A cross-party group of MPs has launched an inquiry into the membership of the House of Lords, its size, and the role of peers.
The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) will look into how the appointments of peers are carried out and whether the system as a whole can be more effective. In an inquiry, launched on Wednesday, MPs also aim to understand the role and the power of the independent vetting body, the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC).
The relationship between the two chambers of Parliament will be examined to scrutinize the effectiveness of the House of Lords as a revising chamber.
It comes after the controversy that ensued following the appointments of peers by the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned as an MP on June 9 after an investigation into the Partygate scandal found he misled Parliament.
When he resigned as prime minister in September last year, Johnson appointment a number of MPs in his resignation honours list. Among them were Nadine Dorries, Nigel Adams, and Alok Sharma, whose nominations were not approved by HOLAC.
Dorries subsequently accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of blocking her peerage, a statement rejected by Sunak’s spokesperson.
“It is unprecedented for a sitting prime minister to invite HOLAC to reconsider the vetting of individual nominees on a former prime minister’s resignation list,” the spokesperson said.
Dorries, who resigned following the publication of the peerage list, then delayed her resignation and requested all correspondence around her removal.
“I am awaiting responses to my Subject Access Requests submitted to HOLAC, Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Office. where I will then take the time to properly consider the information I am provided,” Dorries said.
She added that it was her “intention to resign” but this “process is now sadly necessary.”
Dorries has been criticised by Labour MP Jess Phillips for placing focus on the “nonsense about honours and who got peerage” instead of prioritising the needs of her constituents.
‘Immediate Questions’
The House of Lords consists of about 800 members, the majority of whom are life peers. The chamber’s role is to examine bills, question government action, and investigate public policy.Chair of PACAC William Wragg has suggested that there has long been concern about the size of the House of Lords, its membership, and the appointments process.
“Previous inquiries from parliamentary committees concluded with clear recommendations to reduce the size of the chamber and reform the appointments process to maintain confidence in the Lords. The government committed to review the matter, yet five years on we have seen no sign of reform, and large numbers of new members continue to be appointed,” Wragg said.
He added that the current inquiry seeks to consider “immediate questions” that cannot wait until a “wholesale reform” takes place.
The PACAC inquiry will seek evidence on whether there should be a term limit for the House of Lords membership and whether it is effective in its current size.
The committee reported that in 2018 the government was advised to reduce and cap the number of lords to 600 and ensure greater diversity of representation.
The predecessor committee, said PACAC, “called on the prime minister and leaders of the opposition to commit to the principle of ‘two-out one-in' as a way to reduce the overall size of the House of Lords.”
PACAC has welcomed submissions addressing the listed themes and will produce a report upon the competition of the inquiry.
