full sessional statistics, which provide a breakdown of the work of the House of Lords for each session of Parliament.
(Excluding Grand Committees)
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| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06‡ | 2004-05†|
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| Sittings of the House in the session |
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1. | Number of sitting days (excluding days when the House sat for judicial business only and swearing in days) | 164 | 142 | 206 | 63 |
2. | Number of weeks during which the House sat | 40 | 35 | 50 | 16 |
3. | Number of Friday sittings | 12 | 9 | 14 | 2 |
4. | Number of hours for which the House sat* | 1110:09 | 926:19 | 1372:44 | 459:01 |
5. | Average daily attendance | 413 | 415 | 403 | 388 |
| Length of sittings |
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6. | Average length of sitting* | 6:46 | 6:31 | 6:39 | 7:17 |
7. | Number of sittings continuing beyond 10pm | 53 | 36 | 54 | 22 |
8. | Number of sittings continuing to 10:40pm and beyond | 18 | 12 | 21 | 10 |
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9. | Number of divisions | 125 | 104 | 192 | 67 |
i) | Government victories in divisions | 93 75% | 54 52% | 124 65% | 27 40% |
ii) | Government defeats in divisions | 29 23% | 45 43% | 62 32% | 37 55% |
iii) | Unwhipped divisions | 3 2% | 5 5% | 6 3% | 3 5% |
2007-08 | 6 November 2007 to 26 November 2008 |
2006-07 | 15 November 2006 to 30 October 2007 |
2005-06‡ | 17 May 2005 to 8 November 2006 |
2004-05†| 23 November 2004 to 7 April 2005 |
‡ This session, the first of the current Parliament, ran from May 2005 to November 2006. (Typically sessions run from November to November.)
†This session, the last of the previous Parliament, ran from November 2004 to April 2005. (Typically sessions run from November to November.)
All-night sitting 10-11 March 2005: This is counted as a single sitting on Thursday 10 March.
* Time is shown in the form hours: minutes. Time shown includes adjournments during pleasure (breaks during a sitting). See How the time of the House was spent for details.
A government victory or defeat is defined as one where at least one of the tellers is a government whip. Unwhipped divisions are divisions where none of the tellers is a government whip, so the Government in the Lords has not taken a formal position on the question being voted upon.
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| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06‡ | 2004-05†|
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1. | Oral Questions (up to four questions totalling 30 minutes each day) | 595 | 519 | 743 | 228 |
2. | Private Notice Questions (oral questions on urgent matters, up to 10 minutes of questions and answers) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
3. | Questions for Written Answer answered | 5814 | 5118 | 7374 | 1877 |
| Debates - Number of motions in each category: |
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4. | General back-bench debates (allocated by party/group) | 36 | 23 | 52 | 15 |
5. | General back-bench debates (allocated by ballot and time-limited to 2½ hours) | 13 | 14 | 22 | 8 |
6. | Other general back-bench debates (not on the normal debate day) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
7. | General ‘take note’ debates initiated by the Government | 6 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
8. | Debates on Select Committee reports - total | 27 | 24 | 32 | 10 |
i) | On European Union Committee reports | 10 | 13 | 15 | 5 |
ii) | On other investigative Select Committee reports | 11 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
iii) | On domestic Select Committee reports (administration & procedure) | 6 | 4 | 12 | 2 |
9. | Questions for Short Debate - total | 45 | 55 | 89 | 14 |
i) | Taken in normal time | 15 | 29 | 51 | 11 |
ii) | Taken in the dinner/lunch break | 30 | 26 | 38 | 3 |
10. | Motion for an Address on the Queen’s Speech | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
11. | Motions for an Address not on the Queen’s Speech or on delegated legislation | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Statements |
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12. | Ministerial Statements made and debated in the House | 63 | 59 | 71 | 23 |
