Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords

Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
Logo used to represent the House of Lords
Flag of the House of Lords
Incumbent The Lord Gardiner of Kimble since 11 May 2021
House of Lords
Style	Senior Deputy Speaker (informal and within the house) His or her own peerage title
Status	Deputy presiding officer
Appointer	House of Lords Approved and sworn in by the Sovereign
Website	Official website

The Senior Deputy Speaker is an officer of the House of Lords whose main role is to preside over the House when it is in committee (i.e., considering a bill at committee stage), either in the Lords Chamber or in Grand Committee, which is when committee stage is taken away from the floor to free up debating time in the main Chamber. The Senior Deputy Speaker deputises for the Lord Speaker, and like the Lord Speaker withdraws from political party membership. Additionally, the Senior Deputy Speaker chairs various select committees of the House, and has a role in the administration of the House.

The current incumbent, John Gardiner, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, took the office on 11 May 2021.^[1] Up until September 2016 the position was known as Chairman of Committees.^[2]

The Senior Deputy Speaker is assisted by a panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees. In addition to taking the chair in Committee of the Whole House and Grand Committee, Deputy Chairmen are appointed from time-to-time to serve with the Chairman of Committees on unopposed bill committees, which scrutinise private bills against which no petitions have been lodged.^[3] Deputy Chairmen are, by practice, Deputy Speakers.^[4]

In March 2020, the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, announced that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would be withdrawing from Westminster and leaving woolsack duties to his deputies.^[5] On Monday 23 March the house agreed to a motion that, until 21 July, any member could perform the deputy speakers' functions.^[6]

Panel of deputy chairmen[edit]

The following table lists the panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees as of March 2024.^[7] Where applicable, a peer's concurrent term as a Deputy Speaker is also noted.

Chairmen of Committees[edit]

• Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, 1715–1723
• John West, 7th/16th Baron De La Warr, 1724–1733
• Edward Rich, 8th Earl of Warwick, 1733–1759
• Hugh Willoughby, 15th Baron Willoughby of Parham, 1759–1765
• Nathaniel Booth, 4th Baron Delamer, 1765–1770
• Edward Noel, 1st Viscount Wentworth, 1770–1774
• William Irby, 1st Baron Boston, 1774–1775
• Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale, 1775–1789
• William Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, 1789–1794
• Thomas de Grey, 2nd Baron Walsingham, 1794–1814
• Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury, 1814–1851
• John Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, 1851–1886 (created Earl of Redesdale, 1877)
• Richard Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 1886–1889
• Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley, 1889–1905
• William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow, 1905–1911
• Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of Donoughmore, 1911–1931
• Richard Onslow, 5th Earl of Onslow, 1931–1944
• George Hamilton-Gordon, 2nd Baron Stanmore, 1944–1946
• Henry Moore, 10th Earl of Drogheda, 1946–1957
• William Lewis, 3rd Baron Merthyr, 1957–1965
• William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel, 1965–1976
• Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, 1976–1992
• Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, 1992–1994
• Terence Boston, Baron Boston of Faversham, 1994–2000
• John MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish, 2000–2001
• Geoffrey Tordoff, Baron Tordoff, 2001–2002
• Ivon Moore-Brabazon, 3rd Baron Brabazon of Tara, 2002–2012
• John Sewel, Baron Sewel, 2012–2015
• Herbert Laming, Baron Laming, 2015–2016

Senior Deputy Speakers[edit]

• John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith, 2016–2021
• John Gardiner, Baron Gardiner of Kimble, 2021–present

See also[edit]

• List of committees of the United Kingdom Parliament

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• The records of Chairman of Committees are held by the UK Parliamentary Archives