House of Lords Act 1999

References to the Committee for Privileges

29. On 14, 18, 19 and 20 October 1999 the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords considered the following two references from the House of Lords:

(i)

“Whether the House of Lords Bill (as amended on Report) would, if enacted, affect the right of those hereditary peers who have answered to their writ of summons before the Bill receives Royal Assent to continue to sit and vote throughout the Parliament in which the Bill is enacted.”

(ii)

“Whether the House of Lords Bill (as amended on Report) would, if enacted, breach the provisions of the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England.”

30. The unanimous opinion of the Committee on the first of these references was “that the House of Lords Bill would remove the right to sit and vote from all hereditary peers, who have answered to their writ of summons before the Bill receives Royal Assent (save those exempted by virtue of clause 2), from the end of the session in which the Bill is passed”. [Session 1998-99 First Report from the Committee for Privileges (HL Paper 106).]

31. The unanimous opinion of the Committee on the second of these references was “that the House of Lords Bill (as amended on Report) would not, if enacted, breach the provisions of the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland.” [Session 1998-99 Second Report from the Committee for Privileges (HL Paper 108).]