New Leader's Group to consider retirement for Members
30 June 2010 (updated on 30 June 2010)
During a debate on reform of the House of Lords, on Tuesday 29 June, Lord Strathclyde announced he would be setting up a Leader's Group to investigate the options for Members to permanently leave the House of Lords.
The group will be chaired by Lord Hunt of Wirral and include representation from all sides of the Lords. It will identify options that would allow Members to leave or retire from the House of Lords.
- Watch the debate House of Lords reform
- Lords Hansard: read the transcript of the House of Lords reform debate
During the debate, Lord Steel of Aikwood introduced a proposal asking the Government to put legislation before the House by the summer to:
- enable Members of the Lords to retire
- abolish by-elections for hereditary Peers
- remove Members convicted of serious criminal offices
- create a statutory appointments commission.
The House agreed his proposal.
Issues raised during the debate included:
- representation of Crossbenchers on the Joint Committee on Lords reform
- size and composition of the House of Lords
- ability for Peers to retire or resign
- role of the House of Lords in the parliamentary system
purpose of an elected membership - impact of an elected membership on the impartiality and independence on legislative scrutiny role of House of Lords