Robert Rogers, Baron Lisvane

Robert James Rogers, Baron Lisvane KCB DL (born 5 February 1950) was the Under-Clerk of the Parliaments (Clerk of the House of Commons) of the United Kingdom from October 2011 until August 2014.^[1]

Early life

Rogers was educated at Tonbridge School and Lincoln College, Oxford where he read Old Norse, mediaeval Welsh and Anglo-Saxon, and played cricket, hockey and real tennis for university teams. He represented Lincoln College, Oxford as team captain in the series of University Challenge broadcast in 1970, reaching the semi-final.

He was a Rhodes Research Scholar in 1971 and worked briefly at the Ministry of Defence before joining the House of Commons service.

Career

Rogers joined the House of Commons service in 1972 and was involved in every aspect of the procedural and committee work of the House during his career, including postings as Clerk of Private Members’ Bills, Clerk of the Defence Committee, Clerk of the European Legislation 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). He was Clerk Assistant and Director General, Chamber and Committee Services, from 2009 to 2011.^[2] He succeeded Sir Malcolm Jack as Clerk of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on 1 October 2011. He was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours.

On 30 April 2014, Rogers announced his intention to retire at the end of August that year.^[3] At the date of his retirement he had served for over four decades in the House, including more than ten years as a Clerk at the Table.

On 21 October 2014, it was announced that he was to become a Crossbench life peer, having been nominated personally by the Prime Minister.^[4]

Personal life

Lisvane is a Liveryman of the Skinners’ Company; and has been independent Chair of standards committees in local government, a police authority and a fire and rescue authority. He is Chairman of the Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust and a member of the Cathedral Council (2007–09). He 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 the joint author of the standard textbook How Parliament Works, about to go into its 7th edition, and author of two Parliamentary miscellanies: Order! Order! (2010) and Who Goes Home? (2012).

He is married to Jane, who has been a Church of England priest since 2014,^[5] and they have two grown-up daughters, Catherine, a solicitor, and Eleanor, who works in public health research.^[6]

Lisvane's recreations are sailing, shooting, cricket, music (he is a church organist) and the countryside.^[1]

Honours

Rogers was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2013 New Year Honours for parliamentary and public service.^[7][8]

He was created a Life Peer on 11 December 2014 taking the title Baron Lisvane, of Blakemere in the County of Herefordshire and of Lisvane in the City and County of Cardiff.^[9]

References