Lords committee outlines proposed timetable for Lord Speaker election
6 April 2011
The House of Lords Procedure Committee has today (6 April) published a report covering procedures for the forthcoming election of the Lord Speaker, tabling of oral questions and individuals criticised in Lords select committee reports. The report needs to be debated and agreed to by the House of Lords. A debate is expected to take place after the Easter recess.
Election of the Lord Speaker
The Procedure Committee proposes the following timetable for the forthcoming election of the Lord Speaker.
| Date | Activity |
| By 5pm 23 June | Candidatures to be registered. |
| 27 June | List of candidates published. |
| 29 June | Ballot papers sent to those requesting a postal vote, to be returned by 5pm on Wednesday 13 July. |
| 13 July | Voting from 10am to 8pm. |
| 18 July | Result of the election reported to the House at the start of business. |
| 1 September | Any new Lord Speaker takes office. |
| 5 September | Any new Lord Speaker will sit on the Woolsack for the first time at the start of business. |
Next steps: Lords debates report
The House of Lords is expected to debate the report after Easter. The House itself will take the final decision on the implementation of the recommendations.
Further information
The House of Lords Procedure Committee considers any proposal to change the procedures of the House of Lords, and makes recommendations to the House as a whole. The Committee also approves the text of The Companion to Standing Orders, which is the authoritative guide to the House’s procedures.
The Lord Speaker chairs daily business in the House of Lords chamber and is an ambassador for 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. The current Lord Speaker is Baroness Hayman, who was elected as the first Lord Speaker in July 2006.