Oral Answers to Questions — Post Office. – in the House of Commons at on 24 July 1923.
Mr Harry Becker
, Richmond (Surrey)
asked the Prime Minister when it is proposed to introduce a Bill to reform the House of Lords?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I am not in a position to make any statement on this subject.
Captain William Benn
, Leith
Are we to understand that the reform of the House of Lords is still part of the Government's programme?
Mr William Thorne
, West Ham Plaistow
Is the right hon. Gentleman going to wait for a second Oliver Cromwell to come along?
Commander Hon. Joseph Kenworthy
, Kingston upon Hull Central
Surely this is a part of the Conservative programme. Is the right hon. Gentleman going to drop it?
Mr William Pringle
, Penistone
Will the right hon. Gentleman inform the House if he has received Mr. McKenna's permission to deal with this subject?
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