13. | Written Statements | 1242 | 1043 | 1648 | 406 |
| Delegated Legislation |
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14. | Motions to approve affirmative instruments | 185 | 169 | 219 | 102 |
15. | Motions to annul negative instruments | 17 | 6 | 11 | 2 |
16. | Other proceedings on delegated legislation | 6 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
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| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06‡ | 2004-05†|
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| The time of the House was spent approximately as follows (with percentages of total sitting time): | ||||
1. | Prayers (six minutes at the start of each sitting day) | 14:00 1.3% | 11:40 1.3% | 16:48 1.2% | 5:06 1.0% |
2. | Introductions of new Members | 1:41 0.2% | 1:46 0.2% | 7:39 0.6% | 0:12 <0.1% |
3. | Oral Questions (up to four questions totalling 30 minutes each day) | 75:54 6.8% | 64:46 7% | 92:54 6.8% | 28:47 6.2% |
4. | Private Notice Questions (oral questions on urgent matters, up to 10 minutes of questions and answers) | 0:31 <0.1% | 0:18 <0.1% | 0:21 <0.1% | 0:11 <0.1% |
5. | General backbench debates (allocated by party/group) | 90:39 8.2% | 88:04 9.5% | 137:41 10.0% | 39:24 8.4% |
6. | General backbench debates (allocated by ballot and time time-limited to 2½ hours) | 26:54 2.4% | 28:44 3.1% | 44:12 3.2% | 18:31 4.0% |
7. | Other general backbench debates (not on the normal debate day) | 4:14 0.4% | 0:00 0% | 4:29 0.3% | 0:00 0% |
8. | General ‘take note’ debates initiated by the Government | 20:17 1.8% | 43:25 4.7% | 20:53 1.5% | 9:07 2.4% |
9. | Debates on Select Committee reports - total | 37:17 3.4% | 35:27 3.8% | 59:48 4.4% | 18:38 3.9% |
i) | European Union Committee reports | 14:46 1.3% | 20:53 2.3% | 34:28 2.5% | 8:04 1.7% |
ii) | Science and Technology Committee reports | 4:30 0.4% | 1:56 0.2% | 10:51 0.8% | 5:06 1.0% |
iii) | Economic Affairs Committee reports | 5:49 0.5% | 3:09 0.3% | 3:33 0.3% | 0:00 0% |
iv) | Joint Committee on Human Rights reports | 1:00 0.1% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% |
v) | Constitution Committee reports | 1:49 0.2% | 3:45 0.4% | 0:00 0% | 2:11 0.5% |
vi) | Communications Committee reports | 4:26 0.4% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% |
vii) | Reports of ad hoc committees | 1:46 0.2% | 4:22 0.5% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% |
viii) | Domestic Select Committee reports (administration & procedure) | 3:11 0.3% | 1:22 0.1% | 10:56 0.8% | 3:17 0.7% |
10. | Questions for Short Debate - total | 45:22 4.1% | 57:04 6.1% | 95:25 7.0% | 15:07 3.2% |
i) | Taken in normal time | 17:43 1.6% | 31:44 3.4% | 59:50 4.2% | 12:23 2.6% |
ii) | Taken in the dinner/lunch break | 27:39 2.5% | 25:20 2.7% | 37:35 2.8% | 2:44 0.6% |
11. | Motion for an Address on the Queen’s Speech | 32:02 2.9% | 32:43 3.5% | 32:15 2.3% | 25:28 5.4% |
12. | Motions for an Address not on the Queen’s Speech or on delegated legislation | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:11 <0.1% | 0:00 0% |
13. | Ministerial Statements made and debated in the House | 50:24 4.5% | 45:46 4.9% | 52:13 3.8% | 18:21 4.0% |
14. | Church of England Measures | 0:19 <0.1% | 0:20 <0.1% | 0:14 <0.1% | 0:21 <0.1% |
15. | 623:20 56.1% | 446:13 48.2% | 719:49 52.4% | 228:28 49.7% | |
16. | Private Bills | 2:35 0.2% | 1:22 0.1% | 5:14 0.4% | 0:01 <0.1% |
17. | Approval of affirmative instruments | 40:14 3.6% | 35:21 3.8% | 42:09 3.1% | 23:06 5.0% |
18. | Motions to annul negative instruments | 9:16 0.8% | 7:50 0.8% | 6:42 0.5% | 1:03 0.2% |
19. | Other proceedings on delegated legislation | 5:06 0.5% | 5:21 0.6% | 5:36 0.4% | 1:06 0.2% |
20. | Formal business | 3:53 0.3% | 3:13 0.3% | 5:18 0.4% | 2:21 0.5% |
21. | Adjournments during pleasure (breaks during a sitting) | 25:58 2.3% | 13:31 1.5% | 12:43 0.9% | 26:02 5.4% |
22. | Other (tributes, unusual events and procedures) | 0:13 <0.1% | 3:17 0.3% | 1:23 0.1% | 0:10 <0.1% |
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| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06‡ | 2004-05†|
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| Public Bills (including hybrid Bills - time spent in Grand Committee is excluded) | ||||
| The time spent on Bills (with percentages of total sitting time) was as follows: |
