NOTICES AND ORDERS OF THE DAY
Items marked † are new or have been altered.
TUESDAY 16TH DECEMBER
At half-past two o’clock
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford
*The Lord Ashley of Stoke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s report on disabled children entitled It doesn’t happen to disabled children: child protection and disabled children.
*The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management will examine the possibility of establishing a deep geological depository for high level waste.
*The Baroness Sharp of Guildford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they can reconcile the concept of “personalised learning” with the possibility that schools of the future may have fewer qualified teachers.
*The Lord Roberts of Conwy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current policy on the liberalisation of postal services.
†*The Lord Lamont of Lerwick—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the decision by the United States government and the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to restrict certain contracts for reconstruction in Iraq to countries that supported military action by the United States and the United Kingdom.
†Business of the House—The Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That Standing Order 47 (No two stages of a Bill to be taken on one day) be dispensed with to allow the Consolidated Fund Bill to be taken through all its stages today.
†Consolidated Fund Bill—Second Reading (and remaining stages) [The Lord McIntosh of Haringey] (Money Bill)
Extradition Act 2003 (Designation of Part 2 Territories) Order 2003—The Baroness Scotland of Asthal to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 3rd December be approved. [2nd Report from the Joint Committee]
The Lord Goodhart—To move, That this House calls on Her Majesty’s Government to withdraw the draft Extradition Act 2003 (Designation of Part 2 Territories) Order 2003 and lay a new draft Order deleting the reference to the United States of America in paragraph 3 of the Order.
Extradition Act 2003 (Police Powers: Code of Practice) Order 2003—The Baroness Scotland of Asthal to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 3rd December be approved. [2nd Report from the Joint Committee]
Extradition Act 2003 (Part 3 Designation) Order 2003—The Baroness Scotland of Asthal to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 3rd December be approved. [2nd Report from the Joint Committee]
Extradition Act 2003 (Designation of Part 1 Territories) Order 2003—The Baroness Scotland of Asthal to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 3rd December be approved. [2nd Report from the Joint Committee]
Export of Goods, Transfer of Technology and Provision of Technical Assistance (Control) Order 2003—The Baroness Miller of Hendon to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the Order, laid before the House on 31st October, be annulled (S.I. 2003/2764).
Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill [HL]—Second Reading [The Lord President (Baroness Amos)]
In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That the bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
The Lord McIntosh of Haringey—To move, That this House takes note with approval of Her Majesty’s Government’s assessment as set out in the Pre-Budget Report 2003 for the purposes of section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993.
WEDNESDAY 17TH DECEMBER
*The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their policies towards the deaths and injuries of both civilian and military Iraqi citizens and the welfare of their dependants during and since the 2003 war in Iraq.
†*The Lord Harrison—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in view of the expected accession of ten countries to the European Union, what opportunities they see in establishing, in conjunction with the European Commission, common embassies with other member states.
*The Lord Renton of Mount Harry—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they remain confident of the validity of their key performance targets.
†*The Lord Jenkin of Roding—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom would be bound by amendments to the European Tissues Directive which ban the use in research of embryonic stem cells and stem cells from cloned embryos.
†*The Lord Wright of Richmond—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the Road Map for the Middle East Peace Process, and in particular on the removal of Israeli settlements from the West Bank and Gaza.
†Merits of Statutory Instruments—The Chairman of Committees to move, That a Select Committee be appointed to consider every instrument which is laid before each House of Parliament and upon which proceedings may be or might have been taken in either House of Parliament, in pursuance of an Act of Parliament, being:
(i) a statutory instrument, or a draft of a statutory instrument;
(ii) a scheme, or an amendment of a scheme, or a draft thereof, requiring approval by statutory instrument; or
(iii) any other instrument (whether or not in draft), where the proceedings in pursuance of an Act of Parliament are proceedings by way of an affirmative or negative resolution;
but excluding any Order in Council or draft Order in Council made or proposed to be made under paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Northern Ireland Act 2000 and any remedial order or draft remedial order under Schedule 2 to the Human Rights Act 1998 and any draft order proposed to be made under section 1 of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001, or any subordinate provisions order made or proposed to be made under that Act;
with a view to determining whether the special attention of the House should be drawn to it on any of the following grounds:
(a) that it is politically or legally important or gives rise to issues of public policy likely to be of interest to the House;
(b) that it is inappropriate in view of the changed circumstances since the passage of the parent Act;
(c) that it inappropriately implements European Union legislation;
(d) that it imperfectly achieves its policy objectives;
That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Lords be named of the Committee:
L. Addington
L. Armstrong of Ilminster
L. Boston of Faversham
V. Colville of Culross
L. Desai
L. Graham of Edmonton |
L. Hunt of Kings Heath (Chairman)
L. Jopling
L. Methuen
E. Northesk
V. Ullswater; |
That the Committee have power to appoint specialist advisers;
That the Committee have power to adjourn from place to place within the United Kingdom;
That the Committee have leave to report from time to time;
That the Reports of the Select Committee from time to time shall be printed, notwithstanding any adjournment of the House.
Procedure of the House—The Chairman of Committees to move, That the First Report from the Select Committee be agreed to. (HL Paper 6)
The Lord Carter—To move, as an amendment to the above motion, after “That” to insert “, with the omission of paragraphs 4, 5 and 6,”.
The Earl of Caithness—To call attention to the opportunities to the United Kingdom that a comprehensive maritime policy would bring; and to move for papers. [Balloted debate]
The Baroness Scott of Needham Market—To call attention to the trends in the number of road deaths and casualties; and to move for papers. [Balloted debate]
European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Lebanon) Order 2003—The Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 4th November be approved. [31st Report, Session 2002-03, from the Joint Committee]
European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria) Order 2003—The Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 4th November be approved. [31st Report, Session 2002-03, from the Joint Committee]
Fishery Limits (United Kingdom) Bill [HL]—Second Reading [The Lady Saltoun of Abernethy]
In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Lady Saltoun of Abernethy to move, That the bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
ROYAL ASSENT
THURSDAY 18TH DECEMBER
[At eleven o’clock]
[Prayers will have been read]
*The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further consideration they are giving to the problems and needs of veterans of the 1991 Gulf Conflict with still undiagnosed illnesses.
*The Lord Hurd of Westwell—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the system by which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues advice to British citizens planning to travel abroad.
*The Lord Phillips of Sudbury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to inform and involve the public better in the legislative process.
Gender Recognition Bill [HL]—Second Reading [The Lord Filkin]
In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Lord Filkin to move, That the bill be committed to a Grand Committee.
Local Government Best Value (Exemption) (England) Order 2003—The Lord Bassam of Brighton to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 17th November be approved. [First Report from the Joint Committee]
Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003—The Lord Sainsbury of Turville to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 3rd December be approved. [2nd Report from the Joint Committee]
MONDAY 5TH JANUARY
*The Baroness Wilkins—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of their announcement on 4th December that the means test on parents of disabled children for the Disabled Facilities Grant is to be abolished in Northern Ireland, whether they will now abolish this means test in England and Wales.
†*The Lord McNally—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will invite the Committee on Standards in Public Life to review quarterly, and report to Parliament on, levels of expenditure by Government departments on advertising and related campaigns; and to do so up to the date of the next general election.
Health Protection Agency [HL]—Second Reading [The Lord Warner]
In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Lord Warner to move, That the bill be committed to a Grand Committee.
TUESDAY 6TH JANUARY
*The Baroness Cumberlege—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their strategy to prevent the import of species which are know to carry sudden oak death fungus.
*The Lord Peyton of Yeovil—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, to assist in meeting their Kyoto undertakings, they will relieve nuclear power stations from payment of the climate change levy.
*The Baroness Strange—To ask the Chairman of Committees whether there is any common area within the Palace of Westminster where members of both Houses may meet socially on an equal basis.
