12th Special Report - Government Response to the Committee’s Thirteenth report: A smaller House of Lords: The report of the Lord Speaker’s committee on the size of the House

This is the government's response, published 5 March 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government agrees that the objectives of the Lord Speaker's committee report to reduce the size of the House should be supported, but does not accept that the Prime Minister must commit to a specific cap or appointment formula, and says comprehensive reform is not a priority for this Parliament.

• On the cap and appointments formula, the Government "does not however accept" that the Prime Minister must commit to a specific cap or limit appointments in line with the formula, saying such changes need "careful consideration and wider engagement".
• It says a combination of restraint over future appointments and sustained efforts from all parties to increase retirements will be "the most effective short-term approach". The Prime Minister has committed to allocating appointments fairly, bearing in mind the last general election results and each party's leadership on retirements.
• On the Cabinet Manual, the Government says the Prime Minister's commitment "speaks for itself" and that the Manual "is not intended to be the source of any rule or to set out the specific commitments of a particular Government".
• On transparency and diversity, the Government "will work with" the House of Lords Appointments Commission "to consider its future role and functions". The minister's letter sets out no detailed process or timescale.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error