The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster. The Lords share responsibility for making laws and checking government action. Bills can be introduced
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The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the
United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets
in the Palace of Westminster. The Lords share responsibility for making laws and checking government action. Bills can be introduced into either the House of Lords or the House of Commons and members of the Lords may also take on roles as Government Ministers. The House of Lords has its own support services (службы поддержки) , separate (отделенные) from the Commons, including the House of Lords Library.
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How the House of Lords is organized
Members sit
in the chamber according to the party or group
they belong to. The government and the main opposition party or parties each have a leader, business managers (whips) who organise the work of the House and spokespeople who sit on the frontbench. Crossbenchers have a convenor but, because they have no party affiliation, they do not have a whip system.
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Members of the House of Lords bring experience
and knowledge from a wide range of occupations. Many
members continue to be active in their fields and have successful careers in business, culture, science, sports, academia, health and public service. They bring this knowledge to their role of examining matters of public interest that affect all UK citizens.
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Members and their roles
There are about 825 members
of the House of Lords. The majority (about 700)
are life peers
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How members are appointed
Members of the House of
Lords are appointed by the Queen on the advice
of the Prime Minister It normally takes several weeks from the time a potential new member is announced, by the government or the House of Lords Appointments Commission, to their actual appointment. Before anyone becomes a member, a title has to be agreed and the Letters Patent and Writ of Summons documents must be prepared. Letters Patent are issued by the Queen and create a life peerage. Recipients become members when Letters Patent are sealed. They can then be written to at the House of Lords, using their new title of Lord or Baroness. They cannot sit or vote until their ‘introduction’. The Writ of Summons calls the member to the House and acts as their ‘entry ticket’. A new writ is issued for every member at the beginning of each Parliament (after a general election). A writ accompanies the Letters Patent for a new member.
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Lord Speaker
The Lord Speaker, currently Baroness D’Souza, presides
over business in the chamber, acts as an ambassador
for the work of the House and chairs the House Committee
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Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of
the House is a member of the cabinet and
the most senior member of the government in the Lords, responsible for its business in the House. He leads a team of about 25 ministers and whips. The Leader also has obligations (обязательства) to the House as a whole. He expresses its collective feelings on formal occasions by giving motions of thanks and congratulations. He also gives procedural advice, eg in disputes over who will speak next during questions. The Leader is available to assist (готова помочь) and advise all Lords. The current (нынешний) Leader of the House of Lords is Lord Strathclyde. As with all past Leaders, he was appointed to the position by the Prime Minister.
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Types of members
Life peers: The majority (about 700) of
members are appointed for their lifetime by the Queen
on the advice of the Prime Minister. Any British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen who is a UK resident and taxpayer (налогоплательщик) over the age of 21 is eligible to be nominated or can apply to become a member, via the independent House of Lords Appointments Commission. Archbishops and bishops(Архиепископы и епископы): 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House. When they retire as bishops their membership of the House ceases and is passed on to the next most senior bishop. Elected hereditary members: The House of Lords Act 1999 ended the right of most hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House. Ninety-two remain.