Frances D’Souza: Today’s Lords is a House that’s built on firm foundations in wider society

Despite this, we still have an unelected House of Lords. We’ve changed a great deal in the last few decades and continue to do so; the House of today is not the House of the popular imagination.

We are not the House of aristocrats that the photos of State Opening of Parliament, the one day of the year when we wear ermine robes, suggest.

We are a hard-working Chamber performing a useful parliamentary function. We hold the Government to account, scrutinise and revise legislation, and ask the Commons to think again if necessary. This is a role which complements, rather than competes with, the work of the House of Commons.

In part, my task is to combat the misleading image of the House as one full of old men with ancient hereditary peerages.

As Lord Speaker, I promote and champion the House to the public; explain its work and membership; and encourage the general public to take advantage of the House as another route into the political process.

All parliaments exist to provide a service to the people. As the elected chamber, the House of Commons’ link between voters and Parliament is clear. The House of Lords is not elected, so the link is less clear but it is still essential. Public engagement with the House improves its work, keeps members informed and on their toes, and adds legitimacy to what we do.

The primacy of the elected House of Commons over the appointed House of Lords is well established. We can’t force the Commons to change its mind and must therefore rely on the strength of our arguments to win them over. The more the views of the Lords are informed through engagement with civil society, the greater the credibility of our positions and the more likely we are to succeed in getting the Commons to reconsider.

This is why I frequently travel the country talking to many different organisations: universities, community groups, charities, and chambers of commerce to name just a few. For example, this week I shall be in Yorkshire speaking at Sheffield University, talking to school children in Doncaster, chairing a debate at Bradford College and taking part in discussions at Bradford City Football Club.

Not long ago I was in Nottingham talking to women’s groups and the city’s youth council. Before that I was in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to see local business leaders, army veterans, and school children and to give a public lecture. I am currently planning more visits around 
the country to meet people, tell them about the House of Lords and encourage them to engage with us.

But it isn’t my role to paint a completely rosy picture of the House or to ignore the House’s shortcomings. I don’t support the “end it” side of my opening slogan but I do believe there’s plenty that could be done to “mend it”.

The membership of the House is increasing. We need to find a way of reconciling the need to bring new people, fresh blood into the House with the fact that membership is for life.

The expenses scandal of recent years led the House to punish some of its members to the full extent of its powers but questions remain about whether that was enough.

Encouragingly, some of the aspects of the House that could be mended are addressed in a Bill introduced last month in the House of Commons, which both the Government and Opposition supported.

There are other questions: is it still necessary for membership of the House to be accompanied by a peerage, making us seem to be aristocrats when most of us aren’t? Should the number of members in the House be without limit – though would it be wise to cap a House where members are appointed for life? Members are often appointed for their professional expertise but how can we ensure the House has all the expertise it needs?

Another question that one might ask about the House is whether it is sufficiently diverse. One of the benefits of an appointed Chamber is that increasing its diversity ought to be a fairly simple matter – the party leaders just need to appoint peers from more diverse backgrounds.

Although the House is far more diverse than it used to be, I am sure more could be done. For example, about 23 per cent of members are women. The UN’s target for women in Parliament is 30 per cent.

These are question I pose but cannot answer. The debate about the House of Lords has been going on for many years and, I suspect, will continue for many more. I hope, therefore, the public will engage with this debate and my role is to try to make sure that such engagement is done on the basis of a proper understanding of the House as it is today, not as it was in decades past. I am looking forward to the opportunity to do so this week in Doncaster, Sheffield and Bradford.

• Frances D’Souza is a scientist, life peer and Lord Speaker who is visiting Yorkshire today and tomorrow.