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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.
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9 provisions
Title and introductory text
House of Lords Act 1999
1999 c. 34
An Act to restrict membership of the House of Lords by virtue of a hereditary peerage; to make related provision about disqualifications for voting at elections to, and for membership of, the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
[11th November 1999]
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Propose a change1 Exclusion of hereditary peers.
No-one shall be a member of the House of Lords by virtue of a hereditary peerage.
Propose a change2 Exception from section 1.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change3 Removal of disqualifications in relation to the House of Commons.
(1) The holder of a hereditary peerage shall not be disqualified by virtue of that peerage for—
(a) voting at elections to the House of Commons, or
(b) being, or being elected as, a member of that House.
(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change4 Amendments and repeals.
(1) The enactments mentioned in Schedule 1 are amended as specified there.
(2) The enactments mentioned in Schedule 2 are repealed to the extent specified there.
Propose a change5 Commencement and transitional provision.
(1) Sections 1 to 4 (including Schedules 1 and 2) shall come into force at the end of the Session of Parliament in which this Act is passed.
(2) Accordingly, any writ of summons issued for the present Parliament in right of a hereditary peerage shall not have effect after that Session unless it has been issued to a person who, at the end of the Session, is excepted from section 1 by virtue of section 2.
(3) The Secretary of State may by order make such transitional provision about the entitlement of holders of hereditary peerages to vote at elections to the House of Commons or the European Parliament as he considers appropriate.
(4) An order under this section—
(a) may modify the effect of any enactment or any provision made under an enactment, and
(b) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
Propose a change6 Interpretation and short title.
(1) In this Act “hereditary peerage” includes the principality of Wales and the earldom of Chester.
(2) This Act may be cited as the House of Lords Act 1999.
Propose a changeSCHEDULE 1 Amendments
Section 4(1).
Peerage Act 1963 (c.48)
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recess Elections Act 1975 (c.66)
2 In section 1 of the Recess Elections Act 1975 (issue of warrants for making out writs to replace members of the House of Commons whose seats have become vacant), in—
(a) subsection (1)(a), and
(b) paragraph (a) of the definition of “certificate of vacancy” in subsection (2),
for the words “become a peer” there shall be substituted the words “ become disqualified as a peer for membership of the House of Commons ”.
3 In Schedule 1 to that Act (certificate of vacancy), for the words “has become a peer of Parliament” there shall be substituted the words “ has become disqualified as a peer for membership of the House of Commons ”.
Propose a changeSCHEDULE 2 Repeals
Section 4(2).
Chapter | Short title | Extent of repeal
1963 c. 48. | The Peerage Act 1963. | In section 1(3), paragraph (b) and the word “and” immediately preceding it.
Section 2.
In section 3, in subsection (1)(b), the words from “(including” to “that House)” and, in subsection (2), the words from “and” to the end of the subsection.
Section 5.
Propose a change