HOUSE OF LORDS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Die Jovis 20° Februarii 2003
The House met at eleven o’clock.
PRAYERS were read by the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford.
1. Barony of Oranmore and Browne in the Peerage of Ireland and Barony of Mereworth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom—The Lord Chancellor reported that Dominick Geoffrey Thomas Browne had established his succession to the Barony of Oranmore and Browne in the Peerage of Ireland and to the Barony of Mereworth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Clerk of the Parliaments was accordingly directed to enter the Lord Oranmore and Browne (Lord Mereworth) on the register of hereditary peers maintained under Standing Order 10(5).
Papers
2. Negative Instruments—The following instruments were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. (i) Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2003— (308)
(ii) Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations 2003— (325)
laid under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;
2. Electronic Communications (Market Analysis) Regulations 2003, laid under the European Communities Act 1972; (330)
3. Children (Allocation of Proceedings) (Amendment) Order 2003, laid under the Children Act 1989. (331)
3. Paper not subject to parliamentary proceedings—The following paper was laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
Amendment to the Regulations for the Reserve Air Forces, together with an Explanatory Memorandum, laid under the Reserve Forces Act 1996.
Public Business
4. Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill [HL]—A bill to enable a competent adult who is suffering unbearably as a result of a terminal or a serious and progressive physical illness to receive medical help to die at his own considered and persistent request; and to make provision for a person suffering from such a condition to receive pain relief medication was presented by the Lord Joffe, read a first time and ordered to be printed. (HL Bill 37)
5. European Parliament (Representation) Bill—It was moved by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal, on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, that the bill be now read a second time; after debate, the motion was agreed to and the bill was committed to a Grand Committee.
6. Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill—It was moved by the Lord Rooker that the bill be now read a second time; and a debate arising, the further debate was adjourned.
The House was adjourned during pleasure.
The House was resumed.
Judicial Business
7. HIH Casualty and General Insurance Limited and others (Respondents) v. Chase Manhattan Bank (Appellants) and others—
8. HIH Casualty and General Insurance Limited and others (Appellants) v. Chase Manhattan Bank (Respondents) and others (First Appeal)—
9. HIH Casualty and General Insurance Limited and others (Appellants) v. Chase Manhattan Bank (Respondents) and others (Second Appeal)—
It was moved by the Lord Bingham of Cornhill, That the 12th Report from the Appellate Committee be agreed to; the motion was agreed to. It was ordered and adjudged that the preliminary issues (1) and (2) be answered as follows: “On the true construction of the contracts of or for insurance pleaded in the Amended Particulars of Claim No. 1999 Folio 1413 (the Insurers’ action) and on the assumption that the facts and matters pleaded in those Particulars of Claim are true, the Insurers are entitled in law (a) to avoid and/or rescind the contracts of or for insurance against Chase on the grounds, but only on the grounds, of fraudulent misrepresentation or, as regards the contracts of insurance, fraudulent non-disclosure by Heaths as agent of Chase; (b) to damages from Chase for, but only for, fraudulent misrepresentation by Heaths as agent of Chase and fraudulent non-disclosure by Heaths as agent of Chase if, but only if, such fraudulent non-disclosure by Heaths amounts to fraudulent misrepresentation.”; that the Order of the Court of Appeal of 31st July 2001 be varied accordingly; that the appeal of Sphere Drake Insurance Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, Generali Lloyd Versicherung AG, A/S Det Kjobenhavnske Reassurance-Compagni and Assitalia-L’Assicurazioni d’Italia SpA and of Axa Versicherung AG (formerly Axa Colonia Versicherung AG), the Insurers, be allowed to that extent; that the appeal of Chase Manhattan Bank be dismissed; and that the costs of the appeals in this House as between all parties to these appeals be costs in the cause, the amount of such costs in this House to be certified by the Clerk of the Parliaments if not agreed between the parties; and as regards the costs in the Court of Appeal and Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice the costs order made in the Court of Appeal shall stand. [2003] UKHL 6
10. C R Smith Glaziers (Dunfermline) Limited (Appellants) v. Commissioners of Customs and Excise (Respondents) (Scotland)—It was moved by the Lord Hoffmann, That the 13th Report from the Appellate Committee be agreed to; the motion was agreed to. It was ordered and adjudged that the Interlocutors of the extra division of the Inner House of the Court of Session in Scotland of 16th February 2001 and 27th February 2001 be recalled, that the decision of the Edinburgh VAT and Duties Tribunal of 22nd October 1999 and the Notice of Assessment of tax of 8th September 1998 be set aside; that it be declared that “the appellants are entitled to exemption for the consideration attributable to insurance-related services during the relevant period”; and that the respondents do pay to the appellants their costs in the VAT Tribunal, expenses in the Court of Session and costs before this House, the amount of such last-mentioned costs to be certified by the Clerk of the Parliaments if not agreed between the parties. [2003] UKHL 7
11. Reuben and others (Respondents) v. Time Inc and another (Petitioners) and one other action—The petition of Time Inc and Richard Behar praying for leave to appeal was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
The House was adjourned during pleasure.
The House was resumed.
Public Business
12. Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill—The debate on the motion that the bill be now read a second time was resumed; after further debate, the motion was agreed to and the bill was committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
13. HIV/AIDS—The Lord Fowler asked Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to combat HIV/AIDS; after debate, the question was answered by the Baroness Andrews.
The House was adjourned at a quarter before nine o’clock
to Monday next, half-past two o’clock.
MICHAEL DAVIES
Cler: Parliamentor: | 