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill—Second Reading [The Lord Rooker]
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether enough is being done within the educational process to attract young engineers to industry, and in particular to the automotive and motorsport industries.
WEDNESDAY 7TH JANUARY
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To call attention to the arrangements for cancer registration in England and their role in support of the National Health Service Cancer Plan; and to move for papers. [Balloted debate]
The Lord Tombs—To call attention to the possibility of power interruptions in the electricity supply industry; and to move for papers. [Balloted debate]
Harbours Bill [HL]—Second Reading [The Lord Berkeley]
In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Lord Berkeley to move, That the bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
THURSDAY 8TH JANUARY
[At eleven o’clock]
Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill [HL]—Second Reading [The Lord Sainsbury of Turville]
†In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Lord Sainsbury of Turville to move, That the bill be committed to a Grand Committee.
At three o’clock
*The Baroness Howe of Idlicote—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Children’s Society report Playing the Game on the experiences of young black men in custody.
The Baroness Harris of Richmond—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Report from the Select Committee on the European Union, Proposals for a European Border Guard (29th Report, HL Paper 133), what legal controls and parliamentary oversight they believe should apply to new European Union structures for co-ordinating border management and to joint operations between the Member States.
MONDAY 12TH JANUARY
The Rt Hon Dame Brenda Hale DBE
will be introduced as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.
NO DAY NAMED
PART I
The Lord Thomas of Gresford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they accept the legitimacy of pre-emptive armed attack as a constituent of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter; and, if so, whether they will define the principles upon which it will be exercised.
The Lord Hooson—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will explore the potential of harnessing tidal power to produce electricity; and in particular whether they will set up a full study of the feasibility and cost of harnessing the tides in the Severn estuary.
The Lord Northbourne—To call attention to the Government’s progress in fulfilling their commitment to be “tough on the causes of crime”; and to move for papers.
The Lord Fowler—To call attention to the role of the Global Fund in combating the world-wide spread of HIV/AIDS; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they expect NATO to help the people of Afghanistan to defeat terrorism and improve security within the terms of the Bonn Agreement and of the revised United Nations mandate.
The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on recent developments in Sudan.
The Lord Howe of Aberavon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the Prime Minister’s initiative to attract more overseas students to the United Kingdom, whether they plan to make entry and visa arrangements for such students more user-friendly.
The Baroness Stern—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the independence and accountability of H M Inspectorate of Prisons are not compromised.
The Lord Dholakia—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will establish an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Joseph Scholes at Stoke Heath Prison.
The Baroness Walmsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provisions are being made to improve cross-border vetting arrangements to prevent persons unsuitable to work with children from gaining employment with children in the United Kingdom and across the European Union.
The Lord Gray of Contin—To move, That this House takes note of the Energy White Paper, published in February 2003, entitled Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy.
The Lord Harrison—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will respond to the recent report by the Theatres’ Trust entitled Act Now: Modernising London’s West End Theatres.
The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the European Union is developing its policy towards Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.
The Lord Faulkner of Worcester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve relations with Taiwan.
The Lord Lloyd-Webber—To call attention to the place of music in education; and to move for papers.
The Lord Pearson of Rannoch—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether direct taxation has been ceded to the European Union under the existing European treaties.
The Lord Rea—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the total costs to date in economic and human terms of the recent conflict in Iraq and the likely future costs of the occupation, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq.
The Baroness Hooper—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make changes in the Overseas Territories following the meeting of the Overseas Territories Council 2003.
The Lord Moynihan—To call attention to the case for a new Government policy for sport and recreation; and to move for papers.
The Lord Norton of Louth—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to recommend the greater use of Special Public Bill Committees in the House of Lords.
The Lord Norton of Louth—To call attention to the case for improving contact and understanding between the two Houses of Parliament; and to move for papers.
The Lord Norton of Louth—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the method of determining members’ allowances in local authorities.
The Lord Northbourne—To call attention to the case for more public recognition of, and support for, the role of parents in the care and education of the nation’s children; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Sharp of Guildford—To call attention to political involvement in decisions affecting the university and research sectors; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Massey of Darwen—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the British Medical Association report Adolescent Health, with particular regard to obesity and sexual health.
†The Baroness Boothroyd—To call attention to the need for tighter regulations relating to the free treatment of National Health Service tourists; and to move for papers.
PART II
MOTIONS FOR BALLOTED DEBATE
[Ballot on 21st January for debate on 11th February]
The Baroness Hooper—To call attention to recent developments in Latin America; and to move for papers.
The Lord Norton of Louth—To call attention to the case for putting in place effective mechanisms to prevent fraud on the European Union budget; and to move for papers.
The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To call attention to the eugenic provisions in statute that permit conditions such as cleft palate and cleft lip to be regarded as “serious handicaps” for the purposes of terminating the lives of the unborn after 24 weeks gestation; and to move for papers.
The Lord Lea of Crondall—To call attention to the Report prepared for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Railways by Professor Phil Goodwin, What Future for Rail?; and to move for papers.
The Lord Sheldon—To call attention to the state of the Civil Service; and to move for papers.
The Lord Harrison—To call attention to the Public Library Service of the United Kingdom and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s publication, A Framework for the future; and to move for papers.
The Lord Blaker—To call attention to the situation in Zimbabwe; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Howe of Idlicote—To call attention to the extent of direct marketing to children and the case for limiting its effects on society, children and families; and to move for papers.
PART III
SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS
[The date in brackets is that on which the Report was published]
The Baroness Prashar—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights on The Case for a Human Rights Commission (6th Report, HL Paper 67). [19th March, Session 2002-03]
The Viscount Colville of Culross—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the Religious Offences Committee on Religious Offences in England and Wales (HL Paper 95). [10th June, Session 2002-03]
The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the Report from the Select Committee on the European Union, EU—Effective in a crisis? (7th Report, HL Paper 53), they are content with the current capability of the civilian aspects of the European Security and Defence Policy. [5th March, Session 2002-03]
The Lord Patel—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Science and the RDAs: SETting the regional agenda (5th Report, HL Paper 140). [16th July, Session 2002-03]
The Lord Slynn of Hadley—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Corruption Bill (HL Paper 157). [31st July, Session 2002-03]
The Lord Radice—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on Is the European Central Bank Working? (42nd Report, HL Paper 170). [30th October, Session 2002-03]
The Lord Scott of Foscote—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Report from the Select Committee on the European Union, If At First You Don’t Succeed...Takeover Bids Again (28th Report, HL Paper 128), whether they regard the proposed European Union Takeovers Directive as being, on balance, in the interests of the United Kingdom; and, if not, what changes they regard as necessary or desirable to the terms of the proposed Directive. [Session 2002-03]
The Lord Grenfell—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee: Annual Report from the Committee (44th Report, HL Paper 191). [27th November]
The Lord Woolmer of Leeds—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on Towards a Single Market for Finance: The Financial Services Action Plan (45th Report, HL Paper 192). [2nd December]
The Earl of Selborne—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on European Union Waste Management Policy (47th Report, HL Paper 194). [10th December]
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
[Tabled on 15th December]
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the outcome of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council held on 1st-2nd December. (HL444)
The Baroness Turner of Camden—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to pay further ex gratia compensation for the incorrect deduction of tax from service attributable pensions. (HL446)
The Baroness Hilton of Eggardon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the United Kingdom Space Strategy 2003-06 and beyond will be published. (HL447)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements there have been in meeting the special needs of children with autism since the first statutory provision specifically for them; and what assessment they have made of still unmet needs. (HL448)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements there have been in meeting special needs of children with dyslexia since the first statutory provision specifically for them; and what assessment they have made of still unmet needs. (HL449)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what processes the Health Professions Council ensures that applicants for “grandparenting” are required to demonstrate their fitness to provide legal, safe and effective practice as a chiropodist or podiatrist; and what assurances they have had from the Council that “grandparenting” procedures do not undermine public safety by allowing people who have failed approved courses to be admitted to the register. (HL450)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what redress is available to patients with diabetes who find that they have been treated by a chiropodist or podiatrist who was unqualified to deal with the special needs of diabetic patients. (HL451)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government where legal liability lies in cases where unlicensed use of vaccines is held to have damaged the health of the vaccinated person or to have constituted a significant health hazard. (HL452)
