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House of Lords: GovernmentDefeats 1997-99
Lord Denham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many times in the first two Sessions of this Parliament they were defeated in Divisions in the House of Lords on amendments at various stages of Bills; and on how many of these occasions have the outcomes (a) been accepted in principle in another place (b) reversed outright; or (c) resolved by the substitution of compromise amendments.[HL962]
Lord Carter: In 1997-98, there were 36 government defeats in the House of Lords. In 1998-99 there were 29 such defeats. In the cases where another place proposed an amendment in lieu, it is a matter of interpretation as to whether that amendment constituted acceptance in principle or whether it represented a compromise, and it is therefore not possible to distinguish absolutely between categories (a) and (c) in the noble Lord's question. However, it is possible to give the following figures in relation to government defeats in the House of Lords.
| Defeats wholly accepted by another place | 0 |
| Defeats reversed by another place | 24 |
| Defeats resolved by amendments in lieu | 8 |
In addition, three amendments in lieu were proposed by another place on the European Parliamentary Elections Bill. These were all rejected by the Lords, and the Bill was eventually lost.
In addition there were two defeats on the House of Lords Bill (hostile Motion on Second Reading and a Motion to resume the House) which were not referred back to another place. There was also a defeat on Second Reading of the European Parliamentary Elections Bill, which was not referred back to another place as it caused the Bill to be enacted under the Parliament Acts.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The centenary of the Commonwealth of
I also refer to the oral Answer I gave the House on 17 January in reply to a Question from Baroness Gardner of Parkes.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The noble Lord's earlier Question touched on the responsibilities of a number of departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Northern Ireland Office and the Cabinet Office. As is normal in such cases, relevant departments were consulted over the draft reply.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We have received no communication from the Russian Government, or from any independent source, providing information about the condition of the oil wells in Chechnya.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: So far as the Government are aware, neither the Russian nor local Chechen authorities have asked for outside assistance with the handling of the oil wells or oil pipelines in Chechnya.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The UK Government have already given £1.4 million to the ICRC and UN emergency appeals for Chechnya, and also contributed via the EU emergency action of 1.2 million euro. To date all UK financial aid has been given for humanitarian assistance, to relieve the suffering of the people of Chechnya. It would not be appropriate to make this, or any further UK aid, conditional on the inspection of Chechen oil wells and pipelines.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Where formal relations exist between Her Majesty's Government and other governments, these are conducted on the basis of mutual respect, whatever differences of view exist. Her Majesty's Government continue to attach the highest importance to the observance of universal human rights and the development of fully democratic institutions.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The immunity from legal proceedings enjoyed by European Commissioners extends only to acts performed by them in their official capacity, including words spoken or written. Commissioners are entitled to such immunity in the territory of each member state and continue to enjoy this immunity after they have ceased to hold office.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Yellow Card Scheme provides for voluntary reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by general practitioners, hospital doctors, dentists, coroners and pharmacists. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) receives approximately 17,000-18,000 United Kingdom reports of suspected adverse reactions to all medicines each year, of which 55 per cent are serious and 3 per cent are fatal. A report of a suspected reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the medicine. As the scheme is voluntary, not all adverse reactions are reported.
The Yellow Card Scheme was extended to include unlicensed herbal remedies in October 1996. Since then the MCA/Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has received 119 serious reports of ADRs associated with the use of herbal remedies, 55 of which are for unlicensed remedies. None was fatal.
In the same period, 209 reports of serious ADRs associated with vitamin and mineral supplements (excluding injectable supplements) were received through the Yellow Card Scheme, 11 of which were fatal. These fatal reports are confounded by a number of factors including underlying conditions and other medicines. There is no system to record adverse reactions and deaths from food supplements.
Suspected adverse drug reactions reported to the CSM are recorded according to the active drug substance and reports for homoeopathic medicines are not specifically identified as such. It is therefore not possible to provide a list of reported ADRs to homoeopathic medicines.
Herbal medicines, homoeopathic medicines and vitamin and mineral supplements are often supplied without prescription and are not taken on the advice of a doctor or pharmacist, practitioners capable of submitting Yellow Card reports. It is generally recognised that the reporting rate for medicines supplied over the counter is lower than that of suspected adverse reactions associated with prescription medicines. Therefore, data obtained on suspected adverse reactions associated with herbal medicines, homoeopathic medicines and vitamin and mineral supplements through the Yellow Card Scheme cannot be directly compared to reporting for licensed pharmaceutical medicines.
Defeats wholly accepted by another place
1 (Employment Relations Bill Committee stage, Amendment
No. 276)
Defeats reversed by another place
22 Defeats resolved by amendments in lieu
3
What plans they have to celebrate the centenary of the Australian colonies becoming the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 2001.[HL1059]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7 February (WA 60), what consultations were undertaken and what factors were taken into account in the development of policy on the celebration of the bicentenary of the creation of the United Kingdom; and why the Foreign and Commonweath Office answers for this policy area.[HL1060]
Whether they have had any communication from the Russian Government or any independent information, about the condition of the oil wells in Chechnya.[HL1141]
Whether, to their knowledge, either the Russian Government or the local authorities in Chechnya have asked for any outside assistance with the handling of the oil wells or oil pipelines in Chechnya.[HL1142]
Whether they intend to make aid to Chechnya conditional upon inspection of the oil wells and pipelines in that country.[HL1143]
Whether any Ministers have expressed sympathy, support or understanding for the communist regimes in China, North Korea or the former Soviet Union.[HL1148]
For how long after they leave office the diplomatic immunity of the European Commissioners lasts; in respect of which territories such immunity operates; and in respect of which alleged offences.[HL1149]
How many deaths and how many serious adverse reactions there have been from unlicensed herbal medicines, homoeopathic medicines and vitamin
29 Feb 2000 : Column WA64and mineral supplements; and how these figures compare with deaths and serious adverse reactions to licensed pharmaceutical medicines since 1990.[HL1144]
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