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Power without Representation? The House of Lords and Social Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2010

Hugh Bochel  and
Andrew Defty
Hugh Bochel
Affiliation:
Department of Policy Studies, University of Lincoln, Lincoln E-mail: [email protected]
Andrew Defty
Affiliation:
Department of Policy Studies, University of Lincoln, Lincoln E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In the past the House of Lords has generally, and arguably for good reasons, been ignored in discussions of the making and scrutiny of welfare. However, it has always played some role in this field, particularly in the scrutiny and passage of legislation, and since the removal of the bulk of hereditary Peers in 1999, some writers have argued that the House has become more assertive. This article examines the attitudes of Peers, including a comparison with the views of Members of Parliament, and draws a number of conclusions about the role of the upper House in relation to social policy.

Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , July 2010 , pp. 367 - 377
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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