The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 11th December (WA 90), whether the replacement bus service at Congleton Station during September and early October, when the train service was disrupted by engineering work, operated at all times specified in the Passenger Service Requirement; and whether it was adequately publicised at the stations affected and through the National Rail Enquiry Service. (HL453)
The Lord Davies of Coity—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal action is open to the Health Professions Council to prevent an applicant who failed a podiatry degree course from being included on the register and practising as a podiatrist. (HL454)
The Lord Patten—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when a tax payer sends a return to a tax office which is logged as received but subsequently lost, the Inland Revenue sends notification of this loss to the sender. (HL455)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the package awarded to the Chief Executive of the Special European Union Programmes Body on his resignation, including ex gratia payments, pension contributions, car provision and advance salary payments. (HL456)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the expenditure of the Special European Union Programmes Body on (a) outside consultants; and (b) staff costs in each year since its inception. (HL457)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal advice has been received regarding Construction Industry Training Board levies for employees of Northern Ireland firms working abroad. (HL458)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many properties have been demolished in conservation areas in Northern Ireland in the last five years. (HL459)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to provide further support for victims of civil unrest in Northern Ireland. (HL460)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ask the International Organisation for Migration to report on the welfare of the 29 asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who have accepted the Organisation’s assistance to be voluntarily repatriated since April 2003. (HL461)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the most recent occasion on which they discussed with the government of Israel all of the following issues—
(a) the removal of settlement outposts from the occupied territories;
(b) Israeli plans for enlarging existing settlements and creating new roads for them; and
(c) the precise alignment of the security wall and fence;
and whether they will ask the United States government to discuss the above points with Israel. (HL462)
The Baroness Hanham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is normal practice for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to subsidise the costs of seminars being organised by external companies on legislation which has not yet been passed by Parliament. (HL463)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers have been dismissed for racist behaviour since the publication in 1999 of the Macpherson Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. (HL464)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the policies and procedures relating to disciplinary action against police officers make it difficult for those charged with racially discriminatory behaviour to be dismissed. (HL465)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to enable police constabularies and authorities to take effective disciplinary action against police officers engaged in racist behaviour. (HL466)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers dismissed for unacceptable racist behaviour have been reinstated by the Home Secretary since 2000. (HL467)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied with the powers available to chief constables to eliminate racist behaviour among police officers. (HL468)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a Domesday Book of sports facilities will be prepared for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. (HL469)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish details of the administrative budgets for Sports Boards in England. (HL470)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the chairpersons of the Sports Boards in England are paid; and, if so, how much. (HL471)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated total of (a) lottery and (b) Exchequer funding due for disbursement by each of the Sports Boards in English regions. (HL472)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what work permits have been issued to professional sportsmen and women from January 1997 to December 2003 inclusive. (HL473)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which disability sports governing bodies were in receipt of Exchequer funding in 2002-03; and what was the amount of grant aid in each case. (HL474)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, why it is necessary to permit Catholic sixth form colleges to discriminate against non-Catholics in their admission policies in order to ensure that the Catholic character and ethos of the colleges is preserved. (HL475)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, what is the “minimum percentage of Catholic students” that Catholic sixth form colleges should be permitted to require in order to ensure that the Catholic character and ethos of the colleges is preserved. (HL476)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, what proportion of students at the Catholic sixth form colleges are non-Catholics. (HL477)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, whether their proposal would permit a Christian Foundation school or college to discriminate against Jewish students in order to preserve their Christian character and ethos. (HL478)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 will ensure that the admission arrangements for Catholic sixth form colleges do not discriminate in a way that is incompatible with the United Kingdom’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and European Community law. (HL479)
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER AWAITING ANSWER
15th DECEMBER 2003
[Tabled on the dates shown]
[The Government Department responsible for
answering each Question is shown in brackets]
26th November
The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the governments of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to encourage social and civil development. [DfID] (HL26)
The Lord Chadlington—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 3rd September (WA 35), what work is being done inside prisons to help the 31 per cent of prisoners who were opiate users before conviction. [HO] (HL27)
The Lord Chadlington—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 3rd September (WA 36), whether they intend to expand the High Intensity Training Programme to other young offenders institutions. [HO] (HL28)
The Lord Hoyle—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are plans to privatise the Iraqi oil industry. [FCO] (HL30)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will now publish in the Official Report the terms in which the then Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Metters, advised the Ministry of Defence of his concerns, and those of the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, about combining the anthrax and pertussis vaccines in immunising troops deploying to the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. [MoD] (HL40)
[As amended on 27th November]
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 19th November (WA 323), why the Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure officials Dr Edward Rooney and Mrs Patricia McAllister did not communicate the advice concerning the budget for the Ulster Scots Agency for 2003 to the Minister as directly requested by the Chairman of the Agency. [NIO] (HL42)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 19th November (WA 329), whether the Northern Ireland Equality Commission is opposed to religious discrimination in all sectors of employment. [NIO] (HL43)
The Lord Elton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 13th November (WA 214) concerning visitors centres in prisons, whether they will publish the letter therein referred to in the Official Report. [HO] (HL48)
The Lord Elton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19th November (WA 292) concerning H M Inspector of Prisons, whether they will arrange for the publication in the Official Report of the letter referred to therein. [HO] (HL51)
The Lord Janner of Braunstone—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take measures to ensure that non-smokers are protected from passive smoking in the workplace and in public places. [DTI] (HL59)
27th November
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether new criminal offences have been created by—
(a) the Criminal Justice Act 2003; and
(b) the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003;
and, if so, whether they will list such offences and the dates from which they are expected to come into effect. [HO] (HL86)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes have been made to the conditions of employment and remuneration of workshop instructors in H M Prisons, which are to be transferred to local education providers; how many of these instructors have so far handed in their notice; and what steps they will take to ensure that craft training hours in the prisons are maintained. [HO] (HL87)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to A bitter pill to swallow—The sentencing of foreign national drug couriers, which was published in November by Rethinking Crime and Punishment. [HO] (HL90)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit disbanded the sub-group of their Advisory Group on the draft Analytical Report on alcohol; and whether they will publish the paper submitted by Professor Sir Michael Marmot, a member of the sub-group. [CO] (HL92)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 19th November (WA 323) concerning North South Implementation Bodies, why the staff costs of the Special European Union Programmes Body increased by over 100 per cent between 2001 and 2002. [NIO] (HL98)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 18th November (WA 273) concerning the 2003 budget for the Ulster Scots Agency, who agreed to the budget in February; and whether an appropriate business plan was considered and agreed. [NIO] (HL100)
1st December
The Baroness Uddin—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health has planned a recruitment drive to attract specialist speech therapists. [DoH] (HL136)
The Lord Baker of Dorking—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many universities provide courses in media studies, and how many students are taking courses in that subject. [DfES] (HL139)
The Lord Norton of Louth—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the security of the ballot in elections held by postal voting. [DCA] (HL141)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they accept the findings of the report No Half Measures by the Alcohol Harm Reduction Group on the impact of alcohol misuse on the police, ambulance services, accident and emergency departments and fire services; and how the extension of opening hours under the Licensing Act 2003 will contribute towards a reduction of these problems. [DoH] (HL146)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the use of Radio Frequency Identification tags on consumer goods represents risk to civil liberty and privacy; and, if so, whether they have any plans to initiate an inquiry into such use. [DTI] (HL153)
