Overview

• Ministers are developing a participation test that tracks debates, votes, committee work and other meaningful contributions, with persistent non‑participants required to resign.
• The government proposes a mandatory retirement age of 80, with peers expected to leave by the end of the parliament in which they reach that birthday, subject to final design by the committee.
• Baroness Smith of Basildon said a select, cross-party committee will determine how the rules work in practice and what changes require legislation.
• The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill is in its final scrutiny, aiming to abolish the remaining hereditary seats; by‑elections are suspended and 86 hereditary peers currently remain.
• Ministers cite an oversized chamber of about 830 members and a Conservative advantage of roughly 285 to 209 over Labour as they seek to reduce numbers and rebalance the upper house.