TUESDAY 17TH NOVEMBER
*The Lord Cadman—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied that the prices paid by British consumers for foodstuffs and other commodities, which are reported to be higher than those in other European Union Member States, are consistent with the existence of a single market within the European Union.
*The Lord Phillips of Sudbury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will require the forthcoming Royal Commission on reform of the House of Lords to undertake a campaign of information and consultation with the general public.
*The Lord McCarthy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many employees who now earn less than the National Insurance lower earnings limit of £64 a week will be lifted above this limit by the introduction of the National Minimum Wage; and what would be the annual cost of providing those that remain with the right to full contributory benefits.
*The Lord Wallace of Saltaire—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their plans for constitutional reform include modernisation of the relationship between the Channel Islands and the United Kingdom.
Alliance & Leicester plc (Group Reorganisation) Bill [HL] (formerly Girobank plc (Transfer) Bill [HL])—
The Chairman of Committees to move, That the Commons message of 12th November 1998 be now considered; and that the promoters of the bill have leave to suspend any further proceedings thereon in this session in order to proceed with the bill in the next session of Parliament, notice of their intention to do so having been deposited in the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments not later than 12 noon tomorrow;
That the bill be deposited in the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments not later than noon on the second sitting day in the next session with a declaration annexed, signed by the agent, stating that the bill is the same in every respect as the bill at the last stage of the proceedings thereon in this House in the present session;
That the proceedings on the bill in the next session of Parliament be pro forma in regard to every stage through which the bill has passed in the present session, and that no new fees be charged to such stages;
That the Private Business Standing Orders apply to the bill in the next session only in regard to any stage through which the bill has not passed during the present session.
Northern Ireland Bill—Third Reading [The Lord Dubs]
†Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 1998—The Lord Dubs to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 19th October be approved. [45th Report from the Joint Committee]
†Local Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 1998—The Lord Dubs to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 19th October be approved. [45th Report from the Joint Committee]
The Baroness O’Cathain—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage marketing and its contribution to business success.
[The House will be asked to consider, as first business, any messages received from the Commons]
WEDNESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER
*The Lord Peyton of Yeovil—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have abandoned their proposal to establish a Foods Standards Agency.
*The Lord Taylor of Blackburn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Ordnance Survey are no longer depicting county boundaries on their maps and whether they will revert to the original method of including both county and administrative data.
*The Earl Baldwin of Bewdley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy that dietary supplements are sold under the law relating to food provided they are safe and make no medicinal claims.
*The Lord Shore of Stepney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to assist the government and people of Bangladesh to deal with the recent flood disaster; and what assessment has been made of their continuing needs and priorities.
House of Lords’ Offices—The Chairman of Committees to move, That the 7th Report from the Select Committee (HL Paper 153) be agreed to.
Registration of Political Parties Bill—Third Reading [The Lord Williams of Mostyn]
The Lord Palmer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied with the present state of agriculture in the United Kingdom with particular reference to the upland regions and Scotland.
THURSDAY 19TH NOVEMBER
*The Lord Jacobs—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied with the operation of the new regulations which limit the sale of aspirin and other similar products to 32 tablets at one time without the express agreement of a pharmacist.
*The Lord Quirk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied that Primary Care Group Boards are so structured as to make proper use of the skills and knowledge of pharmacists.
*The Lord Campbell of Croy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what encouragement or assistance they are giving to the development of offshore wind generation of electricity.
NO DAY NAMED
PART I
The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein—To call attention to the opportunities for trade with and investment in Latin America; and to move for papers.
The Lord Ashley of Stoke—To call attention to the need for full, enforceable civil rights for chronically sick and disabled people; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Perry of Southwark—To call attention to the importance of higher education policy for the social, economic and intellectual welfare of the United Kingdom; and to move for papers.
The Lord Barnett—To call attention to the prospects for the United Kingdom joining EMU in the foreseeable future; and to move for papers.
The Lord Armstrong of Ilminster—To move, That a Select Committee be appointed to undertake an inquiry, and within three calendar months to make recommendations, as to how a procedure might be implemented whereby the House would nominate approximately one hundred peers by succession to be voting peers and whereby the remaining peers by succession would renounce their rights to vote but would retain their rights to speak in the House or Committees of the House.
The Lord Moynihan—To call attention to the current situation in Algeria; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Northesk—To call attention to political and economic developments in the South Atlantic; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Carlisle—To call attention to the number of people from ethnic minorities in senior positions in public life; and to move for papers.