The Lord Mason of Barnsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which fishing and trawler licences have been sold and transferred to Spanish trawlers during each of the last ten years both from individual sales and fishing groups, [DEFRA] (HL157)
The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give reasons why, after three adjournments of the case of Mr Lumituri Shala on 30th October, an “all options” pre-sentence report was not available when he appeared on a charge of driving whilst disqualified at East Berkshire Magistrates’ Court sitting in Bracknell; what implications arise from this case; and what action will result. [HO] (HL159)
The Lord Peston—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any examples of price cutting of the cover price of newspapers and periodicals at the retail level; and, if so, whether they will identify the examples. [DTI] (HL161)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 13th November (WA 207), whether the delay in granting approval to appoint an Educational Language Officer is satisfactory. [NIO] (HL174)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 353), what is the difference between the Department of Community and Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs advising the Department for Culture Arts and Leisure of the 2003 budget for the Language Body and the former Department advising the latter Department of its provision for the budget for 2003, when the Government is obliged to provide three times the Eire contribution. [NIO] (HL175)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 351), whether any department in either Government has agreed the 2004 budget with any of the Bodies; and, if not, why the schedule is not being adhered to. [NIO] (HL176)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 349), what meetings have taken place since 1999 between stakeholders in both jurisdictions; who was represented; and when the next meeting is scheduled. [NIO] (HL177)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current status of the former Chief Executive of the European Special Programmes Implementation Body; whether he will be taking up his post again; and, if not, whether he is in receipt of a pension or other considerations as a result of his time as Chief Executive. [NIO] (HL178)
2nd December
The Lord Glentoran—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many QUANGOs currently exist in Northern Ireland; and how much they cost. [NIO] (HL180)
The Lord Glentoran—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many ombudsmen are currently employed in Northern Ireland; and how much they cost. [NIO] (HL181)
The Lord Glentoran—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many oversight commissioners there are in Northern Ireland; and how much they cost. [NIO] (HL182)
The Baroness Scott of Needham Market—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance has been issued to (a) chief constables; (b) local government chief executives; and (c) other public sector senior managers regarding their own and their employees’ membership of the British National Party, the National Front or organisations proscribed by law; and whether they will place a copy of such guidance in the Library of the House. [CO] (HL187)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 352), whether they do not expect any underspend from either section of the Language Implementation Body for 2003. [NIO] (HL188)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 351), whether proportionality of funding is being considered for 2004 for all Cross Border Implementation Bodies. [NIO] (HL189)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 354) concerning the budget of the Language Implementation Body, whether they will list the various stages in the administrative procedures for the setting of the 2003 budget, including dates of discussion, the persons involved, the location and the outcome. [NIO] (HL190)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide an estimate of the projected revenue to the Exchequer resulting from the proposed Olympic lottery game. [DCMS] (HL197)
The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the charge for a game licence was last increased; and what the present charge would be if it were to be increased by the change in the consumer price index since that date. [DEFRA] (HL201)
The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which roundabouts on the A1 trunk road they have no plans to change to grade separated junctions; and when they expect to have such plans for each roundabout concerned. [DfT] (HL202)
3rd December
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider the demolition of flats, adjacent to one occupied by a person suspected or accused of terrorism, or other collective punishments, constitute crimes under international humanitarian law; and, if so, what action they are able to take in respect of recent events in the occupied West Bank. [FCO] (HL210)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are concerned that the current serious difficulties on the London Underground system may damage the bid for London to hold the 2012 summer Olympic Games. [DCMS] (HL213)
The Lord Roberts of Conwy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the audit arrangements in Scotland corresponding to those proposed for Wales in the Public Audit (Wales) Bill. [WO] (HL215)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 357), why the physical competence test for the Police Service of Northern Ireland was moved to the training stage for recruits; and whether it is still a condition of entry to the police. [NIO] (HL219)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA350), whether they can give an undertaking that the year 2000 accounts for the Language Implementation Body will be certified in a similar way to all other accounts for Cross Border Implementation Bodies and with the same wording. [NIO] (HL220)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA352) concerning the £8.4 million underspend expected from the 2003 budgets of the Cross Border Implementation Bodies, why an underspend is permitted in their business cases. [NIO] (HL221)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA350) concerning the supply of final accounts for Cross Border Implementation Bodies, why there was a delay in the accounts for 2000 for Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission; and whether they regard the delay as satisfactory. [NIO] (HL222)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 10th November (WA 154), who has custody of the archives of the Patten Commission on policing; whether those archives contain the legal opinion referred to in paragraph 15.11 of the Patten report; whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has a copy of the legal opinion; and whether they will consider placing a copy of the legal opinion in the Library of the House. [NIO] (HL223)
The Lord Barnett—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current number of students in universities and colleges of higher education in England and Wales. [DfES] (HL234)
The Lord Smith of Leigh—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the increasing cost of countering terrorism should be funded by council taxpayers through the police precepts. [ODPM] (HL241)
The Lord Smith of Leigh—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the increasing number of children recorded as “at risk”; and whether the recently announced increase in funding matches this growing demand. [DfES] (HL242)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many regular, reserve and territorial members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces have been evacuated from Iraq since 19th March for non-combatant injuries and illnesses; and what were the categories of those injuries and illnesses. [MoD] (HL243)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current regime, including recommended intervals between doses, for vaccination of members of the territorial army and reservists who are being called up to serve in Iraq. [MoD] (HL244)
4th December
The Lord Northbourne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and if so to what extent, girls are performing better in maintained schools than boys; and whether, if this is the case, there are significant variations in this respect between ethnic groups. [DfES] (HL249)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the identification of civilians killed or injured in the recent Samarra engagement by coalition forces in Iraq. [FCO] (HL251)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the population in (a) Baghdad; (b) Basra; and (c) the rest of Iraq currently have access to sewage systems which are fully functioning; and what proportion are using sewage systems in which sewage is not being treated. [FCO] (HL252)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and personnel resources have so far been expended; what resources have been pledged; and what resources they estimate will be needed to provide sound arrangements for administration of justice in Afghanistan. [FCO] (HL253)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and personnel resources have so far been expended; what resources have been pledged; and what resources they estimate will be needed to provide sound arrangements for administration of justice in Iraq. [FCO] (HL254)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest estimate of (a) total military expenditure by the coalition for the war and subsequent military activity in Iraq; and (b) the financial value of resources provided for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Iraq. [HMT] (HL255)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the specific proposals for the role of the United Nations in the evolution of political institutions in Iraq. [FCO] (HL256)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they propose to prevent law enforcement officers and other public servants from holding membership of known racist organisations and organisations proscribed by law. [HO] (HL257)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any organisation proscribed by law or any known racist organisation has been investigated and found to be in breach of the Race Relations Act 1976 or the Human Rights Act 1998. [HO] (HL258)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent Russian Memorandum for the resolution of constitutional and other issues in the Republic of Moldova. [FCO] (HL259)
The Lord Bowness—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps remain to be taken, and when, to implement the assurances previously given, that citizens of states due to accede to the European Union on 1st May 2003 are able from that date, if they so wish, to enter the United Kingdom and take up employment. [FCO] (HL260)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what educational research they have conducted into the relationship between pupil achievement and computer use. [DfES] (HL262)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, for the most recent financial year for which figures are available, was the annual budget for information technology in schools as compared with the budget for more traditional learning resources, such as books. [DfES] (HL263)
