What the Lords does

Making laws

Members spend almost half of the time in the House considering bills (draft laws). All bills have to be considered by both Houses of Parliament before they can become law. During several stages, members examine each bill, line-by-line, before it becomes an Act of Parliament (actual law). Many of these bills cover crucial areas of everyday life such as welfare, health and education.

In-depth consideration of public policy

Members use their extensive individual experience to debate public policy. Much of this work is done in select committees which are small groups appointed to consider specific policy areas. In 2010/2011, House of Lords select committees produced 39 reports on subjects including economic affairs, European Union powers and advances in science. Many select committee meetings involve questioning experts working in the field which is the subject of the inquiry. These meetings are open to the public.

Holding government to account

Members scrutinise the work of the government during question time and debates in the chamber, where government ministers must respond. In 2010/2011, members held the government to account with 7,546 oral and written questions and 73 debates on issues ranging from child poverty to immigration. The public are welcome to visit and sit in the galleries overlooking the chamber during business.

What has the Lords changed?

In recent years, the House of Lords has persuaded the government to make policy changes on a diverse range of issues. These include:

• protecting the public’s right to trial by jury
• making forced marriage illegal
• ensuring children with special needs and disabilities have access to mainstream education
• making sure the UK has leading stem cell research facilities
• ensuring that women are treated more fairly by the state pension system.

Further information

• Resources for schools: How the House of Lords works
• House of Lords publications

Image: Roger Harris