HOUSE OF LORDS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Die Mercurii 18° Julii 2001
The House met at half-past two o’clock.
PRAYERS were read by the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells.
1. Lord Browne of Madingley—Sir Edmund John Phillip Browne, Knight, having been created Baron Browne of Madingley, of Cambridge in the County of Cambridgeshire, for life by Letters Patent dated in the afternoon of 28th June 2001, was introduced between the Lord Simon of Highbury and the Lord Garel-Jones, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and Garter King of Arms preceding; and took and subscribed the oath pursuant to statute.
2. Lord Sutherland of Houndwood—Sir Stewart Ross Sutherland, Knight, having been created Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, of Houndwood in the Scottish Borders, for life by Letters Patent dated in the afternoon of 29th June 2001, was introduced between the Lord Flowers and the Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and Garter King of Arms preceding; and took and subscribed the oath pursuant to statute.
3. Oaths—The Lords following took and subscribed the oath pursuant to statute:
4. Leave of Absence—It was ordered that leave of absence be granted to the Lord Gibson-Watt for the remainder of this Parliament.
Judicial Business
5. Cape & Dalgleish (a firm) (Respondents) v. Fitzgerald (Appellant) and others—The petition of the appellant praying that the time for lodging the statement and appendix and setting down the cause for hearing might be extended to 14th August next or to the third sitting day after the next ensuing meeting of the House (the agents for the respondents consenting thereto) was presented; and it was ordered as prayed (lodged 17th July).
Papers
6. Command Papers—The following papers were presented to the House by command of Her Majesty and ordered to lie on the Table:
(i) Partnership Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Community, together with an explanatory memorandum; (5192)
(ii) Internal Agreement between the Member States on Measures to be taken and Procedures to be followed for the Implementation of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, together with an explanatory memorandum; (5193)
(iii) Internal Agreement between the Member States on the Financing and Administration of Community Aid under the Financial Protocol to the Partnership Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Community and the Allocation of Financial Assistance for the Overseas Countries and Territories to which Part Four of the EC Treaty applies, together with an explanatory memorandum; (5194)
2. Finance—Treasury Minute on the Sixth and the Eighth to Tenth and the Twelfth Reports from the Commons Committee of Public Accounts 2000-01; (5201)
3. Health—Report of the Public Inquiry into Children’s Heart Surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984-95; (5207)
4. Statistics—Report for 2000-01 of the Statistics Commission; (—)
5. Museums—Government Indemnity Scheme: Reporting of Contingent Liabilities at the National Maritime Museum for Loans to ’Sea of Faces’ Exhibition and the Loan of Three Clocks by John Harrison.
7. Affirmative Instrument—The following instrument was laid before the House for approval by resolution and ordered to lie on the Table:
Police (Northern Ireland) Order 2001.
8. Negative Instruments—The following instruments were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Foreign Package Holidays (Tour Operators and Travel Agents) Order 2001, laid under the Fair Trading Act 1973; (2581)
2. (i) Public Telecommunication System Designation (FirstMark Carrier Services (UK) Limited) Order 2001— (2582)
(ii) Public Telecommunication System Designation (Nextlink UK Limited) Order 2001— (2583)
(iii) Public Telecommunication System Designation (GTS Network (Ireland) Ltd) Order 2001— (2584)
laid under the Telecommunications Act 1984;
3. Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Communications by Auditors) Regulations 2001, laid under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; (2587)
9. Papers not subject to parliamentary proceedings—The following papers were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Licences Granted by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to:
(ii) GTS Network (Ireland) Limited—
(iii) Firstmark Carrier Services (UK) Limited—
laid under the Telecommunications Act 1984;
2. Kent (Coroners’ Districts) Order 2001, laid under the Coroners Act 1988; (2570)
3. Report of the Parliamentary Ombudsman on Access to Official Information, laid under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967;
4. Report for 2000-01 of English Nature, laid under the Environmental Protection Act 1990;
5. (i) Report for 2000-01 of the Economic and Social Research Council—
(ii) Report and Accounts for 2000-01 of the Research Councils’ Pension Scheme, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General—
(iii) Accounts for 2000-01 of the Economic and Social Research Council, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General—
(iv) Accounts for 2000-01 of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General—
(v) Report and Accounts for 2000-01 of the Medical Research Council—
laid under the Science and Technology Act 1965;
6. Accounts for 2000-01 of the Teacher Training Agency, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, laid under the Education Act 1996;
7. Accounts for 2000-01 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, laid under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990;
8. Accounts for 2000-01, together with the Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of the:
(i) United Kingdom Sports Council Lottery Distribution—
(ii) Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Distribution Fund—
laid under the National Lottery Etc. Act 1998;
9. Accounts for 1999-2000 of the South Bradford East Education Action Zone, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, laid under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;
10. Report and Accounts for 2000-01 of the:
(i) Defence Vetting Agency—
(ii) Disposal Services Agency—
(iii) Duke of York’s Royal Military School—
(iv) Defence Logistics Organisation—
(v) United Kingdom Passport Service—
(vi) Meat Hygiene Service—
(vii) Property Advisers to the Civil Estate—
(viii) Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency—
(ix) Debt Management Office—
(x) National Weights and Measures Laboratory—
laid under the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921;
11. (i) Report and Accounts for 2000-01 of the Castle Vale Housing Action Trust—
(ii) Report and Accounts for 2000-01 of the Liverpool Housing Action Trust—
laid under the Housing Act 1988;
12. Review for 2000-01 of the Housing Corporation, laid under the Housing Association Act 1985;
13. Report and Accounts for 2000-01 of:
(ii) Royal Botanic Gardens Kew—
laid under the National Heritage Act 1983;
14. Report for 2000-01 of the Police Information Technology Organisation, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, laid under the Police Act 1997;
15. Report for 2000 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Explosives for Northern Ireland, laid under the Explosives Act 1875;
16. Report for 2001 of the Sentence Review Commissioners, laid under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998.
Select Committee Reports
10. Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform—The following Report from the Select Committee was made and ordered to be printed:
2nd Report, on the following bills:
Office of Communications Bill [HL]
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill [HL]. (HL Paper 18)
11. Animals in Scientific Procedures—It was ordered that the evidence taken by the Select Committee on 1st May and 3rd July be printed. (HL Papers 19-i and 19-ii)
Public Business
12. National Heritage Bill [HL]—A bill to make further provision in relation to the functions of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England; and for connected purposes was presented by the Baroness Anelay of St Johns, read a first time and ordered to be printed. (HL Bill 10)
13. Business of the House—It was moved by the Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn) that the debate on the motion in the name of the Baroness Williams of Crosby set down for today shall be limited to 5 hours; the motion was agreed to.
14. Parliament and the Executive (5-hour debate)—It was moved by the Baroness Williams of Crosby that there be laid before the House papers relating to the case for making Parliament more effective in holding the Executive to account, and therefore more relevant to voters; after debate, the motion was (by leave of the House) withdrawn.
15. China—The Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of human rights abuses in China, and whether they intend to re-assess the funding of agencies involved in population control measures in China; after debate, the question was answered by the Baroness Amos.
The House was adjourned at twenty-three minutes past nine o’clock
till tomorrow, two o’clock for judicial business,
three o’clock for public business.
MICHAEL DAVIES
Cler: Parliamentor:
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