The Lord Kilclooney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why mobile gear fishing has been banned in Strangford Lough; what consultation was held with interested parties prior to the ban; and when the report on the Horse Mussel Community in Strangford Lough will be made available. [NIO] (HL268)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what activities of the Cross Border Bodies require the preparation of a business case. [NIO] (HL269)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 358), whether the answer confirms that the Language Implementation Body’s Budget for 2003 was set by a department of the Eire government and notified to the appropriate department in the United Kingdom. [NIO] (HL270)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Eire government announced the 2004 budget allocations for the Cross Border Language Implementation Body unilaterally in November; and why the proper procedure was not used. [NIO] (HL272)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 2nd April (WA 132), on what basis the budgets for the Cross Border Bodies for 2003 were set. [NIO] (HL274)
The Duke of Montrose—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to issue their draft plan for the implementation of the European Union carbon emissions trading arrangements. [DEFRA] (HL277)
The Duke of Montrose—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the proposal for the licensing of carbon emissions would begin with actual historic levels or would be calculated on the basis of actual historic levels. [DEFRA] (HL278)
8th December
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish details of the Capital Modernisation Fund Programme. [DCMS] (HL281)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what events the Prime Minister has attended during 2003 to promote the 2012 London Olympic Bid. [CO] (HL282)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which governing bodies of sport have been selected for the Capital Modernisation Programme; and what were the criteria employed in their selection. [DCMS] (HL283)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Doomsday Book of sports grounds will be finalised and printed. [DCMS] (HL284)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether university and college sports grounds will be included in the Doomsday Book of sports grounds. [DCMS] (HL286)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether all bills requested by the National Assembly for Wales will be introduced in this session of Parliament; and, if not, why not. [WO] (HL287)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what data are available on the number of prescriptions written in England for English residents, but taken to chemists in Wales to dispense so as to avoid prescription charges. [DoH] (HL288)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Department of Health is working with the National Assembly for Wales to avoid abuse of free prescriptions for under 25 year olds in Wales. [DoH] (HL289)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have put in place to educate carers in safe lifting and handling techniques, particularly those caring for a patient in their own home. [DoH] (HL290)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to work with transport providers to ensure that disabled people have ease of access to all forms of public transport. [DfT] (HL291)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their records of waiting times for specific specialties are based on England-wide data rather than extrapolated from sample National Health Service trusts. [DoH] (HL292)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards the dual criminal justice systems in Iraq: one operated by civilians and one a military system operated by the coalition partners; and what are the arrangements for accountability for the military system. [FCO] (HL293)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards the payment of compensation to Iraqi citizens for deaths, injuries and property damage caused by the coalition forces; and what are the practices currently employed by United Kingdom personnel and by other coalition partners. [FCO] (HL294)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the numbers of those (a) killed; and (b) wounded or maimed in Iraq as a result of the activation of unexploded munitions, including cluster bombs, since the end of the war in 2003. [FCO] (HL295)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their latest estimates of the funds needed for the reconstruction of Afghanistan; and what is the total sum so far pledged by the international community. [DfID] (HL296)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what detailed assessments they have made of the most recent human rights record and the political viability of the present governing regime in Saudi Arabia, and whether such assessments will influence decisions on whether to proceed with arms exports to that country. [FCO] (HL297)
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Russian government on the prospects of a broadly based inclusive political process in Chechnya both to promote a sustainable peace and to strengthen the credibility of moderate Islamic leadership throughout the world. [FCO] (HL298)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, as part of the review of the Belfast Agreement announced by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, they intend to scrutinise—
(a) the actions of the Eire government in implementing human rights activity;
(b) the workings of the Special European Programmes Body and its relationship to the North South Ministerial Joint Secretariat;
(c) the conditions of employment of the first Chief Executive of the Special European Programmes Body; and
(d) the approach of the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure over the past two years in dealing with the Language Implementation Body. [NIO] (HL299)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they had advance knowledge of the announcement of the 2004 budget for the Cross Border Language Implementation Body; and, if so, what action they took in response. [NIO] (HL300)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 17th November (WA 236), whether the Parliament of Northern Ireland enacted any legislation between 1921 and 1972 which is no longer in force and which was discriminatory on the grounds of religious belief. [NIO] (HL301)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what business case the Eire government used to set the budget for 2004 for the Language Implementation Body; and who had approved the budget at the time of announcement in November. [NIO] (HL302)
The Lord Alexander of Weedon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the view of Lord Palmerston expressed in 1865 that there are many occasions when it is proper and for the convenience of the House that the opinions of the Attorney General should be made known. [LSLO] (HL303)
The Lord Alexander of Weedon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which occasions since 1865 the advice of the Attorney General has been publicly disclosed. [LSLO] (HL304)
The Lord Alexander of Weedon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the reason for publishing the summary of the views of the Attorney General on the legality of the war against Iraq; and why they have since consistently declined requests for information as to whether the Attorney General gave any fuller advice on the legality of the war. [LSLO] (HL305)
The Lord Alexander of Weedon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the views expressed by international lawyers and Kofi Annan that the invasion of Iraq was contrary to international law, they will now publish the full advice of the Attorney General so that his reasons may be open to public scrutiny. [LSLO] (HL306)
The Lord Stone of Blackheath—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to investigate fully the links between bereavement and youth offending. [HO] (HL307)
The Lord Stone of Blackheath—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what resources they currently make available to provide help for young offenders who have suffered a significant bereavement. [HO] (HL308)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost, at current prices, of pensions paid to war widows in each of the last seven years. [MoD] (HL311)
The Lord Harris of High Cross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the last five years for which figures are available, what are the literacy rates for 10 year olds in—
(b) Northern Ireland; and
(c) Scotland. [DfES] (HL312)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will initiate research, either directly or through the International Labour Organisation and the World Trade Organisation, to assess the exact impact of trade liberalisation on (a) developing countries, and (b) the poorest people in the world; and whether they consider that such research should cover food security within countries, sustainable agriculture, and the protection of the natural environment. [DfID] (HL313)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is correct that Cambodia, Georgia, Haiti and Afghanistan do not qualify for debt relief, although they are eligible under the rules of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries; and, if so, what action they will take to remedy this. [DfID] (HL314)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide a table showing the external debts of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries in 1983 and in 2003 and indicating for each country—
(a) debts at beginning and end of the period;
(b) amount of both principal and interest written off;
(c) amount of current debt per head of population;
(d) current average income per person; and
(e) the amount of debt likely to be remitted in each country over the next two years, as a result of negotiations pending. [DfID] (HL315)
The Lord Corbett of Castle Vale—To ask Her Majesty’s Government with which countries in the Caribbean the United Kingdom has prison transfer agreements; and, listed by country, how many prisoners have so far been transferred. [FCO] (HL316)
The Lord Corbett of Castle Vale—To ask Her Majesty’s Government with which countries in the Caribbean the United Kingdom is negotiating prison transfer agreements; and when it is anticipated these negotiations will be concluded. [FCO] (HL317)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government—
(a) what was the total amount of equity investment by Carillion plc or any of its subsidiaries in the Darent Valley Hospital Private Finance Initiative;
(b) when that investment was made;
(c) for how much and when that equity investment was sold; and
(d) what drawback or profit share arrangements were in place in respect of that investment; and, if none, why not. [DoH] (HL318)
[As amended on 9th December]
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government—
(a) what was the total amount of equity investment by W S Atkins plc or its subsidiaries in Connect Roads Limited;
(b) when that investment was made;
(c) for how much and when that equity investment was sold; and
(d) what drawback or profit share arrangements were in place in respect of that investment; and, if none, why not. [DfT] (HL319)
9th December
The Lord Cope of Berkeley—To ask the Leader of the House what figures are available relating to the additional costs of the works programme, the Line of Route and related matters arising out of sittings of the House in September 2003; and what forecast can be derived from them for September 2004. [LHoL] (HL323)
The Lord Palmer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost over the last twelve months of publishing all government publications, excluding staff costs; how many of these publications were distributed freely; what was the average circulation of these publications; what, if any, revenues were raised by charging for any of these publications; and what were the equivalent figures for 1997. [CO] (HL325)
The Lord Northbourne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether all children are being taught in school the responsibilities and consequences attendant upon the conception of a child; and, if so, whether they consider that this education is successful. [DfES] (HL326)
