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.

Additionally, the senior deputy speaker chairs various select committees of the house, and has a role in the administration of the house.

[4] 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.

[5] On 23 March the house agreed to a motion that, until 21 July, any member could perform the deputy speakers' functions.

[6] The following table lists the panel of deputy chairmen of committees, along with their concurrent terms as deputy speaker, as of July 2024.