The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has decided to conduct an inquiry into what smaller-scale changes to the membership and structure of the House of Lords would be likely to command a consensus. The Committee is issuing a call for written evidence that addresses some or all of the following points:
- The desirability, practicality and effectiveness of mechanisms for reducing the size of the House of Lords, including the following:
no longer replacing hereditary peers in the House of Lords when they die;
measures to remove persistent non-attendees;
a moratorium on new peers;
fixed-term appointments for new peers;
a retirement age for peers.
- The effectiveness of the current voluntary retirement scheme for peers introduced following the recommendations of the Leader’s Group on Members Leaving the House.
- The desirability and scope of a mechanism to expel peers who have been convicted of a serious offence.
- The desirability, composition and remit of a Statutory Appointments Commission.
- The scope for establishing a consensus about the principles which should determine the relative numerical strengths of the different party groups in the House of Lords, and for codifying such principles.
Oral and written evidence