Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords

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, Lord McFall of Alcluith, took the office on 1 September 2016. Up until September 2016 the position was known as Chairman of Committees.^[1]

The Senior Deputy Speaker is assisted by the Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees and a panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees. The Principal Deputy Chairman is Lord Boswell of Aynho. 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.^[2] Deputy Chairmen are, by practice, Deputy Speakers.^[3]

As of 5 March 2018, the panel of Deputy Chairmen are:^[4]

Chairmen of Committees

• The Earl of Clarendon, 1715–1723
• The Lord De La Warr, 1724–1733
• The Earl of Warwick, 1733–1759
• The Lord Willoughby of Parham, 1759–1765
• The Lord Delamer, 1765–1770
• The Viscount Wentworth, 1770–1774
• The Lord Boston, 1774–1775
• The Lord Scarsdale, 1775–1789
• The Lord Cathcart, 1789–1794
• The Lord Walsingham, 1794–1814
• The Earl of Shaftesbury, 1814–1851
• The Lord Redesdale (later Earl of Redesdale), 1851–1886
• The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 1886–1889
• The Earl of Morley, 1889–1905
• The 4th Earl of Onslow, 1905–1911
• The Earl of Donoughmore, 1911–1931
• The 5th Earl of Onslow, 1931–1944
• The Lord Stanmore, 1944–1946
• The Earl of Drogheda, 1946–1957
• The Lord Merthyr, 1957–1965
• The Earl of Listowel, 1965–1976
• The Lord Aberdare, 1976–1992
• The Lord Ampthill, 1992–1994
• The Lord Boston of Faversham, 1994–2000
• The Lord MacKay of Ardbrecknish, 2000–2001
• The Lord Tordoff, 2001–2002
• The Lord Brabazon of Tara, 2002–2012
• The Lord Sewel, 2012–2015
• The Lord Laming, 2015–2016

Senior Deputy Speakers

• John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith, 2016–

See also

• List of committees of the United Kingdom Parliament

References