Matthew Purvis Archives - House of Lords Library

From the Hansard archives: Parliamentary firsts at the 1958 Queen’s Speech

Wednesday, 08 November, 2023

The state opening of Parliament in 1958 would be the last of that parliament, taking place 12 months before the election the following year. In the six days of debate on the address that followed, members responded to the government’s legislative programme, an agenda set in a context of ongoing international and domestic economic challenges. However, its significance lay in it being the occasion for two parliamentary firsts. This briefing looks back to find that the subsequent debates on the address saw the first contributions of life peers. It was also the first state opening to be televised.

From the Hansard archives: Parliamentary firsts at the 1958 Queen’s Speech

Lengths of prorogation since 1900

Wednesday, 08 November, 2023

Prorogation is the mechanism by which parliamentary sessions are ended. This House of Lords Library briefing sets out the start and end dates of each parliamentary session since 1900, together with the number of calendar days between the end of the previous session and the start of the new one.

House of Lords: Largest Votes Recorded

Tuesday, 27 July, 2021

What have been the largest ever votes in the House of Lords? This briefing provides a list of divisions since 1999 where 500 or more Members have voted.

Research Briefing

Ethnic and Religious Diversity in the House of Lords

Tuesday, 05 November, 2019

This House of Lords Library Briefing provides background information on ethnic and religious representation in the House of Lords.
Research Briefing

Withdrawal Agreement: Section 13(1)(c) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Friday, 04 January, 2019

This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate in the House of Lords on 9, 10 and, provisionally, 14 January 2019 on "Further debate, for the purposes of section 13(1)(c) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, taking note of the negotiated withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future relationship".
Research Briefing

Women in the Lords: Viscountess Rhondda Peerage Case

Wednesday, 28 November, 2018

In 1921, Viscountess Rhondda petitioned the House of Lords to challenge the barring of female hereditary peers from taking their seats in Parliament. This briefing sets out background to this petition and provides a short summary of the events that followed its rejection.
Research Briefing

European Union in 2017: Background Information

Tuesday, 17 January, 2017

This House of Lords Library briefing provides background information about EU member states, identifies key election dates in member states in 2017, when the European Council is due to meet, and lists the individuals who are current members of the European Council.
- Research Briefing
- Brexit & the EU
Research Briefing

Select Committees in the House of Lords

Wednesday, 30 September, 2015

This Note considers committees in the House of Lords which deal with public matters.
Research Briefing

BBC: Future Financing and Independence

Thursday, 03 September, 2015

This Library Note sets out background information about the BBC’s purpose, funding and independence and explains the Royal Charter renewal process. It then provides an overview of the green paper’s four themes and highlights the views on these of the BBC Trust and, where relevant, those expressed by parliamentary committees.
- Research Briefing
- Culture, Media & Sport
Research Briefing

Accessible Sports Grounds Bill [HL]

Monday, 13 July, 2015

This In Focus briefing provides background information in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the Accessible Sports Grounds Bill [HL] on 17 July 2015.
Research Briefing

Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill (HL Bill 57 of session 2014–15)

Friday, 28 November, 2014

This Library Note provides background reading ahead of the Bill’s second reading in the House of Lords on 2 December 2014.
Research Briefing

Women Facing Homelessness, Domestic Violence and Social Exclusion

Monday, 03 November, 2014

On 6 November 2014, the House of Lords is scheduled to debate the following motion: “that this House takes note of women facing homelessness, domestic violence and social exclusion”.
Research Briefing

Criminal Justice and Courts Bill (HL Bill 30 of 2014–15)

Wednesday, 25 June, 2014

The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill contains a range of proposals across four areas: criminal justice; young offenders; courts and tribunals; and judicial review. This Library Note summarises the key debates that took place on the Bill at report stage and third reading in the House of Commons, highlighting amendments made to the Bill, and refers to some of the other issues raised by MPs.
Research Briefing

Membership of the House of Lords: Ethnicity, Religion and Disability

Thursday, 12 June, 2014

Members of the House of Lords are not required to provide information about their ethnicity, religious beliefs or any disabilities they may have. However, there is continued interest in the representativeness of the House, as currently composed. This Library Note provides background information on this subject: it summarises existing research on the representation in the House of Lords of minority ethnic groups, religions and disability, and sets out some of the challenges in collecting and interpreting this information.
Research Briefing

Regional Representation in the House of Lords

Monday, 10 February, 2014

This Library Note provides statistics relating to the regions of the UK with which current Members of the House of Lords have connections.

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