The Lord Sandberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect the financial crisis in the Far East is likely to have on the British economy.
The Lord Hooson—To call attention to plans to restructure the United Nations for the next century; and to move for papers.
Succession to the Crown—The Lord Alderdice to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased to allow that Her undoubted Prerogative and interest may not stand in the way of the consideration of Parliament during the present session of any measure to remove the bar on a person who is not, or who is married to a person who is not, a protestant to succeed to the Crown.
The Earl of Carlisle—To call attention to the long-term future of Central and Eastern Europe, with particular reference to the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Onslow—To call attention to the science of genetically-modified organisms, and its implications for the breeding of plants and animals; and to move for papers.
The Viscount Hanworth—To call attention to the need to encourage teachers in primary and secondary education, and to the role of OFSTED; and to move for papers.
The Lord Bishop of Oxford—To call attention to the commitment in the Labour Party manifesto to a “fairer, faster and firmer” asylum procedure; and to move for papers.
The Lord Ackner—To call attention to the case for effectively monitoring the operation of conditional fee agreements; and to move for papers.
The Lord Dholakia—To call attention to the need for a national strategy for dealing with paedophiles; and to move for papers.
The Lord Birdwood—To call attention to changes in the duties of back-bench members of both Houses of Parliament in the last thirty years; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Linklater of Butterstone—To call attention to the implications for rural communities of the closure of their local school; and to move for papers.
The Lord Hardy of Wath—To call attention to the apparent increase in cruelty to animals; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Clanwilliam—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the industrialisation of farming practices in the United Kingdom.
The Lord Hylton—To move to resolve, That this House deplores the attempted murder of Mr Akin Birdal, President of the Turkish Human Rights Association, on 12th May; the refusal by the Turkish Government to admit United Nations Rapporteurs on Human Rights, or representatives of the OSCE or ICRC; the imprisonment and exile of members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; and the banning and dissolution in Turkey of numerous bona fide political parties.
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further consideration they are giving to improving Service Pensions and War and War Widows’ Pensions; and when they expect to announce any improvements.
The Viscount Chelmsford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied that the link between the United Kingdom’s Balance of Payments and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by the nation’s leaders and managers is sufficiently understood.
The Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their view of the economic and business opportunities presented by the information age, which was the subject of a Government paper published in April by the Central Office of Information.
The Lord Vinson—To call attention to the case for using nuclear energy to meet the United Kingdom’s Kyoto Conference obligations for the reduction of CO2 emissions; and to move for papers.
The Lord Hayhoe—To call attention to the case for establishing an Independent Statutory Commission responsible for the conduct of referendums, their organisation and administration along the lines proposed by the Commission on the Conduct of Referendums chaired by Sir Patrick Nairne which reported in November 1996; and to move for papers.
The Lord Ironside—To call attention to the strengths of the Armed Forces and the investments needed to sustain their capabilities for deployment and intervention in defence of the United Kingdom’s sovereign interests; and to move for papers.
The Lord Ackner—To call attention to the Government’s consultation paper Rights of Audience and Rights to Conduct Litigation in England and Wales: The Way Ahead (June 1998); and to move for papers.
The Lord Sefton of Garston—To call attention to the case for a review of income tax (especially at the top levels) in order to ensure a fairer distribution of resources; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Gould of Potternewton—To call attention to the discrepancies in the provision of abortion under the National Health Service; and to move for papers.
The Earl Russell—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the responsibilities and the objectives of the Minister for Women.
The Lord Lloyd-Webber—To call attention to the workings of the licensing system governing the export of art and cultural goods; and to move for papers.
The Viscount Waverley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the use of sanctions.
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many servicemen and women who served in the Gulf War have illnesses still awaiting diagnosis; and what progress is being made in their investigations in relation to these illnesses.
The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards recent developments in Sudan.
The Lord Mackie of Benshie—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking or intend to take to deal with the serious crisis facing British farmers.
The Lord Mayhew of Twysden—To ask HMG what representations they have received about their proposals for a “modern system” for corporation tax payments following the abolition of advance corporation tax in April 1999.
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the indefinite unilateral ceasefire from 1st September by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party), and the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq and recent military threats against Syria.
The Lord Campbell of Croy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give advice to police authorities on the circumstances in which police vehicles may exceed speed limits, ignore traffic lights and in other ways dispense with the regulations governing traffic on public roads.
The Lord Freyberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have in mind a change in the way in which the arts in this country are governed and managed.
The Lord Clement-Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health plans to issue new guidance on MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccines in the light of new medical evidence and litigation recently instituted against pharmaceutical companies manufacturing the vaccines.
