Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare

Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare (born 2 May 1947) is a British nobleman, and since 2009 a crossbench hereditary Lord Temporal.

The Right Honourable The Lord Aberdare
Official parliamentary portrait
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 July 2009 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	The 3rd Viscount Bledisloe
Personal details
Born	Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce 2 May 1947
Political party	Crossbench
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Mary Cuthbert Foulkes ​ ​ (m. 1971)​
Parents	Morys, Lord Aberdare Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood

Personal life and education

Lord Aberdare is the son of Morys, 4th Lord Aberdare, and Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood, only daughter of Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet. The 5th Lord succeeded his father upon the latter's death in 2005. Aberdare was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.

He married Elizabeth Mary Culbert Foulkes in 1971, and they have two children:

• Hon. Hector Morys Napier Bruce (born 1974)
• Hon. Sarah Katherine Mary Bruce (born 1976)

House of Lords

Coats of Arms of Alastair Bruce

In July 2009 Bruce was elected to sit in the House of Lords, following the death of crossbench hereditary peer Christopher, Viscount Bledisloe in May 2009. A by-election took place under the terms of the House of Lords Act 1999, which provided for 92 hereditary peers to keep their seats in the reformed House, with vacancies in their number filled from amongst all non-sitting hereditary peers. The result was announced in the Chamber of the Lords on 15 July 2009, following the voting by 27 of the 29 Crossbench peers eligible to take part.[1] His maiden speech, made on 26 November 2009 during the debate on the Queen's Speech, focused on the transition from education to employment.[2]

Career

• IBM, 1969–1991
• Partner, Bruce Naughton Wade, 1991–1999
• Director, ProbusBNW, 1999-?
• Trustee, National Botanic Garden of Wales, 1994–2006
• Fellow, Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce
• Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University since July 2008
• Sub Prior of the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem, Priory of Wales.

Offices

Aberdare is president of the Cynon Valley History Society.

References

1. "Previous by-elections in the House of Lords". UK Parliament.
2. Joanna Davies; Louisa Bentley (20 August 2010). "Maiden Speeches" (PDF). House of Lords Library.

• "Aberdare, Baron (Bruce) (Baron UK 1873)" Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 1995 London: Debrett's Peerage Limited, 1995, p. 4
• Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007
• thePeerage.com

External links

• Profile at the Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at PublicWhip.org
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com