The senior deputy speaker is an officer of the House of Lords whose main role is to preside over the house when it is in committee (i.e., considering a bill at committee stage), either in the Lords Chamber or in Grand Committee, which is when committee stage is taken away from the floor to free up debating time in the main chamber. The senior deputy speaker deputises for the lord speaker, and like the lord speaker withdraws from political party membership. Additionally, the senior deputy speaker chairs various select committees of the house, and has a role in the administration of the house.
The current incumbent, Frederick Ponsonby, 4th Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, took the office on 13 May 2026. Up until September 2016 the position was known as chairman of committees.
The senior deputy speaker is assisted by a panel of deputy chairmen of committees. In addition to taking the chair in Committee of the Whole House and Grand Committee, deputy chairmen are appointed from time to time to serve with the chairman of committees on unopposed bill committees, which scrutinise private bills against which no petitions have been lodged.Private Standing Order 121. Deputy chairmen are, by practice, deputy speakers.
In March 2020, the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, announced that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would be withdrawing from Westminster and leaving woolsack duties to his deputies. On 23 March the house agreed to a motion that, until 21 July, any member could perform the deputy speakers' functions.
List of holders
Chairmen of committees (1715–2016) Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, 1715–1723 John West, 7th/16th Baron De La Warr, 1724–1733 Edward Rich, 8th Earl of Warwick, 1733–1759 Hugh Willoughby, 15th Baron Willoughby of Parham, 1759–1765 Nathaniel Booth, 4th Baron Delamer, 1765–1770 Edward Noel, 1st Viscount Wentworth, 1770–1774 William Irby, 1st Baron Boston, 1774–1775 Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale, 1775–1789 William Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, 1789–1794 Thomas de Grey, 2nd Baron Walsingham, 1794–1814 Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury, 1814–1851 John Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, 1851–1886 (created Earl of Redesdale, 1877) Richard Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 1886–1889 Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley, 1889–1905 William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow, 1905–1911 Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of Donoughmore, 1911–1931 Richard Onslow, 5th Earl of Onslow, 1931–1944 George Hamilton-Gordon, 2nd Baron Stanmore, 1944–1946 Henry Moore, 10th Earl of Drogheda, 1946–1957 William Lewis, 3rd Baron Merthyr, 1957–1965 William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel, 1965–1976 Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, 1976–1992 Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, 1992–1994 Terence Boston, Baron Boston of Faversham, 1994–2000 John MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish, 2000–2001 Geoffrey Tordoff, Baron Tordoff, 2001–2002 Ivon Moore-Brabazon, 3rd Baron Brabazon of Tara, 2002–2012 John Sewel, Baron Sewel, 2012–2015 Herbert Laming, Baron Laming, 2015–2016
Senior deputy speakers (2016–present) John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith, 2016–2021 John Gardiner, Baron Gardiner of Kimble, 2021–2026 Frederick Ponsonby, 4th Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, 2026–present
Deputies The following table lists the panel of deputy chairmen of committees, along with their concurrent terms as deputy speaker, as of June 2026.
Peer Party Baroness Barker Liberal Democrat Lord Bates Conservative – Lord Beith Liberal Democrat Baroness Brown of Silvertown Labour – Baroness Bull Crossbench Viscount Colville of Culross Crossbench – Lord Duncan of Springbank Conservative Lord Faulkner of Worcester Labour Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Crossbench Baroness Fookes Conservative Baroness Garden of Frognal Liberal Democrat Lord Gardiner of Kimble Conservative – Lord Goddard of Stockport Liberal Democrat – Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill Labour Lord Hogan-Howe Crossbench – Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green Crossbench – Baroness Kennedy of Cradley Labour Lord Kennedy of Southwark Labour Earl of Kinnoull Crossbench Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate Conservative – Baroness Laing of Elderslie Conservative – Lord Lexden Conservative Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall Labour Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Labour – Baroness Morris of Bolton Conservative Baroness Nichols of Selby Labour – Baroness Pitkeathley Labour Lord Russell of Liverpool Crossbench – Liberal Democrat Lord Vaux of Harrowden Crossbench – Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Crossbench Baroness Williams of Trafford Conservative Lord Young of Cookham Conservative
See also Parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom Chairman of Ways and Means – Equivalent in the lower house
References
External links Records of chairman of committees held by the Parliamentary Archives