House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL]

A Bill to establish a framework for the Secretary of State to consult stakeholders on the replacement of the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber.

Originating House

House of Lords

Parliament last updated

3 June 2026

In Plain English

AI-generated

May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.

This bill would require the Secretary of State to run a UK-wide consultation about replacing the House of Lords with an 'alternative second chamber'. It sets who must be consulted, allows methods such as citizens’ assemblies, and requires publishing the consultation responses and the government’s reply before Parliament. If enacted, it would become the House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Act 2026 and would apply across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Key Points

The government must hold a UK-wide consultation on replacing the House of Lords with an 'alternative second chamber'.
The consultation must involve specific groups: devolved administrations, local government representatives, constitutional experts and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, among others.
The consultation can use methods such as citizens’ assemblies and must have a public submissions page with a minimum of 12 weeks’ duration, starting within six months of passage.
After the consultation, the government must publish a summary of responses and its response, with a report laid before Parliament.
If enacted, the bill defines the 'alternative second chamber', applies to all four nations, and would take effect from enactment as the House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Act 2026.

Progress

The bill is currently at its 1st Reading in the Lords (2026-06-03). No committee, report, or voting stages are recorded in the provided trail yet; the next steps would be committee stage, report stage and further readings.

Who is affected?

Devolved administrations (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) and their officialsLocal government representativesConstitutional experts and scholarsEquality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)UK residents who would participate in or be affected by the consultation

Generated 4 June 2026

Bill Stages

1st readingLords

3 Jun 2026

2nd readingLords

Committee stageLords

Report stageLords

3rd readingLords

1st readingCommons

2nd readingCommons

Committee stageCommons

Report stageCommons

3rd readingCommons

Royal Assent

Updates & Documents

News (1)

House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill

3 Jun 2026

First reading took place on 3 June. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the bill's journey through the Lords.

What happens next?

Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the bill - is yet to be scheduled.

Documents (1)

HL Bill 11 (as introduced)

BillLords

The bill requires the Secretary of State to run a UK-wide consultation on replacing the House of Lords with an 'alternative second chamber', specifying the groups to be consulted (including devolved administrations, local government representatives, constitutional experts and the Equality and Human Rights Commission) and allowing methods such as citizens’ assemblies. It also requires a public submissions page, a minimum 12-week consultation starting within six months of passage, and publication of a summary of responses and the government’s response, with a report laid before Parliament; it defines the 'alternative second chamber', applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and comes into force on enactment, to be cited as the House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Act 2026.

3 Jun 2026

Parliamentary Votes (0)

No recorded votes for this bill yet.