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1. | Public Bills - total | 623:20 56.1% | 446:13 48.2% | 719:49 52.4% | 228:28 49.8% |
2. | Public Bills according to House the bill was introduced into: |
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i) | Bills which started in the Lords | 203:34 18.3% | 203:39 22% | 217:29 15.8% | 91:08 19.8% |
ii) | Bills which started in the Commons | 419:46 37.8% | 242:34 26.2% | 502:20 36.6% | 137:20 30% |
3. | Public Bills according to type: |
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i) | Government Bills | 594:59 53.6% | 402:57 43.5% | 687:57 50.1% | 223:11 48.6% |
ii) | Private Members’ Bills | 28:21 2.5% | 43:16 4.7% | 31:52 2.3% | 5:17 1.2% |
4. | Time spent on second readings - total | 121:04 10.9% | 111:19 12% | 161:56 22.5% | 62:02 13.5% |
| Second reading according to type: |
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| a) Government Bills which started in the Lords | 27:30 2.5% | 24:14 2.6% | 33:51 4.7% | 18:08 4% |
| b) Government Bills which started in the Commons | 72:25 6.5% | 48:13 5.2% | 97:44 13.6% | 38:43 8.4% |
| c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords | 19:14 1.7% | 36:17 3.9% | 25:46 3.6% | 5:11 1.1% |
| d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons | 1:55 0.2% | 2:35 0.3% | 4:35 0.6% | 0:00 0% |
5 | Time spent at committee stage - total | 258:36 23.3% | 171:16 18.5% | 248:44 34.6% | 73:27 16% |
| Committee stage according to type: |
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| a) Government Bills which started in the Lords | 60:12 5.4% | 73:03 7.9% | 48:39 6.8% | 10:59 2.4% |
| b) Government Bills which started in the Commons | 191:41 17.3% | 95:17 10.3% | 198:59 27.7% | 62:26 13.6% |
| c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords | 6:38 0.6% | 2:14 0.2% | 1:04 0.1% | 0:02 <0.1% |
| d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons | 0:05 <0.1% | 0:42 0.1% | 0:02 <0.1% | 0:00 0% |
6 | Time spent at report stage - total | 189:50 17.1% | 118:45 12.8% | 212:39 29.5% | 55:05 12% |
| Report stage according to type: |
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| a) Government Bills which started in the Lords | 66:19 6.0% | 48:44 5.3% | 72:41 10.1% | 38:07 8.3% |
| b) Government Bills which started in the Commons | 123:25 11.1% | 69:05 7.4% | 139:54 19.4% | 16:58 3.7% |
| c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords | 0:06 <0.1% | 0:55 0.1% | 0:04 <0.1% | 0:00 0% |
| d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons | 0:00 0% | 0:01 <0.1% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% |
7 | Time spent on third readings - total | 35:03 3.1% | 22:17 2.4% | 57:14 8% | 21:14 4.6% |
| Third reading according to type: |
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| a) Government Bills which started in the Lords | 11:22 1.0% | 7:10 0.8% | 20:36 2.9% | 10:21 2.3% |
| b) Government Bills which started in the Commons | 23:18 2.0% | 14:35 1.6% | 36:31 5% | 10:52 2.3% |
| c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords | 0:11 <0.1% | 0:20 <0.1% | 0:05 <0.1% | 0:01 <0.1% |
| d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons | 0:12 <0.1% | 0:12 <0.1% | 0:02 <0.1% | 0:00 0% |
8 | Time spent on consideration of Bills returned from the House of Commons - total | 18:47 1.7% | 22:36 2.5% | 38:46 5.4% | 8:41 1.9% |
| Consideration of bills returned from the House of Commons according to type: |
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| a) Government Bills which started in the Lords | 12:02 1.1% | 10:42 1.2% | 14:20 2% | 8:11 1.8% |
| b) Government Bills which started in the Commons | 6:25 0.6% | 11:54 1.3% | 24:26 3.4% | 0:30 0.1% |
| c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% |
| d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% | 0:00 0% |
Grand Committees are an alternative to Committees of the Whole House for Bills at the Committee stage. Since February 2003, Grand Committees have been used for the consideration of Northern Ireland orders; and since February 2005, for the consideration of other Statutory Instruments, and for Questions for Short Debate and debates on Select Committee reports. All peers may participate in Grand Committees, and proceedings mirror those in the Chamber on comparable business, with the exception that no divisions may take place.
