Robert Rogers, Baron Lisvane
{{Short description|Clerk of the House of Commons}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
| name = The Lord Lisvane
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCB|DL|FLSW|size=100%}}
| image = Official portrait of Lord Lisvane crop 2.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Official portrait, 2016
| office1 = Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
| term_start1 = 22 January 2015
Life peerage
| term_end1 =
| order2 = 49th
| office2 = Clerk of the House of Commons
| term_start2 = 1 October 2011
| term_end2 = 31 August 2014
| predecessor2 = Malcolm Jack
| successor2 = David Natzler
| birth_name = Robert James Rogers
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1950|02|05}}
| birth_place = Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales
| party = Crossbencher
| education = Tonbridge School
| alma_mater = Lincoln College, Oxford
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Sarah Elizabeth Anne Howard|1973|1978|end=div}}|{{marriage|Constance Jane Perkins|1981}}}}
| children = 2
}}
Robert James Rogers, Baron Lisvane, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|DL}}, FLSW (born 5 February 1950) is a British life peer and retired public servant. He served as Clerk of the House of Commons from October 2011 until August 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/principal/clerk-commons/ |title=Clerk of the House and Chief Executive |date=1 October 2011 |publisher=UK Parliament }}
Following his elevation as a Life Peer in 2014, Lord Lisvane sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords.
He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Constitution Reform Group (CRG),[http://www.constitutionreformgroup.co.uk/steering-committee/ Steering Committee] Constitution Reform Group a cross-party organisation which is chaired by Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury which seeks a new constitutional settlement in the UK by way of a new Act of Union.[https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/actofunion.html Act of Union Bill [HL] 2017-19] UK Parliament, 9 October 2018 Lord Lisvane introduced the Act of Union Bill 2018 as a private member’s bill in the House of Lords on 9 October 2018, when it received a formal first reading. The BBC suggested that the issues addressed by the Bill were likely to become important in the 2019 Parliament.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50786212|title=Ten names to keep an eye on in Parliament|first=Mark|last=D'Arcy|date=15 December 2019|work=BBC News Online}}
Early life
Born in Cardiff,{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=R6se7ZYxjm9fah6n%2BxVzEw&scan=1|title=Births Mar 1950 - Rogers, Robert J|accessdate=9 January 2019|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}} Rogers attended Tonbridge School{{Cite web|title=Interview: Robert Rogers, Clerk Assistant of the House of Commons|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2010/1-january/features/interview-robert-rogers-clerk-assistant-of-the-house-of-commons|access-date=2020-09-27|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}} before going to Lincoln College, Oxford, where he studied Old Norse, Old English, and medieval Welsh,{{Cite web|title=Retirement of the Clerk of the House - Hansard|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2014-07-16/debates/14071656000002/RetirementOfTheClerkOfTheHouse|access-date=2020-09-27|website=hansard.parliament.uk}} as well as representing Oxford University at cricket, hockey, and real tennis.{{fact|date=May 2019}} He captained Lincoln College in the series of University Challenge broadcast in 1970, reaching the semi-final.{{Cite web|title=Retirement of the Clerk of the House - Hansard|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2014-07-16/debates/14071656000002/RetirementOfTheClerkOfTheHouse|access-date=2020-09-27|website=hansard.parliament.uk}}
He was a Rhodes Research Scholar in 1971{{Cite web|title=Lord Lisvane {{!}} Global Partners Governance|url=https://www.gpgovernance.net/people/robert-rodgers/|access-date=2020-09-27|website=www.gpgovernance.net}} and worked briefly at the Ministry of Defence before entering parliamentary service in the House of Commons.
Parliament career
=House of Commons=
Rogers joined the House of Commons Service in 1972 and was involved in every aspect of the procedural and committee work of Parliament during his career, including postings as Clerk for Private Members' Bills, Clerk to the Defence Select Committee, Clerk of the European Scrutiny Committee, Secretary of the House of Commons Commission, Clerk of Select Committees, Clerk of the Journals (2004–2005), Principal Clerk of the Table Office (2005–2006), and Clerk of Legislation (2006–2009).{{fact|date=May 2019}} He was Clerk Assistant and Director General, Chamber and Committee Services from 2009 to 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/clerk-of-the-house-of-commons/ |title=Press Notice: Clerk of the House of Commons |date=30 June 2011 |publisher=Prime Minister's Office}} He succeeded Sir Malcolm Jack as Clerk of the House of Commons on 1 October 2011.
