Is it time for a change in how lords are appointed? Lords to ask Appointments Commission

The Committee will ask Lord Kakkar about the process for appointing Members of the House of Lords and whether there should be greater transparency of the vetting process for political appointments.

Areas the session will cover include:

• Should the Appointments Commission have the power to vet political appointments to the House on wider grounds than just propriety? Should it for example also be able to consider diversity of experience of Lords Members as it does for non-political appointments?
• What consideration is given to the restrictions on the role of special advisers when they are nominated for a peerage? Do the restrictions imposed on special advisers by their role conflict with a peer's role debating and voting on Government business?
• Should potential House of Lords appointees be required to commit themselves to a certain level of attendance in the House?
• Why has the number of independent cross-bench Peers appointed by the Appointments Commission fallen from 31 in the 2005-10 Parliament to just eight in the 2010-15 Parliament?

The evidence session with Lord Kakkar will start at 11:15am on Wednesday 18 January in Committee Room 4 of the House of Lords.