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| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06‡ | 2004-05†|
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| Number of sitting days | 75 | 43 | 85 | 29 |
| Number of hours for which Grand Committees sat | 256:57 | 142:46 | 288:14 | 98:55 |
1. | Number of Public Bills considered in Grand Committee | 14 | 12 | 23 | 8 |
| Time spent | 182:27 71% | 101:31 71.1% | 235:31 81.8% | 83:59 85% |
2. | Number of items of delegated legislation instruments considered in Grand Committee | 103 | 92 | 106 | 22 |
| Time spent | 36:23 14.2% | 34:56 24.5% | 36:21 12.6% | 7:16 7.3% |
3. | Number of general debates taken in Grand Committee | 27 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
| Time spent | 26:22 10.2% | 2:16 1.6% | 13:13 4.6% | 7:15 7.3% |
i) | Number of Questions for Short Debate taken in Grand Committee | 25 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Time spent | 23:31 9.1% | 0:00 0% | 5:24 1.9% | 4:30 4.5% |
ii) | Number of debates on Select Committee reports taken in Grand Committee | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Time spent | 2:51 1.1% | 2:16 1.6% | 7:49 2.7% | 2:45 2.8% |
4. | Other | 11:45 4.6% | 4:03 2.8% | 2:51 1% | 0:25 0.4% |
i) | Formal business | 0:1 <0.1% | 0:21 0.2% | 0:58 0.3% | 0:07 0.1% |
ii) | Adjournments (breaks during a sitting) | 11:44 4.6% | 3:42 2.6% | 1:53 0.7% | 0:18 0.3% |
Adjournments in the Grand Committee are typically for divisions in the Chamber.
At the end of session 2007-08 (26 November 2008)
Party/Group | Life Peers | Hereditary: Elected by party/group | Hereditary: Elected by whole House | Hereditary: Appointed Royal Office Holders* | Bishops | Total |
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Conservative | 151 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 199 |
Labour | 210 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 214 |
Liberal Democrat | 69 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 74 |
Crossbench | 173 | 29‡ | 2 | 2 | 0 | 206 |
Archbishops and Bishops | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 26 |
Other | 12 | 2†| 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
TOTAL | 615 | 75 | 15 | 2 | 26 | 733 |
Note: The table excludes 11 Peers on leave of absence.
* These are the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal (Crossbench) and the Marquess of Cholmondeley, Lord Great Chamberlain (Crossbench).
‡ Includes Earl Peel, elected by the Conservative hereditary Peers, but no longer sits as Conservative.
†Lord Brabazon of Tara (Chairman of Committees) and Lord Willoughby de Broke were elected by the Conservative hereditary Peers but no longer sit as Conservatives.
| Men | Women | Total |
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Archbishops and bishops | 26 | 0 | 26 |
Life Peers under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 (Law Lords, of whom 12 are salaried to hear cases) | 22 | 1 | 23 |
Life Peers under the Life Peerages Act 1958 | 458 | 145 | 603 |
Excepted hereditary Peers under the House of Lords Act 1999 | 90 | 2 | 92 |
TOTAL | 596 | 148 | 744 |
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