On 30 April 2014, Rogers announced his intention to retire at the end of August that year.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28941202|title=Commons clerk criticises John Bercow proposal|work=BBC News|date=26 August 2014|author=Sean Curran}} At the date of his retirement he had served for over four decades in the House of Commons, including more than ten years as a Clerk at the Table.{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2014/april/clerk-of-the-house-of-commons-and-chief-executive-to-retire/|title=Clerk of the House of Commons and Chief Executive to retire|publisher=UK Parliament|date=30 April 2014}}
=House of Lords=
On 21 October 2014, it was announced that Rogers was to be raised to the peerage, having been nominated personally by Prime Minister David Cameron.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/peerages-conferred/ |title=Press Notice: Peerages conferred |date=21 October 2014 |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |accessdate=22 October 2014}} He was created a life peer on 11 December 2014, taking the title Lord Lisvane, of Blakemere in the County of Herefordshire and of Lisvane in the City and County of Cardiff.{{London Gazette |issue=61077 |date=16 December 2014 |page=24250}}
Lord Lisvane sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. He made his maiden speech on 1 June 2015.{{cite web |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2015-06-01/debates/71a548e8-be06-423c-9a53-0dff4a5dfa67/LordsChamber#contribution-15060116000001 |title=Lords Chamber, Monday 1 June 2015 |publisher=UK Parliament|date=1 June 2015 |accessdate=10 March 2021}} He is a member of the House of Lords Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-32973361 |title=The Lords, the Barnett formula and 'Einion the Traitor'| work= BBC News|date=2 June 2015 |accessdate=8 June 2015}} and of the Ecclesiastical Committee.{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/other-committees/ecclesiastical-committee/membership/ |title=Ecclesiastical Committee – Membership |date=29 October 2015 |accessdate=31 March 2017|publisher=UK Parliament}} He is an independent vice-president of the Local Government Association.{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-lisvane/4351/register-of-interests |title=Lord Lisvane: Register of Interests |accessdate=31 March 2017|publisher=UK Parliament}}
Personal life and other posts
Rogers has been independent chairman of local government standards committees, a police authority and a fire and rescue authority. He was Chairman of the Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust and a member of the Cathedral Council (2007–09).{{Cite web|title=Middle Temple|url=https://www.middletemple.org.uk/bencher-persons-view?cid=44696|access-date=2020-09-27|website=www.middletemple.org.uk|language=en}} In 2016 Lord Lisvane undertook an independent review to examine the functioning of the branches of Tynwald, the Isle of Man parliament, and to consider options for reform.[http://www.tynwald.org.im/Pages/InquiryLL.aspx] Review of the Functioning of Tynwald
On 22 January 2020, Lord Lisvane submitted a formal complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards against former Commons Speaker John Bercow.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51220144|title=John Bercow: Formal complaint lodged against former Commons Speaker|work=BBC News Online|date=23 January 2020}}
He is co-author of the standard textbook How Parliament Works, as of 2018 in its eighth edition,{{Cite book|isbn = 978-1138843776|title = How Parliament Works|last1 = Rogers|first1 = Robert|last2 = Walters|first2 = Rhodri|year = 2015| publisher=Routledge }} and author of two parliamentary miscellanies: Order! Order! (2010){{cite book | isbn=978-1-906779-28-3 | title=Order! Order!: A Parliamentary Miscellany | last1=Rogers | first1=Robert | date=2009 | publisher=JR Books Limited }} and Who Goes Home? (2012).{{asin|B009L5BNPQ}}
He is married to Jane, who was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England on 30 June 2013{{Church Times | title = Petertide ordinations | archive = 2013_07_05_031 | issue = 7842 | date = 5 July 2013 | page = 31 | accessed = 30 November 2015 }} and as a priest on 27 September 2014;{{Church Times | title = Gazette: ordinations | archive = 2014_11_28_043 | issue = 7915 | date = 28 November 2014 | page = 23 | accessed = 30 November 2015 }} they have two daughters: Catherine, a solicitor, and Eleanor, who works in public health research.[https://www.middletemple.org.uk/members/masters-of-the-bench/directory/3313/ The Lord Lisvane KCB] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121010/https://www.middletemple.org.uk/members/masters-of-the-bench/directory/3313/ |date=2 April 2015 }} Middle Temple; Accessed 23 March 2015 Jane was the High Sheriff of Herefordshire 2017–18.{{cite web |url=http://www.herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk/installation-of-new-chief-steward-and-honorary-recorder/ |date=29 March 2017 |accessdate=31 March 2017 |title=Installation of new Chief Steward and Honorary Recorder |publisher=Hereford City Council |archive-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331220213/http://www.herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk/installation-of-new-chief-steward-and-honorary-recorder/ |url-status=dead }}
Lord Lisvane's recreations are sailing, shooting, cricket, music (he is a church organist) and country pursuits.
Honours
Rogers was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2013 New Year Honours for "parliamentary and public service".{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1031058/new-year-honours-kate-bush-heads-arts-field|title=New Year Honours: Kate Bush Heads Arts Field |publisher=Sky News |date=28 December 2012 |accessdate=29 December 2012}}{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=2 |supp=y }} He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Herefordshire in April 2015.{{cite web |url=http://loopycrown3.blogspot.ca/2015/04/new-deputy-lieutenants-of-herefordshire.html |title= New Deputy Lieutenants of Herefordshire |date=21 April 2015 |accessdate=8 June 2015}}
Rogers was elected to an honorary fellowship of Lincoln College, Oxford, in 2012, and as an honorary bencher of the Middle Temple in 2013. He is also a Freeman of the City of London, a liveryman and Past Master of the Skinners' Company.{{cite web |url=http://liverydatabase.liverycompanies.info/networks/621/index.html |title=The Worshipful Company of Skinners |accessdate=31 March 2017}} In October 2016, he was appointed to the ancient office of Chief Steward of the City of Hereford.
In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.{{Cite web |last=Wales |first=The Learned Society of |title=Robert Lisvane |url=https://www.learnedsociety.wales/fellow/robert-lisvane/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=The Learned Society of Wales |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.debretts.com/people-of-today/profile/27258/Robert-ROGERS People of Today - Robert Rogers]{{deadlink|date=May 2019}} Debretts
{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=Sir Malcolm Jack}}
{{s-ttl|title=Clerk of the House of Commons|years=2011–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=Sir David Natzler}}
{{s-prec|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=The Lord Evans of Weardale}}
{{s-ttl|title=Gentlemen
Baron Lisvane }}
{{s-fol|after=The Lord Hay of Ballyore}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lisvane, Robert Rogers, Lord}}
Category:People educated at Tonbridge School
Category:Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford
Category:Clerks of the House of Commons
Category:Crossbench life peers
Category:Deputy lieutenants of Herefordshire
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath