Baroness Flather
Crossbench - Life peer
Became Member: 11th June 1990
Left House: 6th February 2024 (Death)
7 Former APPG memberships
Hindus, Humanist, India, Nepal, Population, Development and Reproductive Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UKDivision Voting information
Baroness Flather voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 7 Conservative Aye votes vs 58 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 148 Noes - 87
Baroness Flather voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 16 Conservative No votes vs 19 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 41 Noes - 197
Baroness Flather voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 6 Conservative No votes vs 61 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 121 Noes - 162
Baroness Flather voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 42 Conservative No votes vs 51 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 96 Noes - 268
Baroness Flather voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 10 Conservative No votes vs 41 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 68 Noes - 199
Baroness Flather voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Conservative Aye votes vs 1 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 59 Noes - 134
Baroness Flather voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 9 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 65 Noes - 157
Baroness Flather voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 31 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 78 Noes - 175
Baroness Flather voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Conservative Aye votes vs 17 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 37 Noes - 119
All Debates
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
(6 debate interactions)
(5 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(27 debate contributions)
(19 debate contributions)
(15 debate contributions)
(11 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(4,208 words contributed)
(1,014 words contributed)
(743 words contributed)
(504 words contributed)
Lords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Baroness Flather, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Baroness Flather has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Baroness Flather has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 3 Written Questions
(View all written questions)
There is no estimate of the number of legally recognised polygamous marriages in the United Kingdom. The Government believe the numbers of legally recognised polygamous marriages to be very low and declining. This is because, since the Immigration Act 1988, it has not been possible for people polygamously married overseas to bring second spouses to the United Kingdom.
No one can contract a polygamous marriage in the UK, but marriage legislation recognises the validity of polygamous marriages entered into in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there. Social security legislation adopts a similar approach to avoid anomalous results (such as treating polygamous households more favourably than monogamous ones).
Information concerning: a) the volume of polygamous households estimated to be affected by the move to Universal Credit, and b) how many polygamous households receiving income-related state benefits is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
In Universal Credit, the process is that the one spouse will claim for the other in the same way as an unmarried couple, and any other adults living in the household will have to claim as single people on the basis of their own circumstances. This process already happens where a polygamous marriage is not recognised in law.
Legacy income-related benefits provide for polygamous marriages only where the marriage was contracted in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there. Provision is at the lowest level consistent with our human rights obligations. These rules have been in place since the introduction of Income Support in 1988.
Income-related benefits are not payable for spouses who do not reside in Great Britain.
Opposition Whip (Lords)
There is no estimate of the number of legally recognised polygamous marriages in the United Kingdom. The Government believe the numbers of legally recognised polygamous marriages to be very low and declining. This is because, since the Immigration Act 1988, it has not been possible for people polygamously married overseas to bring second spouses to the United Kingdom.
No one can contract a polygamous marriage in the UK, but marriage legislation recognises the validity of polygamous marriages entered into in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there. Social security legislation adopts a similar approach to avoid anomalous results (such as treating polygamous households more favourably than monogamous ones).
Information concerning: a) the volume of polygamous households estimated to be affected by the move to Universal Credit, and b) how many polygamous households receiving income-related state benefits is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
In Universal Credit, the process is that the one spouse will claim for the other in the same way as an unmarried couple, and any other adults living in the household will have to claim as single people on the basis of their own circumstances. This process already happens where a polygamous marriage is not recognised in law.
Legacy income-related benefits provide for polygamous marriages only where the marriage was contracted in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there. Provision is at the lowest level consistent with our human rights obligations. These rules have been in place since the introduction of Income Support in 1988.
Income-related benefits are not payable for spouses who do not reside in Great Britain.
Opposition Whip (Lords)
There is no estimate of the number of legally recognised polygamous marriages in the United Kingdom. The Government believe the numbers of legally recognised polygamous marriages to be very low and declining. This is because, since the Immigration Act 1988, it has not been possible for people polygamously married overseas to bring second spouses to the United Kingdom.
No one can contract a polygamous marriage in the UK, but marriage legislation recognises the validity of polygamous marriages entered into in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there. Social security legislation adopts a similar approach to avoid anomalous results (such as treating polygamous households more favourably than monogamous ones).
Information concerning: a) the volume of polygamous households estimated to be affected by the move to Universal Credit, and b) how many polygamous households receiving income-related state benefits is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
In Universal Credit, the process is that the one spouse will claim for the other in the same way as an unmarried couple, and any other adults living in the household will have to claim as single people on the basis of their own circumstances. This process already happens where a polygamous marriage is not recognised in law.
Legacy income-related benefits provide for polygamous marriages only where the marriage was contracted in a country where polygamy was legal when the parties concerned were domiciled there. Provision is at the lowest level consistent with our human rights obligations. These rules have been in place since the introduction of Income Support in 1988.
Income-related benefits are not payable for spouses who do not reside in Great Britain.
Opposition Whip (Lords)