Role of the Speaker at House of Lords
The speaker of the British Parliament is known as the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords. The office of the Lord Speaker is similar to that of the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Lord Speaker in the Parliament of the United Kingdom is chosen by the members of the House of Lords, but he has to act politically impartial after getting elected. Earlier the position of the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords was held by the Lord Chancellor, but with the introduction of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the office of the Speaker was separated. As a result of that, the first Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, came in took the charge.
Visit: House of Lords Website
Instructions
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Main Role of the Lord Speaker:
The Lord Speaker represents the House of Lords as an ambassador both inside and outside the United Kingdom. The Lord Speaker explains the role of the House of Lords and its input to the Parliament. The Lord Speaker symbolizes the House of Lords on formal occasions as well.
However, the main role of the Lord Speaker is to refrain from all sorts of political activities and leave his or her group affiliation aside and act as a neutral person while performing the duties of a speaker. The Lord Speaker also cannot vote on any proceedings in the House of Lords. In addition to that, the Lord Speaker supervises the proceedings in the Upper House of the Parliament by giving procedural recommendations and assistance. -
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Other Duties of the Lord Speaker:
- Develop a programme that will make the work of the House of Lords and its members easy to grasp and available to the general public without facing any trouble.
- Preside over the House Committee (responsible for financial matters of the House of Lords).
- Attends Speakers of Parliaments meetings, which take place internationally.
- Sustains official responsibility for safety in the Lords region of the parliamentary estate.
