The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) vets nominations to the House and recommends non-party political members. While its advice is usually followed, it is not a statutory body and the prime minister can choose to disregard its advice. This briefing provides an overview of the role and powers of the commission and summarises recent debates concerning its reform.
Members of the House of Lords who are not ministers can introduce private members’ bills. With limited time available, they rarely become law without government, and usually cross-party, support. This briefing provides a profile of private members’ bills in the Lords including examples of the types of private members’ bills introduced and commentary on the reasons why a member might table a private member’s bill.
The House of Lords Retirement and Participation Committee was tasked with looking at options for introducing a retirement age and a participation requirement for members of the House of Lords, following commitments in Labour’s general election manifesto. The committee proposed a maximum retirement age of 80 be phased in over five years from July 2029. It also said members should be required to attend at least 20% of sitting days averaged over two parliamentary sessions.
Data dashboard
This page provides interactive data on the creation of life peerages in the House of Lords.
In Focus
The recent King’s Speech confirmed plans to lower the voting age to 16. A century earlier, Parliament examined proposals for a very different constitutional change: ending ministerial by-elections. Introduced in the 18th century as a safeguard against crown influence, ministerial by-elections were later viewed by some as outdated. For others, they were an important democratic safeguard. This briefing examines the Lords second reading debate on the bill that abolished the by-elections.
In Focus
Ministers are needed in the House of Lords to take legislation through the House and answer for the government during questions and debates. Some cabinet ministers are appointed from the Lords. For example, the leader of the House of Lords is always a member of the Lords. This briefing looks at the role of ministers in the House of Lords and how they are scrutinised.
In Focus
The right for hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords has come to an end. This briefing lists the last hereditary peers sitting in the House of Lords when the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act passed into law in March 2026, together with their length of service as a hereditary member. It also notes those who have returned to the House as life peers.
Data dashboard
This dashboard presents interactive data on the relative sizes of the largest political parties and groups in the House of Lords. It also presents select statistics on voting behaviour in the House.
Data dashboard
This page provides interactive data on the current membership of the House of Lords.
Research Briefing
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.
Research Briefing
This House of Lords Library briefing provides a list of movers and seconders of the humble address to the sovereign, following the sovereign’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament. The list provides information from 1979 to 2026.
Research Briefing
Between 2002 and 2024, by-elections were held to replace excepted hereditary peers who left the House of Lords. In July 2024, the House agreed to pause by-elections following the introduction of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill. This bill was passed in 2026, ending the need for by-elections. This briefing provides a list of by-election results, including information on turnout and the number of candidates.
Research Briefing
This briefing explores what announcements the government could make in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 about the constitution.
In Focus
This briefing summarises changes made to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 as it went through Parliament. The House of Lords made amendments about the exclusion of hereditary peers and the abolition of by-elections, unsalaried ministers, the rights of life peers to sit in the Lords, and resignation from the Lords on behalf of a peer who lacks capacity. Only amendments on the latter subject were accepted by the House of Commons. The House of Lords did not insist on its other amendments.
In Focus
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 briefing provides examples of amendments to the motion and what the outcome was each time.
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