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that further measures are needed to protect and maintain the separation of powers and the independence and impartiality of the Judiciary in determining devolution issues, human rights issues and other issues involving the misuse of power by public authorities.
The Lord Rotherwick—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they intend to take to address the difficulties facing the agricultural industry.
The Lord Rowallan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their view of the disparity between farm-gate and supermarket prices for food products; and what steps they intend to take to redress this imbalance.
The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what future defence role they see for the Western European Union.
The Lord McNally—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes in procedure and liaison between the Home Office and the Press Complaints Commission have taken place following their respective inquiries into the circumstances surrounding press serialisation of Cries Unheard concerning the case of Mary Bell.
The Earl of Iveagh—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide additional financial support for conductive education.
The Baroness Knight of Collingtree—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider the case for changes in the procedure to deal with alleged disciplinary misdemeanours by hospital doctors or consultants, particularly to speed up the process.
The Lord Ahmed—To call attention to the case for fresh international initiatives to solve the problem of Kashmir; and to move for papers.
The Lord Paul—To call attention to the role of privately owned businesses in the British economy; and to move for papers.
The Lord Morris of Castle Morris—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they propose to take to alleviate the funding difficulties faced by the British Library.
The Lord Berkeley—To call attention to the Government White Paper A New Deal for Transport: better for everyone (Cm 3950); and to move for papers.
The Viscount Waverley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether heads of government and foreign or trade ministers from countries outside the European Union enjoy sufficient access to United Kingdom ministers; how many requests for meetings at heads of government or ministerial level have been made since 1st May 1997; what such meetings have taken place; and what such further meetings have been arranged.
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the report of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists on organophosphate sheep dips.
The Lord Brabazon of Tara—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further measures they propose to deal with crimes of violence on board aircraft; and how they intend to ensure that those found guilty of such crimes receive appropriate punishments.
The Lord Phillips of Sudbury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the final report of the Crick Advisory Group on Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools.
The Lord Tope—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied with the level of safety in private rented accommodation occupied by university undergraduates.
The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider lowering the age of eligibility for candidates in local elections to 18.
The Earl of Clancarty—To call attention to the Department of Culture, Media & Sport’s new funding arrangements, and the restructuring of the Arts Council of England, the Museums and Galleries Commission and other publicly funded arts organisations; and to move for papers.
†The Lord Janner of Braunstone—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to encourage the governments of Poland and other nations to restore to their rightful owners assets now in the custody of those nations which were stolen from individual victims by the Nazis or their allies.
PART II
SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS
[The date in brackets is that on which the Report was published]
The Lord Kingsland—To move, That this House take note of the Report of the European Communities Committee on Enhancing Parliamentary Scrutiny of the Third Pillar (6th Report, HL Paper 25). [12th September]
The Lord Slynn of Hadley—To move, That this House take note of the Report of the Select Committee on the Public Service (HL Paper 55). [19th January]
The Lord Hoffmann—To move, That this House take note of the Report of the European Communities Committee on Acquired Rights Revisited (22nd Report, HL Paper 98). [18th May]
The Lord Barnett—To move, That this House take note of the Report of the European Communities Committee on the Reform of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund (30th Report, HL Paper 138). [3rd August]
The Lord Perry of Walton—To move, That this House take note of the Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Cannabis: the scientific and medical evidence (9th Report, HL Paper 151). [11th November]
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
[Tabled or amended on 13th November]
The Baroness Anelay of St Johns—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have reconsidered their view on the criminalisation of Qat use as a consequence of the publication of the Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative Research Paper 26 “Qat use in London”. (HL3880)
