HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

to make amendments of this kind. When such Lords amendments are
considered by the Commons:
(i) in the case of an infringement of Commons SO 78(3), the
amendment is deemed to have been disagreed to without debate
and without Question put;
(ii) in the case of a Lords amendment imposing a charge upon the
people which has not been authorised by a Ways and Means
resolution, the Speaker calls upon the Member of the Commons
in charge of the bill to move to disagree with the Lords
amendment forthwith.
8.181 With these exceptions, the Commons may either invoke their
financial privileges in respect of Lords amendments or waive them; and
the Commons regularly accept Lords amendments which have financial
implications. The Speaker of the Commons directs that a “special entry”
be made in their Journals implicitly asserting their general rights but stating
that the Commons accept the Lords amendment, “the Commons being
willing to waive their privileges”.
Privilege reasons
8.182 If the Commons disagree to a Lords amendment that infringes
their financial privileges, the disagreement is made on the ground of
privilege alone, and not on the merits of the amendment, even though
the Commons may have debated the merits. The Commons
communicate in their message to the Lords that the amendment involves
a charge upon public funds or a charge by way of national or local
taxation or that it in some other way deals with financial arrangements
made by the Commons; and they add words to the effect that the
Commons do not offer any further reason, trusting that the reason given
may be deemed sufficient. In such cases the Lords do not insist on their
amendment. But they may offer amendments in lieu of amendments
which have been disagreed to by the Commons on the ground of
privilege.
8.183 If the Commons disagree to a Lords amendment which appears to
have financial implications but offer an amendment in lieu or an
amendment to the words restored to the bill, financial privilege is not at
that stage invoked by the Commons and the question whether the Lords
amendment infringes privilege does not arise. It is therefore open to the
Lords to disagree to the Commons amendment in lieu and to insist on
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