The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house,the House of Commons,it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London,England. One of the oldest institutions in the world,its origins lie in the early 11th century and the emergence of bicameralism in the 13th century.
Thomas McLaughlin McAvoy,Baron McAvoy,was a British Labour and Co-operative politician serving as a life peer in the House of Lords from 2010 until his death in 2024. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Rutherglen from 1987 to 2005,and Rutherglen and Hamilton West from 2005 to 2010.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The chief of the defence staff is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence,the ministry's senior civil servant. The Chief of Defence is the highest ranking officer to currently serve in the armed forces.
The Clerk of the Parliaments is the chief clerk of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The position has existed since at least 1315,and duties include preparing the minutes of Lords proceedings,advising on proper parliamentary procedure and pronouncing royal assent. Many of the Clerk's duties are now fulfilled by his deputies and the Clerk of the Parliaments' Office.
The clerk of the House of Commons is the chief executive of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom,and before 1707 in the House of Commons of England.
The Clerk of the Crown in Chancery in Great Britain is a senior civil servant who is the head of the Crown Office.
General John Nicholas Reynolds Houghton,Baron Houghton of Richmond,is a retired senior British Army officer and former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the British Armed Forces. He was appointed CDS in July 2013,following the retirement of General Sir David Richards. He served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion,the Green Howards in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and later became Commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland. He deployed as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General,Multi-National Force –Iraq during the Iraq War. Later,he became Chief of Joint Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters and served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff until assuming the position of CDS. Houghton retired from the British Army in July 2016,and was succeeded as CDS by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach.
Sir Paul David Grenville Hayter is a British public servant and was Clerk of the Parliaments from 2003 to 2007.
Sir Evan Paul Silk FLSW is a former clerk in the British House of Commons. He was formerly Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales from March 2001 to January 2007,the most senior official of the Assembly,and acted as the principal adviser to the Presiding Officer,responsible for all the services that are delivered to Assembly Members through the Assembly Parliamentary Service. In 2011,he was appointed as chair of the Commission on Devolution in Wales. In 2017 he was a member of the Expert Panel on Electoral Reform set up by the Assembly.
Gavin Laurence Barwell,Baron Barwell is a British politician and former Downing Street Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Theresa May. A member of the Conservative Party,he was Member of Parliament for Croydon Central from 2010 until 2017.
Sir Michael Graham Pownall,is a retired British public servant. From 2007 to 2011,he was Clerk of the Parliaments in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.
Jeremy John Heywood,Baron Heywood of Whitehall,was a British civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary to David Cameron and Theresa May from 2012 to 2018 and Head of the Home Civil Service from 2014 to 2018. He served as the Principal Private Secretary to Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 1999 to 2003 and 2008 to 2010. He also served as Downing Street Chief of Staff and the first Downing Street Permanent Secretary. After he was diagnosed with lung cancer,he took a leave of absence from June 2018,and retired on health grounds on 24 October 2018,receiving a life peerage;he died a fortnight later on 4 November 2018.
Geoffrey Robert James Borwick,5th Baron Borwick,is a British businessman,hereditary peer and member of the House of Lords.
Sir David Stephens KCB CVO was a British public servant and Clerk of the Parliaments from 1963 to 1974. He was educated at Winchester College,Christ Church,Oxford and The Queen's College,Oxford.
Sir Francis William Lascelles KCB,MC was a British public servant and Clerk of the Parliaments from 1953 to 1958.
Robert James Rogers,Baron Lisvane,,FLSW is a British life peer and retired public servant. He served as Clerk of the House of Commons from October 2011 until August 2014.
Sir Victor Martin Reeves Goodman KCB OBE MC was a British public servant and Clerk of the Parliaments from 1959 to 1963.
Sir David Lionel Natzler is a former Clerk of the House of Commons,the principal constitutional adviser to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom,and adviser on all its procedure and business. He was the 50th person to hold the role. Appointed by letters patent in March 2015,he was designated acting Clerk upon the retirement of Sir Robert Rogers in August 2014. He announced his retirement in a letter to the Speaker on 14 November 2018.
Sir Edward Christopher Ollard is a British public servant and former Clerk of the Parliaments.
Sir John Stuart Benger is a British civil servant. He has served as Master of St Catharine's College,Cambridge,since October 2023. He previously served as Clerk of the House of Commons,the principal constitutional adviser to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom,and adviser on all its procedure and business,from 2019 to 2023.
