This In Focus note provides key statistics and background information on those Members in the House of Lords who have taken voluntary retirement. This includes age, affiliation and attendance levels.
Statistics on Retirements from the House of Lords (264KB PDF)
As at 19 June 2015, 29 Members of the House of Lords had retired under the provisions of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 or, prior to this, through the voluntary retirement scheme adopted by the House of Lords in 2011. This briefing includes graphical representations on the affiliation, membership type (such as whether they were Life Peers or excepted hereditaries) and attendance levels of these retired Members. It also sets out some key statistics on their backgrounds, average length of tenure and average age at retirement. Further information on the introduction of voluntary retirement can be found in the House of Lords Library Note, Retirement from the House of Lords (13 February 2015, LLN 2015/005).
Statistics on Retirements from the House of Lords (264KB 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.
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
