House of Lords

===Relationship with the government===
The House of Lords does not control the term of the prime minister or of the government.<ref name="Parliament of the United Kingdom-2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/parliament-government/|title=Parliament and government|date=21 April 2010|work=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]|access-date=25 March 2013}}</ref> Only the lower house may force the prime minister to resign or call elections by [[Motions of no confidence in the United Kingdom|passing a motion of no-confidence]] or by [[Loss of supply|withdrawing supply]]. Therefore, the House of Lords' oversight of the government is limited.

Most Cabinet ministers are from the House of Commons rather than the House of Lords. In particular, all prime ministers since 1902 have been members of the lower house<ref name="wasson">{{cite book|title=A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the Present|last=Wasson|first=Ellis|date=31 August 2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781405139359}}</ref> ([[Alec Douglas-Home]], who became prime minister in 1963 whilst still an earl, disclaimed his peerage and was elected to the Commons soon after his term began). In recent history, it has been very rare for major cabinet positions (except Lord Chancellor and [[Leader of the House of Lords]]) to have been filled by peers.

Exceptions include:
*[[Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington|Lord Carrington]], who was the [[Secretary of State for Defence]] from 1970 to 1974, [[Department of Energy (United Kingdom)|Secretary of State for Energy]] briefly for two months in early 1974 and [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]] between 1979 and 1982
*[[Arthur Cockfield, Baron Cockfield|Lord Cockfield]], who served as [[Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills|Secretary of State for Trade]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]]
*[[David Young, Baron Young of Graffham|Lord Young of Graffham]], who was [[Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom)|Minister without Portfolio]], then [[Secretary of State for Employment]] and then [[Secretary of State for Trade and Industry]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]] from 1984 to 1989
*[[Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos|Baroness Amos]], who served as [[Secretary of State for International Development]]
*[[Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis|Lord Adonis]], who served as [[Secretary of State for Transport]]
*[[Peter Mandelson|Lord Mandelson]], who served as [[First Secretary of State]], [[Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]]
*[[George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen|George Robertson]] was briefly a peer whilst serving as [[Secretary of State for Defence]] before resigning to take up the post of [[Secretary General of NATO]].
*[[Nicky Morgan|Baroness Morgan of Cotes]] was appointed as [[Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]] as an MP, but retained the office when she was appointed to the House of Lords.
*[[David Cameron|Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton]], former Prime Minister, was appointed [[Foreign Secretary]] and a member of the House of Lords in 2023.<!-- We do not know David Camerron's official title in the House of Lords yet so please do not mention a title such as Lord Cameron, more information can usually be found on [[David Cameron]]'s main Wikipedia page. --><ref name="CameronLord">{{Cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=2023-11-13 |title=David Cameron returns to UK government as foreign secretary |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/13/david-cameron-returns-to-uk-government-as-foreign-secretary |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115081301/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/13/david-cameron-returns-to-uk-government-as-foreign-secretary |url-status=live |access-date=2023-11-13 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rt Hon David Cameron |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/david-cameron |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>

From 1999 to 2010 the [[Attorney General for England and Wales]] was a member of the House of Lords; the most recent was [[Patricia Scotland]].

The House of Lords remains a source for junior ministers and members of government. Like the House of Commons, the Lords also has a [[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms|Government Chief Whip]] as well as several Junior Whips. Where a government department is not represented by a minister in the Lords or one is not available, government whips will act as spokesmen for them.<ref name="companion">{{cite book|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldcomp/compso2013/2013comp.pdf|title=Companion to the standing orders and guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords|author=House of Lords|publisher=The Stationery Office|year=2013|edition=23|location=London|access-date=25 March 2013}}</ref>