Peers

Debate between Lord Selsdon and Lord Strathclyde

Tuesday 21st December 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Selsdon]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the announcements by the Prime Minister to appoint a number of new life Peers as “working Peers”, what is their definition of a “working Peer”.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Strathclyde)]

My Lords, the term “working Peer” has been used since the 1950s to refer to Peers appointed to the House of Lords following nomination by one of the political parties. Such nominations are subject to vetting for propriety by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

[Lord Selsdon]

My Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend for that little bit of history, but is he aware that the official advice given to me is that there is no term “working Peer” and that Members of your Lordships' House, other than the 20 who hold positions and are paid from the public purse, do not work? Will he therefore explain to me whether I am right or wrong, and whether the only term of comparison that I can find in my research is correct; that is, that the nearest relationship is the worker bee? If we do not work, are we all known as drones?

[Lord Strathclyde]

My Lords, I know that my noble friend speaks for himself in posing these questions. He said that he was glad of my little history lesson. I know that he has done endless research on this question. He is broadly right: there is no statutory basis for the term “working Peer”. It does not appear in the Companion or in our Standing Orders. It has been used in the past as a term of convenience. My view is that all Peers come here to work; no Peer comes here except as a volunteer; and they fully understand the duties that they will have to perform when they get here.