House of Lords Business

Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday 26 March 2015 

The House met at 11.00am.

Prayers were read by the Lord Bishop of Peterborough.

1 Retirement The Lord Speaker informed the House of the retirement with effect from 26 March of Lord Waddington under section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.

Public Business

2 UNESCO: Westminster World Heritage Site A question was asked by Baroness Boothroyd and answered by Baroness Jolly.

3 Private investigators A question was asked by Baroness Henig and answered by Lord Bates.

4 Police: reduction in numbers A question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon and answered by Lord Bates.

5 Prisons A question was asked by Lord Ramsbotham and answered by Lord Faulks.

6 Finance (No. 2) Bill Lord Newby moved that the bill be now read a second time. After debate, the motion was agreed to and the Committee was negatived. Then, Standing Order 46 having been dispensed with, the bill was read a third time and passed.

7 Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2015 Lord Ashton of Hyde moved that the draft Order laid before the House on 23 March be approved. After debate, the motion was agreed to.

8 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 Lord Stevenson of Balmacara moved that this House takes note of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. (SI 2015/51). After debate, the motion was agreed to.

9 Undercover policing Lord Bates repeated as a ministerial statement the answer given to an Urgent Question in the House of Commons.

10 Penrose Inquiry Earl Howe repeated as a ministerial statement the answer given to an Urgent Question in the House of Commons.

11 Immigration: detention A question was asked by Lord Lloyd of Berwick and, after debate, answered by Lord Bates.

The House adjourned. The House resumed.

12 Royal Commission The Lords Commissioners being seated, the Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) in the middle with the Lord Speaker (Baroness D’Souza) and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on her right hand and Lord Newby and Lord Laming on her left and the Commons being present at the Bar with their Speaker, the Commission for Royal Assent and Prorogation dated this day was read.

13 Royal Assent The following Acts, passed by both Houses of Parliament, received Royal Assent:

Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act	c 10
Finance Act	c 11
International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act	c 12
Mutuals’ Deferred Shares Act	c 13
House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act	c 14
Consumer Rights Act	c 15
Specialist Printing Equipment and Materials (Offences) Act	c 16
Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act	c 17
Lords Spiritual (Women) Act	c 18
Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Act	c 19
Deregulation Act	c 20
Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland) Act	c 21
Local Government (Review of Decisions) Act	c 22
Control of Horses Act	c 23
House of Commons Commission Act	c 24
Recall of MPs Act	c 25
Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act	c 26
Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Act	c 27
Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act	c 28
Health Service Commissioner for England (Complaint Handling) Act	c 29
Modern Slavery Act	c 30

14 Queen’s Speech The Queen’s Speech was delivered by the Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston).

15 Prorogation Parliament was prorogued at 5.30pm to 30 March 2015.

David Beamish

Clerk of the Parliaments

Correction

The following item should have been included in the Minutes of Proceedings of 16 December 2014:

The Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills reported that the following report, prepared by the Independent Assessor appointed under House of Commons Private Business Standing Order 224A (Comments on environmental statement), had been submitted to the House in accordance with that Standing Order:

High-Speed Rail (London–West Midlands) Bill: Additional Provision-Summary of issues raised by comments on the supplementary environmental information. (HC 831)

Papers 

All statutory instruments laid before the House are accompanied by an Explanatory Memorandum presented by command of Her Majesty, unless otherwise indicated.

Command Papers

The following papers were presented to the House by command of Her Majesty:

1 Business

(1) Government response to the 8th Report of the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on Government Support for Business.    (9039)

(2) Government response to the 7th Report of the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on Business–University Collaboration.    (9053)

2 Health-Government response to the 4th Report of the House of Commons Health Committee on Complaints and Raising Concerns.    (9050)

3 European Union-Government response to the 7th Report of the European Union Committee on Civilian Use of Drones in the EU.    (9054)

4 Draft Protection of Charities Bill-Government response to the Report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Protection of Charities Bill.    (9056)

5 Education-Addendum to the Report for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2014 of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).    (-)

6 Explanatory Memorandum (Revised)

(1) Replacement Explanatory Memorandum to the Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2015. (12 March)   (-)

(2) Replacement Explanatory Memorandum to the Police Appeals Tribunals (Amendment) Rules 2015. (12 March)   (-)

Legislative Reform Order

The following order was laid before the House under section 14 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 together with an explanatory document recommending the affirmative resolution procedure:

Draft Legislative Reform (Combined Authorities and Economic Prosperity Boards) (England) Order 2015.

