Baroness D'Souza elected as new Lord Speaker
18 July 2011 (updated on 18 July 2011)
Baroness D'Souza has been appointed the next Speaker of the House of Lords following the election which took place on Wednesday 13 July.
- Election of the Speaker of the House of Lords: Result
- Election of the Speaker of the House of Lords 2011
Baroness D'Souza is the second elected Lord Speaker since the post was established in 2006. She succeeds Baroness Hayman.
Baroness D'Souza will take up the post on 1 September and will preside over a sitting of the House of Lords for the first time on 5 September.
Further information
Baroness D’Souza was appointed as a Crossbench Peer in 2004 and was elected as Convenor of the Crossbench group in 2007. She sits on a number of domestic committees, including the House Committee and the Procedure Committee. Her background is in international human rights and development.
Baroness D’Souza is a regular contributor to ‘Lords of the Blog’ and is an active participant in the Lords outreach programme, including several visits as part of the Peers in Schools programme.
The Speaker of the House of Lords – the Lord Speaker – chairs daily business in the Chamber and is an ambassador for the work of the House.
The Lord Speaker is elected by the Members of the House of Lords for a period of five years and can serve for no more than two terms.