House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026: stages, votes and documents
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 18 March 2026, 559 days after its first reading in the House of Commons on 5 September 2024. MPs divided on it 9 times between 15 October 2024 and 4 September 2025; the narrowest margin was 258 (Motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 2).
Stages taken place
13
Commons divisions
9
Documents listed
14
Royal Assent
18 March 2026
What the bill is for
The long title reads:
A Bill to remove the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords; to make provision about resignation from the House of Lords; to abolish the jurisdiction of the House of Lords in relation to claims to hereditary peerages; and for connected purposes.
Sponsors
- Pat McFadden (Labour, Commons), Cabinet Office
- Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour, Lords), Cabinet Office
Stages
| Stage | House | Sittings |
|---|---|---|
| 1st reading | Commons | 5 September 2024 |
| 2nd reading | Commons | 15 October 2024 |
| Programme motion | Commons | 15 October 2024 |
| Committee of the whole House | Commons | 12 November 2024 |
| 3rd reading | Commons | 12 November 2024 |
| 1st reading | Lords | 13 November 2024 |
| 2nd reading | Lords | 11 December 2024 |
| Committee stage | Lords | 3 March 2025, 10 March 2025, 12 March 2025, 25 March 2025, 1 April 2025 |
| Report stage | Lords | 2 July 2025, 9 July 2025 |
| 3rd reading | Lords | 21 July 2025 |
| Consideration of Lords amendments | Commons | 4 September 2025 |
| Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons | Lords | 10 March 2026 |
| Royal Assent | Unassigned | 18 March 2026 |
Commons divisions on this bill
| Date | Division | Ayes | Noes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 October 2024 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading | 105 | 453 |
| 12 November 2024 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill Committee: Amendment 25 | 98 | 376 |
| 12 November 2024 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill Committee: New Clause 1 | 41 | 378 |
| 12 November 2024 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill Committee: New Clause 7 | 93 | 355 |
| 12 November 2024 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill Committee: New Clause 20 | 98 | 375 |
| 12 November 2024 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: Third Reading | 435 | 73 |
| 4 September 2025 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1 | 336 | 77 |
| 4 September 2025 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: Motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 2 | 331 | 73 |
| 4 September 2025 | House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3 | 338 | 74 |
Documents
Act of Parliament
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 (c. 12) 20 March 2026
Bill
- Bill 007 2024-25 (as introduced) 5 September 2024
- 5901049.pdf · 5901049.html · 5901049.xml 13 November 2024
- 5901122.pdf · 5901122.xml · 5901122.html 9 July 2025
- Bill 295 2024-25 (Lords Amendments) 23 July 2025
- 5901130.pdf 8 September 2025
Explanatory Notes
- Bill 007 EN 2024-25 5 September 2024
- HL Bill 49 Explanatory Notes · 5901049en.pdf 13 November 2024
- Bill 295 EN 2024-25 (Lords Amendments) 23 July 2025
Briefing papers
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill 2024-25 10 October 2024
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill 2024-25 5 November 2024
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: HL Bill 49 21 November 2024
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill 2024-25: Progress of the bill 29 May 2025
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: Amendments made in the House of Lords and Commons consideration of those amendments 20 September 2025
Official record
Sources
| Record | Read | SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|
| Bills API: bill | 27 October 2026 | 40639dd52b680f06… |
| Bills API: stages | 27 October 2026 | 42d67bac7d5c38d4… |
| Bills API: publications | 15 October 2026 | 4781904abdecc105… |