Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords | |
---|---|
House of Lords | |
Style |
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Status | Deputy presiding officer |
Appointer | House of Lords Approved and sworn in by the Sovereign |
Website | Official website |
The Senior Deputy Speaker is an officer of the House of Lords whose main role is to preside over the House when it is in committee (i.e., considering a bill at committee stage), either in the Lords Chamber or in Grand Committee, which is when committee stage is taken away from the floor to free up debating time in the main Chamber. The Senior Deputy Speaker deputises for the Lord Speaker, and like the Lord Speaker withdraws from political party membership. Additionally, the Senior Deputy Speaker chairs various select committees of the House, and has a role in the administration of the House.
The current incumbent, John Gardiner, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, took the office on 11 May 2021. [1] Up until September 2016 the position was known as Chairman of Committees. [2]
The Senior Deputy Speaker is assisted by a panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees. In addition to taking the chair in Committee of the Whole House and Grand Committee, Deputy Chairmen are appointed from time-to-time to serve with the Chairman of Committees on unopposed bill committees, which scrutinise private bills against which no petitions have been lodged. [3] Deputy Chairmen are, by practice, Deputy Speakers. [4]
In March 2020, the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, announced that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would be withdrawing from Westminster and leaving woolsack duties to his deputies. [5] On Monday 23 March the house agreed to a motion that, until 21 July, any member could perform the deputy speakers' functions. [6]
The following table lists the panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees as of March 2024. [7] Where applicable, a peer's concurrent term as a Deputy Speaker is also noted.
Peer | Party | Deputy Chair start | Deputy Speaker start | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lord Ashton of Hyde | Conservative | June 2023 [lower-alpha 1] | ||
Baroness Barker | Liberal Democrat | July 2020 | ||
Lord Beith | Liberal Democrat | May 2022 | ||
Baroness Bull | Crossbench | May 2022 | ||
Viscount Colville of Culross | Crossbench | June 2023 | ||
Lord Duncan of Springbank | Conservative | April 2020 | ||
Lord Faulkner of Worcester | Labour | November 2007 | December 2008 | |
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff | Crossbench | November 2017 | March 2018 | |
Baroness Fookes | Conservative | May 2002 | December 2002 | |
Baroness Garden of Frognal | Liberal Democrat | June 2015 | March 2018 | |
Lord Geddes | Conservative | April 2000 | December 2002 | |
Lord Haskel | Labour | May 2002 | December 2002 | |
Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill | Labour | July 2020 | ||
Baroness Kennedy of Cradley | Labour | May 2022 | ||
Lord Kennedy of Southwark | Labour | June 2021 | ||
Earl of Kinnoull | Crossbench | January 2020 | ||
Lord Lexden | Conservative | November 2017 | March 2018 | |
Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall | Labour | November 2007 | December 2008 | |
Baroness Morris of Bolton | Conservative | June 2010 | November 2010 | |
Baroness Newlove | Conservative | November 2017 | March 2018 | |
Baroness Pitkeathley | Labour | November 2002 | December 2002 | |
Lord Russell of Liverpool | Crossbench | April 2020 | ||
Baroness Scott of Needham Market | Liberal Democrat | June 2023 | ||
Viscount Stansgate | Labour | November 2023 | ||
Lord Stoneham of Droxford | Liberal Democrat | May 2021 | ||
Baroness Watkins of Tavistock | Crossbench | July 2020 | ||
Baroness Williams of Trafford | Conservative | October 2022 | ||
Lord Young of Cookham | Conservative | May 2022 |
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