Affirmative Instrument

The following instrument was laid before the House for approval by resolution:

Draft Byelaws (Alternative Procedure) (England) Regulations 2015, laid under the Local Government Act 1972.

Negative Instruments

The following instruments were laid before the House:

  1 (1) Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2015 
       (782)

(2) Railways Infrastructure (Access and Management) (Amendment) Regulations 2015   (786)

(3) European Communities (Designation) Order 2015   (814)

(4) International Interests in Aircraft Equipment (Cape Town Convention) Regulations 2015   (912)

laid under the European Communities Act 1972.

2 Channel Tunnel (International Arrangements) (Charging Framework and Transfer of Economic Regulation Functions) Order 2015, laid under the Channel Tunnel Act 1987.   (785)

3 Health Service Commissioner for England (Revocations) Order 2015, laid under the Health Service Commissioners Act 1993.   (822)

4 Health and Social Care (Miscellaneous Revocations) Regulations 2015, laid under the Health and Medicines Act 1988.   (839)

5 Health and Social Care (Miscellaneous Revocations etc.) Order 2015, laid under the Health Authorities Act 1995.   (864)

6 Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2015, laid under the Civil Procedure Act 1997.   (877)

  7 (1) Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2015   (882)

(2) Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2015   (898)

laid under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

8 School Governance (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2015, laid under the Education Act 2002.   (883)

9 School Staffing (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015, laid under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.   (887)

10 Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, laid under the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981.   (888)

11 Justices’ Clerks and Assistants (Amendment) Rules 2015, laid under the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984.   (890)

12 Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) (No. 2) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2015, laid under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.   (891)

13 Funded Public Service Pension Schemes (Reduction of Cash Equivalents) Regulations 2015, laid under the Pension Schemes Act 1993.   (892)

14 Lasting Powers of Attorney, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Public Guardian (Amendment) Regulations 2015, laid under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.   (899)

15 Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2015, laid under the Courts Act 2003.   (913)

16 Superannuation (Admission to Schedule 1 to the Superannuation Act 1972) Order 2015, laid under the Superannuation Act 1972.   (919)

  17 (1) Statute made by Merton College, Oxford on 12 January   (-)

(2) Statute made by Wadham College, Oxford on 12 January   (-)

laid under the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923.

18 Revised Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, laid under the Licensing Act 2003.   (-)

Papers not subject to Parliamentary Proceedings

The following papers were laid before the House:

1 Antarctic Act 1994 (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2015, laid under the British Settlements Act 1887.   (823)

  2 (1) Syria (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2015   (824)

(2) Iran (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) (Amendment and Suspension) Order 2015               (825)

(3) Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) (Amendment and Revocation) Order 2015   (826)

laid under the Saint Helena Act 1833.

3 Response by the Financial Policy Committee to the Remit and Recommendations for the Committee set out by HM Treasury, laid under the Bank of England Act 1998.

4 Memorandum of Understanding between the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England, including the Prudential Regulation Authority, laid under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

5 Memorandum of Understanding between the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Payment Systems Regulator and the Prudential Regulation Authority, laid under the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013.

6 Retrocession Agreement between Pool Reinsurance Company Limited and the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury, laid under the Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993.

7 Report of the Information Commissioner providing guidance on the issue of monetary penalties prepared and issued under section 55C (1) of the Data Protection Act 1998, laid under the Data Protection Act 1998.

8 Report and Accounts for 2014 of Port of London Authority, laid under the Port of London Act 1968.