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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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House of Lords
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The upper chamber in *parliament, consisting of the *Lords Spiritual and Temporal. Until 1999 all hereditary members of the peerage could, if they wished, take their seats (an anachronism which has provoked many proposals for reform), but the majority of those taking part in debates are *life peers. A gradual loss of power to the House of *Commons culminated in the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. The first deprived the Lords of any powers over financial legislation; the second made it impossible for them to reject any legislation passed by the Commons, leaving only the power to delay (by not more than a few months) and to propose amendments.
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In spite of this the debates in the Lords and the amendments passed on controversial issues can have a considerable impact, as was several times demonstrated during the Thatcher years of the 1980s. The House of Lords is also Britain's highest court of appeal, with the *lord chancellor and the *law lords constituting the court.
In 1999 the Labour government severely limited the numbers of hereditary peers allowed to participate in the House of Lords, as the first stage of a reform intended eventually to phase out all hereditary rights in the upper chamber.
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