How Effectively Does HOL Fulfil Its Functions Flashcards
1A: Legislative scrutiny
The Parliament Act 1911 means HOL cannot physically prevent legislation, and can only delay it for a year, this was displayed in the overriding of the HOL’s decision to ban fox hunting, leading to Hunting Act 2004, so really they are just suggestions. Furthermore, the Salisbury Convention states HOL cannot block manifesto pledges, which are likely the most significant forms of legislation.
1B: Legislative scrutiny
Spends 50-60% of time in house scrutinising bills. Usually around 1,000-2000 amendments are made a year, and some of them make substantial differences to bills, for example, the Identity Cards Act 2006 was amended after multiple defeats in the HOL, it eventually ended up in govt conceding that the ID cards not be compulsory and rather completely voluntary. Further, the Lords may affect how govt brings about bills due to the idea of anticipated reaction, modifying it before or not bringing it forward at all if risk of opposition. The expertise of members in the lords means their amendments is respected
2A: scrutinising govt
Lords use committed to scrutinise govt, producing reports. However they are non binding, meaning legally they hold no weight, and the govt can simply ignore the result as the House of Lords is unelected, so commons is primary.
2B: scrutinising govt
Committee reports are seen as authorative, well reasoned and evidence based due to the expertise of life peers and experience. During the time of Uk being member, the EU Commitee helped influence debate on proposed EU law in UK and in EU as whole.
Sub commuters also quickly examined impact of Brexit on different sectors of public policy after referendum.
Further, the Covid questioning in Science and Technology Committee in 2021 allowed Cummings to give 7 hour evidence scrutinise govt response to Covid, this one highlights to electorate deficiencies of current government but also allows future govt to learn from mistakes
3A: raising issues through debates
Although House of Lords can raise issues, it is ultimately up to the govt or opposition during oppisition days to set them on the agenda if they find convenient. For example, the Lords Committee on Food, Diet and Obesity report in 2025 attempted to raise questions to UK govt about the issue of preventable diseases and discusses a sugar and salt reformulation tax, but the govt hasn’t taken it seriously enough to put through a bill implementing what it recommended, so the issue hasn’t really been raised effectively
3B: raising issues
However debates are still regarded as high quality and non-partisan in the lords, and often do encorauge govt response, and whilst they do not often directly lesd to policy, they set agendas and possibilities. For example the private members bill for Asssited dying currently being passed in the commons, was an issue raised in the Lords in 2003 by a private members bill by Lord Joffe.
