Mr Ewing welcomed the recommendation for the new statutory offence and stated it was "not the government's intention to criminalise honest solicitors".

BBC: Land Registration Bill debate

He tabled a motion calling for the government to bring forward legislation to enable peers to retire, to end by-elections for hereditary peers, to remove members convicted of a serious criminal offence and to put the House of Lords Appointments Commission on a statutory footing.

BBC: Steel calls on ministers to introduce interim reforms

At the conclusion of the debate, peers voted in favour of a motion tabled by Lib Dem peer Lord Steel calling on the government - but not compelling it - to introduce interim reforms to enable peers to retire, to end by-elections for hereditary peers, to remove members convicted of a serious criminal offence and to put the House of Lords Appointments Commission on a statutory footing.

BBC: Lords reform debate: part three

"The current statutory offences are too specific to offer a comprehensive definition, while the common law offence of conspiracy to defraud is so wide that it offers little guidance on the difference between fraudulent and lawful conduct, " it said.

BBC: UK fraud laws 'need streamlining'