Selected topics of interest.
Below you will find our recent briefings on a selection of topic areas on the House of Lords.
Research Briefings: In-depth analysis on topics related to the House.
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Hereditary By-elections: Results
Hereditary peer by-elections are held within the House of Lords to replace excepted hereditary peers who have retired or died. This Lords Library Briefing provides a list of hereditary peers’ by-election results since the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, including information on turn out and the number of candidates.
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Lords Membership: How Many Women Have Sat in the Lords?
This House of Lords Library briefing provides lists of the female life Peers and the female hereditary Peers who have been Members of the House of Lords.
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House of Lords: Backgrounds in Public Life—February 2021
This briefing lists current members of the House of Lords who have held selected roles in public life. The chosen senior positions range across politics, government, defence, the judiciary, education, culture, media, and religion.
In Focus: quick-read articles on the House of Lords.
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House of Lords: Impact of virtual and hybrid sittings in 2020
In 2020, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the House of Lords made several changes to the way it conducted its business. This included the use of virtual proceedings and sittings which featured both physical and remote participation. This briefing looks at the impact of those changes on member participation over the course of 2020.
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Representation of women in the House of Lords
It has been over 60 years since women gained the right to join the House of Lords. Today, just under a third of members are women. Why is the number of women not equal to that of men?
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Lords public bill stages: “That this bill do now pass”
The motion “that this bill do now pass” is moved immediately after a bill’s final stage in the House of Lords (known as third reading). It is amendable and so provides an opportunity for the House to oppose, delay or record a view on a measure if there is enough support. This article provides examples of amendments to the motion and what the outcome was each time.
