This House of Lords Library briefing presents lists of public offices and positions previously or currently held by Members of the House of Lords as at 23 March 2016.
House of Lords: Public Offices and Positions Held by Members (552KB PDF)
As at this date, membership of the House included:
This briefing updates the House of Lords Library Note House of Lords: Profile of Membership (2 June 2015), which provided background information on the membership and age profile of the House of Lords, together with information on the public positions held by Members, as the House was composed on 30 March 2015—the date on which the 2010–15 Parliament was dissolved.
House of Lords: Public Offices and Positions Held by Members (552KB 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.