The Lord Northbourne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that young people are adequately educated and prepared for the responsibilities of parenthood. [DfES] (HL327)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in view of the briefing given by a Sport England client manager to staff at Crystal Palace on 8th December that the decommissioning of the site could start on 23rd February 2004, what are the Government’s intentions regarding the future of Crystal Palace as a centre of sporting excellence. [DCMS] (HL328)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government where, in the absence of Crystal Palace, Britain’s weightlifting and diving squads will train for the 2004 Olympic Games. [DCMS] (HL329)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what appointments have been made to the Sports Boards in England since their formation. [DCMS] (HL330)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ministry of Defence sports facilities and National Health Service sports grounds will be listed in the Domesday Book of sports facilities. [DCMS] (HL331)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many, and which, (a) district councils; (b) county councils; and (c) unitary councils have in place playing pitch strategies. [DCMS] (HL332)
The Lord Roberts of Conwy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a comparative table showing hospital waiting lists in England and Wales. [DoH] (HL334)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they voted in the United Nations General Assembly on the proposal to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the wall and fence being constructed by Israel on occupied land; and, if they abstained, why. [FCO] (HL335)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Cadennabia Declaration by the joint Israeli-Palestinian working group on Jerusalem, concerning the “Jerusalem Barrier”. [FCO] (HL336)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether weapons surrendered to the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Liberia and to ECOMOG troops will be destroyed; and, if not, what will happen to them. [FCO] (HL337)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are pressing for international monitoring following recent fighting in the Darfur province of Western Sudan; and whether they will be represented in peace talks concerning Darfur in Chad. [FCO] (HL338)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what ways they consider that international monitoring, both before and after any peace agreement for the Sudan, could be made more effective; and whether they will press for monitoring to include human rights as well as military issues. [FCO] (HL339)
The Lord Kilclooney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Invest Northern Ireland has had any contact with IKEA to locate a base in Northern Ireland; and whether any support has been extended to IKEA for such new investment. [NIO] (HL340)
The Lord Kilclooney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which schools in Armagh City were consulted about the proposal to develop an integrated secondary school in Armagh; how many pupils at the Armagh Further College of Education (FCE) were enrolled for the A level examination last year; what is the proportion of Roman Catholics to Protestants in the Armagh FCE; and whether the Armagh FCE was consulted about the proposed integrated college in Armagh. [NIO] (HL341)
The Lord Kilclooney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government who are the members of the Board of the Northern Ireland Police Fund; how many persons are employed by the Fund; whether each employee is vetted for security purposes prior to employment; and which service performs any such vetting procedure. [NIO] (HL342)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cattle passports have been issued each year since the start of the scheme. [DEFRA] (HL343)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total cost of the cattle passport scheme in each year since its inception; and what is the breakdown for each year of—
(b) developing and maintaining the necessary software;
(c) the associated hardware; and
(d) any other costs. [DEFRA] (HL344)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when an on-shore wind farm is constructed on mountain, moor, heath or downland, the area it covers remains open access; and whether it is legally possible for on-shore wind farms to be constructed on common land. [DEFRA] (HL345)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Energy on 31st March (HC Deb, 506W), why the amount of biodegradable solid waste used to generate heat fell from 50.6 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent in 1996 to 14.3 thousand tonnes in 1997; why it took a further four years to increase to 46.5 thousand tonnes; what was the total in 2002; how this trend is predicted to continue; what effect any trend is likely to have on requirements for other forms of renewable energy; and whether any trend is anticipated to be long lasting. [DTI] (HL346)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pilot entry level schemes have been made available to farmers across England; whether any such schemes have been wound up; if so, why; whether there are any plans to open any further schemes; and when the results of the pilot schemes will be assessed and the results published. [DEFRA] (HL347)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which body is responsible for commencing proceedings in Scotland for offences under the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2635). [DTI] (HL348)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances it was envisaged that the Secretary of State could have recorded further changes of vehicle keeper after he had issued a certificate of destruction under the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2635). [DTI] (HL349)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many rail passenger fatalities there were in each of the last ten years for which figures are available. [DfT] (HL350)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether those on the official waiting lists for specific specialities are from general practitioner referrals only; and whether they include doctor-to-doctor or nurse-to-doctor referrals across specialties. [DoH] (HL351)
The Baroness Finlay of Llandaff—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a difference in the definition of waiting lists and waiting times for specific specialities and services between England and Wales. [DoH] (HL352)
The Lord Vivian—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements have been brought about in retention and recruitment in Her Majesty’s armed forces as a result of the “Learning Forces” initiative and the educational opportunities available to those serving. [MoD] (HL353)
The Lord Vivian—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the effect of the £50,000 “golden hello” on the recruitment of consultants into the Defence Medical Services. [MoD] (HL354)
The Lord Vivian—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the future of the staff when the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Catterick is closed. [MoD] (HL355)
The Lord Vivian—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total of Ministry of Defence resource assets in cash terms; how much the Ministry of Defence pays for these assets; and what is the surplus or shortfall in the Ministry of Defence budget in cash terms. [MoD] (HL356)
The Lord Vivian—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of Her Majesty’s armed forces still serving in Operation Telic are reservists; and what has been the average period of absence from civilian employment by reservists during this campaign. [MoD] (HL357)
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the staff rules of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. [HMT] (HL358)
The Baroness Williams of Crosby—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are in favour of establishing an independent body to monitor human rights in Sudan, including the proposal to establish such a body through the United Nations Commission for Human Rights; and whether they would provide additional resources in order to fund such a body. [FCO] (HL359)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Home Secretary received a plea from relations of those murdered in the Real IRA bombing in Omagh in August 1998 asking that any new anti-terrorism legislation should ensure that associates of the Real IRA could no longer fund-raise in the United Kingdom; and, if so, what was his response. [HO] (HL360)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the attendance records at Commission meetings of all the members of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since 1999; and what measurement they have used to calculate the success of the work of the Commission and of its individual members. [NIO] (HL361)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 4th December (WA 31) and 17th November (WA 235) concerning the “number of factors” which indicate the appropriate proportionality of funding for the Ulster Scots Agency in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, why they have refused to detail these factors; and whether they will now do so. [NIO] (HL362)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord President of 4th December (WA 31) and 12th November (WA 199) concerning the incorrect titling of the staff remuneration for the Language Implementation Body decision paper, why they have refused to indicate which department made the error; and whether they will now name the department responsible. [NIO] (HL363)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents have occurred in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain, which they consider are the responsibility of (i) the Real IRA; (ii) the Continuity IRA; (iii) the Provisional IRA; and (iv) other republican groups in each of the years since 1993. [HO] (HL364)
10th December
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the United Kingdom has slipped from seventh in the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index rankings in 2002-03 to fifteenth in 2003-04; and what are the implications for their information technology strategy and policies. [DTI] (HL370)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the figures from the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report, which show that the United Kingdom is eighth in the rankings in terms of competition in the Internet Service Provider market but sixty-seventh in the affordability of internet access, are satisfactory; and what implications this has for their information technology targets. [DTI] (HL371)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the figures from the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report, which show that the United Kingdom is fifth in the rankings in scientific research but thirty-seventh in the availability of scientists and engineers, are satisfactory; and what implications this has for their information technology targets. [DTI] (HL372)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when foreign aid grants are re-directed from CARE to the Afghan Ministry of Education, they will ensure continuity of funding for the children in schools in Afghanistan sponsored by CARE under the Community Organised Primary Education Programme. [DfID] (HL373)
The Lord Roberts of Conwy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the 1.7 million new jobs created since 1997 were in (a) the public sector; and (b) the private sector. [HMT] (HL374)
The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what public funding is currently directed to research into Huntington’s Disease. [DoH] (HL375)
The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their estimates of the number of deaths each year from Huntington’s Disease, and the number of current identified sufferers from the disease. [DoH] (HL376)
