This Briefing Pack contains a selection of material relevant to the forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on the implications of the constitutional changes proposed in the Queen's Speech.
Debate on the Implications of the Constitutional Changes Proposed in the Queen’s Speech (145KB PDF)
The Government announced a range of bills in the Queen’s Speech which would have constitutional implications, including a Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, a Scotland Bill, a Wales Bill, a Northern Ireland (Stormont House Agreement) Bill and an EU Referendum Bill. The Government also announced that in the present session it would work co-operatively with the UK’s devolved administrations, bring forward changes to the Standing Orders of the House of Commons to introduce English (or English and Welsh) votes for English (or English and Welsh) laws and bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights.
Debate on the Implications of the Constitutional Changes Proposed in the Queen’s Speech (145KB PDF)
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber Bill) [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru). It would require the secretary of state to carry out a consultation regarding proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber. The bill specifies whom the secretary of state would be required to consult with and the timeframe of that consultation.
![House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 11 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/House-of-Lords-568x426.png)
The bill is a government bill that would make a range of changes to the legal framework concerning elections, including extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections and other reserved elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill was amended during both its committee and report stages in the House of Commons, with many of the government’s later amendments implementing recommendations from the Rycroft review on countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
The bill would make the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) primarily responsible for certain youth justice functions, provide a formal role for the Welsh government in some youth justice decisions, and restrict the UK government’s ability to alter the YJB’s functions through secondary legislation.
![Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 20 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/Government-VIGS-568x426.jpg)