Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the all-party consensus, reached in 1999 when the House of Lords Act was passed, that no single political party would in future have a majority of the politically declared membership of the House of Lords.

The House of Lords has a key role in scrutinising the executive and being a revising chamber. It is important that the way it is constituted reflects that role and the primacy of the House of Commons. The Conservative manifesto committed to looking at the role of the House of Lords and reviewing the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts.

The House of Lords Appointments Commission recommends individuals for appointment as non-party-political life peers. In line with established convention, the number of nominations to be offered to individual political parties is a matter for the Prime Minister. All appointments are vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission to ensure the highest standards of propriety.