A Bill to amend the House of Lords Act 1999 to remove the by-election system for the election of hereditary peers.
House of Lords
2 May 2017
This Bill would change the House of Lords Act 1999 by removing the system that elects a small number of hereditary peers to sit in the Lords. If it becomes law, by-elections to fill hereditary seats would no longer be used, altering how hereditary membership in the Lords is maintained. In short, it aims to end hereditary by-elections and change the Lords’ makeup accordingly.
The bill is at Committee stage in the Lords, where it will be examined in detail. If it passes this stage, it would move on to report stage, third reading, and then to the Commons if approved by the Lords.
Generated 21 February 2026
Line by line examination of the Bill took place during committee stage on 9 December. Amendments discussed covered clause 1 of the Bill.
Report stage – further line by line examination of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.
The 2016-2017 session of Parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