The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations currently give support to those suffering from Huntington’s Disease and to their families. [DoH] (HL377)
The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in research leading to curing or arresting the spread of Huntington’s Disease in individual sufferers. [DoH] (HL378)
The Lord Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many wind farms there are in—
(d) Northern Ireland. [DTI] (HL379)
The Lord Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individual wind-driven turbines there are in—
(d) Northern Ireland. [DTI] (HL380)
The Lord Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average cost of a wind-driven turbine in United Kingdom wind farms. [DTI] (HL381)
The Lord Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated amount of investment in wind farms in—
(d) Northern Ireland. [DTI] (HL382)
The Lord Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what employment opportunities have emerged consequent upon the decision to build wind farms in the United Kingdom. [DTI] (HL383)
The Lord Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of noise pollution consequent upon the building of wind farms in the United Kingdom. [DTI] (HL384)
The Lord McCarthy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which dates the different types of claims listed in Table 1 of the 2002-03 Annual Report of the Employment Tribunal Service formed the basis for applications to be registered with Tribunals. [DTI] (HL385)
The Lord McCarthy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to instruct all fire authorities that, when use is made of the powers granted to the Secretary of State under section 1 of the Fire Services Act 2003, actions by employees or their union intended to frustrate such powers should be regarded as lawful, so long as they remain within the provisions governing protected industrial action. [ODPM] (HL386)
The Lord McCarthy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the present annual increase of 4.7 per cent in spending on the fire service will need to change when the proposals for improved and additional services, as specified in the recent White Paper, Our Fire and Rescue Service, are introduced. [ODPM] (HL387)
The Lord McCarthy—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much is spent annually on the fire service; and how this money is distributed between central and local government. [ODPM] (HL388)
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request a report from management at the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital on the employment of South African surgeons supplied by NETcare and the nature of representations made by the British Orthopaedic Association on this matter. [DoH] (HL389)
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request a report on the experience of the Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority in accessing potential patients to be operated upon by South African medical professionals and on the employment of these medical personnel. [DoH] (HL390)
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost of housing benefit paid to tenants of (a) housing associations; (b) local authorities; and (c) private landlords in each of the last three years in the Allerdale Borough Council area of Cumbria. [DWP] (HL391)
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost of rent allowance payable to tenants of housing associations in each local authority area or other defined sub-region in the financial year 2002-03. [DWP] (HL392)
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost of rent allowance payable to tenants of private landlords, excluding housing associations, in each local authority area or other defined sub-region in the financial year 2002-03. [DWP] (HL393)
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage more European Union members of NATO to contribute peace-keeping troops to the International Security and Assistance Force in Afghanistan; and with what results. [MoD] (HL394)
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many United Kingdom troops are now based with the International Security and Assistance Force and how many are with coalition forces outside Kabul; how many of these belong to a Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT); and when they intend to create a second PRT outside Kabul. [MoD] (HL395)
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial contribution they have made to the process of elections to the Constitutional Loya Jirga in Afghanistan; and what provisional assessment they have made of the extent of voter registration, turnout and representation. [FCO] (HL396)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have not stipulated the need for an audit process into applications made under the Health Professions Council’s “grandparenting” procedures; and whether there is any action they will now be taking in this regard. [DoH] (HL397)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (a) to make it possible for both qualified and registered chiropodists and podiatrists to dispense Lamisil and other related “over the counter” dispensed medicines; and (b) to enable qualified and registered chiropodists to give a complete service so that their patients can be assured that they receive the medicines they are directed to use. [DoH] (HL398)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any prisoners captured in Iraq have been held within 100 miles of Diego Garcia; if so, when they were held there; and by whom. [MoD] (HL399)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on the numbers of adults who are (a) overweight, and (b) obese; what is the estimated daily rate of increase in these numbers; and by what percentage they estimate the number of adults who are overweight or obese has increased over the last ten years. [DoH] (HL400)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the promotion by the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency of high carbohydrate intakes, in view of the continuing problem of obesity. [DoH] (HL401)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the conclusions of the paper Very-low carbohydrate weight-loss diets revisited by Jeff S. Volek and Eric C. Westman (Cleveland Journal of Medicine, November 2002) and its implications for public policy on diet and nutrition. [DoH] (HL402)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are monitoring the current work of the government of the United States in reviewing its “food pyramid”, with specific reference to the role of high carbohydrate intakes as a cause of obesity. [DoH] (HL403)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Health Development Agency and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be asked to review the effectiveness of very low carbohydrate diets in reducing overweight and obesity. [DoH] (HL404)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 8th December (WA 39) and 10th September (WA 123), why the answers did not explain the necessity of providing a car for the Chief Executive of the Special European Union Programmes Body when other Chief Executives of Cross Border Bodies were not provided with a car as part of their remuneration package. [NIO] (HL405)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates the final versions of the 2004 business plans for Cross Border Bodies were provided to the appropriate departments. [NIO] (HL406)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the first Chief Executive of the Special European Programmes Body was suspended; and why he was subsequently re-instated, before he then resigned within a week. [NIO] (HL407)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a letter of apology was issued to the Chief Executive of the Special European Union Programmes Body for his suspension, once he was re-instated. [NIO] (HL408)
11th December
The Lord Hoyle—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current position concerning the Board of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). [DfES] (HL411)
The Lord Berkeley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the United Kingdom will ratify the United Nations Convention against torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. [FCO] (HL412)
The Lord Berkeley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the basis of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice and security strategy for its posts abroad. [FCO] (HL413)
The Lord Berkeley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have recently made any exemptions to the United Nations or European Union arms embargo on the Democratic Republic of Congo. [FCO] (HL414)
The Lord Berkeley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost per mile for each motorway of the current motorway widening programme. [DfT] (HL415)
The Lord Berkeley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current estimate of the capital cost of the Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [DfT] (HL416)
The Lord Berkeley—To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 9th December (WA 51), and the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on the same day (WA 55), why the levels of reimbursement of Members’ expenses in respect of travel by car are above the Treasury figure, while those for travel by bicycle are below the Treasury figure; and whether there are any plans to review these levels of reimbursement. [CoC] (HL417)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the numbers of military forces of Uganda, Zimbabwe and Angola still remaining within the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and by when the Government and the United Nations Organisation Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo expect that such forces will have been removed or disarmed. [FCO] (HL418)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will raise with the government of Russia the fairness of the recent parliamentary elections. [FCO] (HL419)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to facilitate academic, cultural and sporting exchanges between the United Kingdom and Russia. [FCO] (HL420)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are negotiating improvements in mutual visa arrangements with Russia. [FCO] (HL421)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in order to achieve continuity of spiritual care and equality of care for those concerned, they will arrange for chaplaincy services in prisons and special hospitals to be provided by the same means in both classes of establishment. [HO] (HL422)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to amend the Prison Act 1952 in the foreseeable future; and whether the Act can be ignored where it is expedient to do so, in the absence of any likely challenge in the courts. [HO] (HL423)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the purchasing arrangements for beer, wine and spirits required for entertainment by the Department of Health; and what was the amount spent by that Department under this heading in 2002-03. [DoH] (HL424)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are compelling Afghan asylum seekers who no longer have any right of appeal to return to Afghanistan; and whether any exception is made for those of Sikh or Hindu origin. [HO] (HL425)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government from which countries, apart from Zimbabwe, asylum seekers who no longer have rights of appeal are denied benefit and the right to work in the United Kingdom but are not forced to return. [HO] (HL426)
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what rules exist requiring a doctor to work in the National Health Service after receiving state-funded medical training. [DoH] (HL427)
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is an upper age limit for entering state-funded medical training. [DoH] (HL428)
