Robert Rogers

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). He was Clerk Assistant and Director General, Chamber and Committee Services from 2009 to 2011. 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. 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.

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. 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.

Lord Lisvane sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. He made his maiden speech on 1 June 2015. He is a member of the House of Lords Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform, and of the Ecclesiastical Committee. He is an independent vice-president of the Local Government Association.

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). 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.

On 22 January 2020, Lord Lisvane submitted a formal complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards against former Commons Speaker John Bercow.

He is co-author of the standard textbook How Parliament Works, as of 2018 in its eighth edition, and author of two parliamentary miscellanies: Order! Order! (2010) and Who Goes Home? (2012).

He is married to Jane, who was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England on 30 June 2013 and as a priest on 27 September 2014; they have two daughters: Catherine, a solicitor, and Eleanor, who works in public health research. Jane was the High Sheriff of Herefordshire 2017–18.

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". He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Herefordshire in April 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. 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.