GIRLS from The Queen’s School, Chester, have been listening to their peers.

Lord Sharkey, a Liberal Democrat peer, spoke to sixth-formers at the city independent school last month about the political and parliamentary process and life at Westminster.

Lord Sharkey met sixth-formers for an hour to talk about the work and role of the House of Lords. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with topics including the Reform Bill, life peerage, the EU’s influences, election processes and work experience.

Head of geography Edward Palfreyman arranged the visit as part of the school’s Holdich Group, which encourages, stretches and challenges knowledge in the sixth form.

He said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to interact with someone who knows the parliamentary system inside out and ask questions, as it can sometimes seem far removed from their daily lives.”

Lord Sharkey said: “The questions after my talk showed how much the girls had learned and benefited from my visit. They really had grasped some of the challenges we face in reforms and changes to the law. Some excellent questions, not unlike The House!”

The visit was arranged through the Lord Speaker’s Peers in Schools scheme.