Procedure and Privileges Committee

Lord Gardiner of Kimble Excerpts

Tuesday 14th April 2026 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

That the Report from the Select Committee Resignation: New Standing Order (6th Report, HL Paper 280) be agreed to.

[The Senior Deputy Speaker (Lord Gardiner of Kimble)]

My Lords, this report proposes a new Standing Order to implement Section 2 of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026, to allow another person to give or sign a notice of resignation from the House on behalf of a Member who lacks capacity to give or sign that notice personally. The process will be overseen by the Leave of Absence Sub-Committee of the Procedure and Privileges Committee, made up of the Chief Whips of the three main parties and the Convenor of the Cross Benches, and chaired by the Senior Deputy Speaker. This sub-committee will be the final decision-maker in all applications.

The details of the operation of this procedure are set out in the report, but the key principle is that resignation pursuant to the Standing Order will be permitted only if two conditions are met: first, that the person applying has the authority to act on behalf of the Peer; and, secondly, that the Peer has lost and is unlikely to regain capacity to give notice of resignation personally. Section 2 of the Act came into force upon Royal Assent, so if agreed by your Lordships’ House the Standing Order will come into force immediately. I commend the report to your Lordships and I beg to move.

Motion agreed.