Baroness Doreen Miller was born in 1933 an educated at Brondesbury and Kilburn High School and the London School of Economics. She is married with three sons.

Doreen founded an international mail order and marketing company which operated in the UK, Germany and Australia and subsequently sold all three segments on her retirement. From 1985 to 1988, she was the National Chairperson and Executive Director of The 300 Group (an all-party group working to get more women into Parliament) and was also Chairperson of 'The Women into Public Life' Campaign and Human Rights Advisor to Soroptimist International from 1987 to 1990. In 1989 she was awarded the MBE for her service in promoting the advancement of woman in public and political life.

Doreen's public service has included being a JP from 1971 to 1990, Chairperson of Barnet Family Health Service Authority from 1990 to 1994, non-Executive Director of the Crown Agents from 1990 to 1994, member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission from 1992 to 1993 and Chairperson of The National Association of Hospital & Community Friends from 1997 to 2003. She is a fellow of the Institute of Marketing and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Doreen is a member of, or patron of, a number of Local Conservative Associations, and a former Treasurer, then Chairperson of the Greater London Conservatives. She was made a life peer in 1993 and early the following year became a Government whip. After the 1997 election she remained on the Opposition Front Bench as Spokesman on Trade and Industry and lists her special interests as women's issues, health, law and order and small businesses.