Leader of the House of Lords

Leader of the House of Lords is a function in the British government that is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, most often Lord President of the Council, Lord Privy Seal or Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Leader of the House takes charge of the government's business in the House of Lords. Unless the Leader is also a departmental minister, being Leader constitutes the bulk of his government responsibilities, but it has never been an independent salaried office.

Related Topics:
British government - Cabinet - Lord President of the Council - Lord Privy Seal - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster - House of Lords

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Though the Leader of the House is a member of the cabinet and remains a partisan figure, he also has responsibilities to the House as a whole. In contrast to the House of Commons, where proceedings are controlled by the Speaker, proceedings in the Lords are controlled by peers themselves, under the rules set out in the Standing Orders. The Leader of the House has the responsibility of reminding the House of these rules and facilitating the Lords' self-regulation, though any member may draw attention to breaches of order or failure to observe customs. The Leader is often called upon to advise on procedures and points of order, and is required to determine the order of speakers on Supplementary Questions, subject to the wishes of the House. However, like the Speaker of the Lords, he has no power to rule on points of order or to intervene during an inappropriate speech.

Related Topics:
House of Commons - Speaker

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Under the plans for constitutional change announced in June 2003 (and following recommendations made by the Select Committee in November 2003, and agreed by the House of Lords on January 12 2004), these responsibilities to the House will almost certainly be transferred to the Speaker, remaining within the framework of self-regulation. The Speaker will in future be elected by the House and required to give up party politics, whilst the Leader will remain an appointed member of the Cabinet and become the most senior member of his party in the House.

Related Topics:
June - 2003 - November - January 12 - 2004

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