The Duchy of Cornwall Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Berkeley (Labour). The Bill received its first reading in the House of Lords on 3 July 2017 and is scheduled to have its second reading on 26 October 2018.
Duchy of Cornwall Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (286 KB , PDF)
The Bill seeks to:
It would also provide for the:
This briefing sets out background to the creation of both the title and the Duchy, before examining these two issues, as addressed in the Bill, in more detail.
Duchy of Cornwall Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (286 KB , PDF)
UK prime ministers may draw up a resignation honours list on their departure from office, in which they may request that the reigning monarch grant honours to any number of people. Such honours may include peerages, knighthoods and damehoods, or other awards. However, not all have chosen to draw up such a list. This briefing lists those prime ministers who have requested that peerages be conferred on their departure from office.
The House of Lords Constitution Committee has re-examined relations between the UK government and devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland following the introduction of new intergovernmental relations structures in January 2022 and its own earlier inquiry on the subject. In a report published in September 2024, the committee urged the government to add a new principle of positive engagement to the principles underpinning the new structures.
In November 2024, the House of Lords Statutory Inquiries Committee published a report examining public inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005. While recognising their positive impact, the committee criticised elements of the public inquiry system, such as governments failing to implement agreed inquiry recommendations. To address this, the committee proposed several reforms, including the formation of a parliamentary committee to oversee inquiries and ensure government accountability for implementing recommendations.
