3. Rewind
• In our last session we explored:
– The House of Commons
4. • The aim of this session is to enable you to
understand the different levels of government in
the UK.
• The objective is that upon completion of this
session you will be able to:
– Define the types of Lords in the House of Lords
– Appraise the position of Anglican clergy in the House
of Lords
– Carry out research to outline the duties of the House
of Lords.
5. Central Government
The House of Lords
• Dates from the 14th
century
• Currently has around 730 members
• Also in the Palace of Westminster
6. Central Government
The House of Lords
• You have to be a Lord or a Baroness to be in the
House of Lords
• There are four different types of Lords:
– Life Peers
– Law Lords
– Bishops and archbishops
– Elected hereditary peers
7. Central Government
The House of Lords – Life peers
• Lords for their lifetimes only – no salary.
• Cannot pass their title to their children.
• Appointed by the Queen on the advice of the
Prime Minister.
• Currently around 600
Lady Benjiman and Baroness Newlove
8. Central Government
The House of Lords – Law Lords
• Salaried full-time senior
judges.
• Appointed by the
Independent Judicial
Appointments Board.
• Can only be up to 12.
• Also called ‘Lords of
Appeal in Ordinary’.
• They make ‘rulings’ that
affect the whole country.
9. Central Government
The House of Lords – Bishops and archbishops
• Around 25 .
• They represent the
Church of England.
• They pass their title onto
the next most senior
bishop when they retire.
10. Central Government
The House of Lords – Bishops and archbishops
• Currently there are only
representatives from the
Church of England in the
House of Lords.
• In small groups discuss
the following: Should
other religions have an
automatic right to be
represented in the House
of Lords?
Pope Benedict
IMAM Dr Abduljalil
Sajid
11. Central Government
The House of Lords – Elected hereditary peers
• These Lords received their title through inheritance from
a family member.
• Hereditary peers lost the right to vote on House of Lords
matters in 1999.
• Around 90 of them remain.
Lady Jay and Lord MacIntosh of Haringey
12. Research task
• Using the resources in the college
research the responsibilities of the House
of Lords.
13. Central Government
• Follow the link below for a virtual tour of
the Palace of Westminster:
– The House of Lords
• http://www.parliament.uk/about/visiting/virtualto
14. Central Government
The House of Lords
• Summary:
– Dates from the 14th
century
– Currently has around 730 members
– Also in the Palace of Westminster
– Contains four different types of Lords
– Research task for next week – Outline the
duties of the House of Lords.
15. Look forward
• In our next session we will focus on the
role of the Monarch in Parliament.
