Chairman of Committees (House of Lords)

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The Chairman of Committees 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 Chairman also chairs various select committees of the House, and has a role in the administration of the House. Like the Lord Speaker, the Chairman of Committees withdraws from political party membership. The current incumbent, Lord Laming, was appointed on 7 September 2015[1] following the resignation of Lord Sewel due to a scandal. Prior to his appoitment Lord Laming had been serving as Convenor of the Crossbench peers.

The Chairman is assisted by the Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees and a panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees. The Principal Deputy Chairman is Lord Boswell of Aynho. 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.[2] Deputy Chairmen are, by practice, Deputy Speakers.[3]

As of 26 May 2016, the panel of Deputy Chairmen are[4]

Past Chairmen

See also

References

  1. Lords Hansard 7 September 2015
  2. Private Standing Order 121.
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  4. https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2016-05-25/debates/Holdebdt20160525scrlgtgnewdebateod11tideputychairmenofcommittees/DeputyChairmenOfCommittees House of Lords Hansard 26 May 2016