Lord Speaker's homepage

Leader's Group on the Code of Conduct

The Leader's Group on the Code of Conduct, chaired by Lord Eames, proposed a new Code of Conduct for the House of Lords on 29 October. 

Its recommendations are significant and aim to provide much greater clarity for Members and the public on the conduct expected of Members of the House of Lords.

Amongst its proposals are the establishment of an independent House of Lords Commissioner for Standards to investigate complaints against Members, and a ban on Members accepting payment in return for parliamentary advice or services.

I welcome the report which contains a range of proposed reforms and I would recommend anyone interested in this issue reads it.

The House is expected to debate the report on 30 November.

This report will, I believe, complement the independent, external review of the system of financial support available for Members of the Lords by the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).

Together these two reports will, I hope, allow us to provide a comprehensive, clear and transparent set of governance arrangements for the House of Lords and help rebuild public confidence in Parliament. 


Representing the House of Lords



Acting as an ambassador for the House of Lords at home and abroad - find out more about the Lord Speaker's work.



Outreach initiatives




Read about the latest youth and outreach activities from the Lord Speaker's outreach programme - including the winners of the Jack Petchey Foundation’s ‘Speak Out’ challenge.



Events in Parliament



The ‘Make IT Happy’ competition for primary schools and a foreign affairs seminar - read the latest news on events the Lord Speaker's been involved with.


Contact the Lord Speaker

T: 020 7219 6444
E: lordspeaker@parliament.uk

The Rt Hon the Baroness Hayman
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW

Three years as Lord Speaker

4 July 2009 marked the third anniversary of the election of the Lord Speaker. Read my letter updating updating Members on my activities over the last 12 months:

Election: July 2006

Read more about the election of the Lord Speaker in July 2006:

Events in the River Room

The Lord Speaker allows use of the River Room, the principal state room of the House of Lords, for parliamentary and charitable events sponsored by Members.

This gives the opportunity of welcoming many to the Lords who may not otherwise visit.

Baroness Hayman has welcomed River Room events hosted by:

  • the Child Welfare Scheme, a charity working to help children in Nepal
  • World Sight Day
  • Peace Brigades International, a charity working for the non-violent transformation of conflicts
  • the Self Help Association for Rehabilitation and Employment for People with Disabilities
  • UnLtd, a charity supporting social entrepreneurs

Planning a function in the River Room? Read the guide to River Room events: