Second chambers around the world: Size and membership
In light of the UK government’s recent proposals to reform the House of Lords, this briefing presents facts and figures comparing the House of Lords with other second chambers around the world.
Documents to download
-
Volume of Legislation (252 KB , PDF)
This Library Note looks at the volume of legislation from the perspective of the House of Lords. In particular, it provides figures on the volume of primary legislation since 1930, on the number of Acts of Parliament in broad subject areas since 1983 and on the number of Statutory Instruments made since 1961. The Note also contains information on the size of the “statute book” and on the number of reported cases based on the interpretation of legislation.
Documents to download
-
Volume of Legislation (252 KB , PDF)
Related posts
-
-
Peerages awarded to former UK prime ministers
Former prime minister Theresa May joined the House of Lords in August 2024 after standing down as an MP ahead of the 2024 general election. This followed David Cameron being appointed in November 2023 to serve as foreign secretary. This page lists former UK prime ministers who have held office since 1902, together with information on whether the individuals later received a peerage entitling them to sit in the House of Lords.
-
Private members’ bills with government support lost at dissolution 2024: How close was Parliament to changing the law on licensing hours, puppy smuggling, virtual court hearings and more?
Individual members of either House can propose legislation through private members’ bills (PMBs). But with limited time available, they rarely become law without government, and usually cross-party, support. This briefing looks at the 14 PMBs that the then government supported that fell at the end of the 2023–24 session. Government backing was identified by whether a government department had provided explanatory notes.
