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Lord Pannick (CB)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 21 July 2025

Debate

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill

Contribution

My Lords, I added my name to Amendment 1 because it provides the best solution to a sensitive problem. There is, at present, uncertainty as to whether noble Lords who lack capacity can resign from the House. A legislative provision is required to remove this uncertainty, but the risk with legislation on this complex topic is that it may fail to capture all the relevant criteria and would then be very difficult to amend. The neat solution adopted by Amendment 1 is to provide statutory authority for Standing Orders of this House to regulate the matter. The complexity of the issue remains, but it can be addressed in detail in the drafting of the Standing Orders and with the assistance of the expertise in this House—you can never have too many lawyers. I am very grateful to the noble Baroness the Leader of the House for responding speedily and effectively, with the considerable assistance of the Bill team, on this important issue raised at earlier stages, as he has said, by the noble Lord, Lord Ashton of Hyde.

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