The Lord Avebury—To ask her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase the maximum penalty for an offence under Article 55 of the Air Navigation (No.2) Order 1995, which provides that a person shall not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or any person therein, to five years imprisonment, and whether they will make the offences listed under Articles 56 to 58 of the Order arrestable. (HL3881)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Michael O’Brien, Minister of State, Home Office, on 30th March (HC Deb, WA 388), whether they will provide a breakdown of the numbers of asylum seekers currently detained under Immigration Act powers, by stage of application and immigration status at the time of detention, at the most recent convenient date. (HL3882)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that Algeria is in a state to comply with the standard human rights clause in an association agreement with the European Union. (HL3883)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have, with European partners, to monitor the Presidential elections in Algeria scheduled for April 1999, and whether they will propose that the European Union send an advance mission, to establish whether there is sufficient freedom of association and of assembly to make free and fair elections possible. (HL3884)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the Second Report by the United States House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform and Oversight together with Additional Views (November 1998), they now accept that British Troops were exposed to low levels of chemical nerve agents and mustard gas during operation Granby. (HL3885)
The Baroness Gardner of Parkes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek assurances from the European Commission that United Kingdom non-governmental organisations will not experience discriminatory delays and difficulties in accessing funding under the co-financing budget of Directorate-General VIII for projects in developing countries. (HL3886)
The Baroness Gardner of Parkes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek assurances from the European Commission that those non-governmental organisations who, due to revision of the European Commission’s Humanitarian Office (ECHO) guidelines, have been delayed in signing Framework Partnership Agreements with the ECHO are not excluded from applying to work with the ECHO on humanitarian projects. (HL3887)
The Earl Russell—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the planning assumptions in Annexe 2 of the New Deal Pilots Specialisation, and whether they will publish the figures in the planning assumptions for any other parts of the New Deal. (HL3888)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many deaths and cases of severe morbidity have been associated with general anaesthesia for dental treatment in each year 1988 to 1998; and what was the location of each incident and the status of the administrator of the anaesthetic. (HL3889)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of implementing the recommendations of the Poswillo report on General Anaesthesia and Sedation in Dentistry—
to the dental profession. (HL3890)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to compensate dental practitioners for the cost of anaesthetic monitoring and safety equipment now rendered surplus to requirement by the General Dental Council’s restrictions on the provision of general anaesthesia in dental surgeries issued on 10th November. (HL3891)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Department of Health has made of the increased case load and cost which the General Dental Council’s restrictions on general anaesthesia in dental surgeries will impose on the Hospital Dental Services. (HL3892)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average length of waiting lists and the average time from referral to treatment for patients waiting for dental treatment under general anaesthesia in the Hospital Dental Service in each District General Hospital; and what will be the effect of the new regulations on waiting times. (HL3893)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they anticipate any reduction in the mortality and morbidity rates associated with dental treatment under general anaesthesia as a result of the General Dental Council’s new restrictions. (HL3894)
BILLS IN PROGRESS
[The date in brackets is the date for which the bill is set down]
Waiting for Second Reading
Prime Minister (Ecclesiastical Functions) [HL]
Energy Efficiency (No. 2) [HL]
Hereditary Peerage (Election) [HL]
Recommitted to an Unopposed Bill Committee
London Local Authorities [HL]
Committed to a Committee of the Whole House
Pharmacists [HL]
Criminal Appeal (Amendment) [HL]
Waiting for Report
Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office) (Amendment) [HL]
Waiting for Third Reading
Northern Ireland [17th November]
Registration of Political Parties [18th November]
Sent to the Commons
Coordinated Universal Time [HL]
Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Amendment) [HL]
Geneva Conventions (Amendment) [HL]
British Nationality (St. Helena) [HL]
Local Government (Experimental Arrangements) [HL]
Business Improvement Districts [HL]
Electricity Generation [HL]
Mental Health (Amendment) (No. 2) [HL]
Building Regulations (Energy Rating Information) (Amendment) [HL]
Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) (Amendment) [HL]
Sexual Orientation Discrimination [HL]
Pensions (Amendment) [HL]
Alliance & Leicester plc (Group Reorganisation) [HL]
City of Westminster [HL]
Returned to the Commons amended
Fireworks
Scotland
Regional Development Agencies
Returned to the Commons with a Reason
European Parliamentary Elections
Waiting for Royal Assent
Statute Law (Repeals) [HL]
Waste Minimisation
MEASURE IN PROGRESS
Waiting for Affirmative Resolution
AFFIRMATIVE INSTRUMENTS IN PROGRESS
Waiting for consideration by the Joint Committee
Draft Functions of Traffic Wardens (Scotland) Order 1998
Draft Broadcasting (Restrictions on the Holding of Licences) (Amendment) Order 1998
Waiting for Affirmative Resolution
Draft Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1998
Draft Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 1998
Draft Local Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 1998
Draft Channel 4 (Application of Excess Revenues) Order 1998
Draft Parliamentary Constituencies (England) (Miscellaneous Changes) Order 1998
Draft Rates (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998
DEREGULATION PROPOSAL IN PROGRESS
Proposal reported from the Deregulation Committee
Draft Deregulation (Pipe-lines) Order 1998
COMMITTEES
[Unless otherwise indicated, Committees meet in the Lords’ rooms
in the Committee Corridor as indicated in the daily broadsheets]
TUESDAY 17TH NOVEMBER