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (a) women; and (b) men would have benefited in 2002-03 if the rule had been abolished which prevents a person from receiving a basic state pension if they are entitled to less than 25 per cent of the pension. [DWP] (HL429)
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much it would cost to abolish the rule that prevents people from receiving a basic state pension if they are entitled to less than 25 per cent of the pension. [DWP] (HL430)
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people had their minimum income guarantee entitlement reduced because of a temporary visit of more than four weeks to another country in 2002-03. [DWP] (HL431)
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assumptions they have made of the number of older people who may lose their entitlement to pension credit because of a temporary visit of more than four weeks to another country. [DWP] (HL432)
The Earl of Mar and Kellie—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Road Traffic Act 1991 applies on the M6 Toll. [DfT] (HL433)
The Earl of Mar and Kellie—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a speed limit on the M6 Toll; and, if so, what is that limit. [DfT] (HL434)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 10th December (WA 63) and 11th June (WA 44) on the Ulster Scots Agency budget, whether the correct procedure was used in assessing the budget in this case. [NIO] (HL435)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of funds allocated by the Northern Ireland Executive for Education in the last financial year was spent on administration; and what was spent on providing education. [NIO] (HL436)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of funds allocated by the Northern Ireland Executive for Health in the last financial year was spent on administration; and what was spent on providing healthcare. [NIO] (HL437)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many conservation officers the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland employs; and whether that number is sufficient. [NIO] (HL438)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make any change in the responsibilities of Conservation Areas in Northern Ireland; and whether they envisage an increase in funding in the near future. [NIO] (HL439)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 20th November (WA 356) and 10th December (WA 63) concerning parity of esteem, when the section of the Joint Declaration of 11th May 2003 concerning the diversity of traditions and respect for civil, political, social and cultural rights will be applied to those of an Ulster Scots background; and whether it has been so applied to date. [NIO] (HL440)
The Lord Christopher—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many appeals were made to the Civil Service Appeal Body by staff (including industrial staff) of the Ministry of Defence in each of the years 1994-2002 and in the year 2003 to date; and, over the same periods—
(a) what was the total of such appeals for the whole civil service; and
(b) what percentage of the whole civil service (including industrial staff) was represented by staff of the Ministry of Defence. [CO] (HL441)
15th December
The Lord Campbell-Savours—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the outcome of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council held on 1st-2nd December. (HL444)
The Baroness Turner of Camden—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to pay further ex gratia compensation for the incorrect deduction of tax from service attributable pensions. (HL446)
The Baroness Hilton of Eggardon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the United Kingdom Space Strategy 2003-06 and beyond will be published. (HL447)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements there have been in meeting the special needs of children with autism since the first statutory provision specifically for them; and what assessment they have made of still unmet needs. (HL448)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements there have been in meeting special needs of children with dyslexia since the first statutory provision specifically for them; and what assessment they have made of still unmet needs. (HL449)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what processes the Health Professions Council ensures that applicants for “grandparenting” are required to demonstrate their fitness to provide legal, safe and effective practice as a chiropodist or podiatrist; and what assurances they have had from the Council that “grandparenting” procedures do not undermine public safety by allowing people who have failed approved courses to be admitted to the register. (HL450)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what redress is available to patients with diabetes who find that they have been treated by a chiropodist or podiatrist who was unqualified to deal with the special needs of diabetic patients. (HL451)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government where legal liability lies in cases where unlicensed use of vaccines is held to have damaged the health of the vaccinated person or to have constituted a significant health hazard. (HL452)
The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 11th December (WA 90), whether the replacement bus service at Congleton Station during September and early October, when the train service was disrupted by engineering work, operated at all times specified in the Passenger Service Requirement; and whether it was adequately publicised at the stations affected and through the National Rail Enquiry Service. (HL453)
The Lord Davies of Coity—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal action is open to the Health Professions Council to prevent an applicant who failed a podiatry degree course from being included on the register and practising as a podiatrist. (HL454)
The Lord Patten—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when a tax payer sends a return to a tax office which is logged as received but subsequently lost, the Inland Revenue sends notification of this loss to the sender. (HL455)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the package awarded to the Chief Executive of the Special European Union Programmes Body on his resignation, including ex gratia payments, pension contributions, car provision and advance salary payments. (HL456)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the expenditure of the Special European Union Programmes Body on (a) outside consultants; and (b) staff costs in each year since its inception. (HL457)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal advice has been received regarding Construction Industry Training Board levies for employees of Northern Ireland firms working abroad. (HL458)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many properties have been demolished in conservation areas in Northern Ireland in the last five years. (HL459)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to provide further support for victims of civil unrest in Northern Ireland. (HL460)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ask the International Organisation for Migration to report on the welfare of the 29 asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who have accepted the Organisation’s assistance to be voluntarily repatriated since April 2003. (HL461)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the most recent occasion on which they discussed with the government of Israel all of the following issues—
(a) the removal of settlement outposts from the occupied territories;
(b) Israeli plans for enlarging existing settlements and creating new roads for them; and
(c) the precise alignment of the security wall and fence;
and whether they will ask the United States government to discuss the above points with Israel. (HL462)
The Baroness Hanham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is normal practice for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to subsidise the costs of seminars being organised by external companies on legislation which has not yet been passed by Parliament. (HL463)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers have been dismissed for racist behaviour since the publication in 1999 of the Macpherson Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. (HL464)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the policies and procedures relating to disciplinary action against police officers make it difficult for those charged with racially discriminatory behaviour to be dismissed. (HL465)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to enable police constabularies and authorities to take effective disciplinary action against police officers engaged in racist behaviour. (HL466)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers dismissed for unacceptable racist behaviour have been reinstated by the Home Secretary since 2000. (HL467)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied with the powers available to chief constables to eliminate racist behaviour among police officers. (HL468)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a Domesday Book of sports facilities will be prepared for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. (HL469)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish details of the administrative budgets for Sports Boards in England. (HL470)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the chairpersons of the Sports Boards in England are paid; and, if so, how much. (HL471)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated total of (a) lottery and (b) Exchequer funding due for disbursement by each of the Sports Boards in English regions. (HL472)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what work permits have been issued to professional sportsmen and women from January 1997 to December 2003 inclusive. (HL473)
The Lord Moynihan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which disability sports governing bodies were in receipt of Exchequer funding in 2002-03; and what was the amount of grant aid in each case. (HL474)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, why it is necessary to permit Catholic sixth form colleges to discriminate against non-Catholics in their admission policies in order to ensure that the Catholic character and ethos of the colleges is preserved. (HL475)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, what is the “minimum percentage of Catholic students” that Catholic sixth form colleges should be permitted to require in order to ensure that the Catholic character and ethos of the colleges is preserved. (HL476)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, what proportion of students at the Catholic sixth form colleges are non-Catholics. (HL477)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as regards their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, whether their proposal would permit a Christian Foundation school or college to discriminate against Jewish students in order to preserve their Christian character and ethos. (HL478)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how their proposal to amend the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 will ensure that the admission arrangements for Catholic sixth form colleges do not discriminate in a way that is incompatible with the United Kingdom’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and European Community law. (HL479)
BILLS IN PROGRESS
[The date in square brackets is the date for which the bill is set down]
Waiting for Second Reading
Consolidated Fund (Money Bill—15th December) [16th December]
Health Protection Agency [HL] [5th January]
Gender Recognition [HL] [18th December]
Fishery Limits (United Kingdom) [HL] [17th December]
Harbours [HL] [7th January]
Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) [HL] [8th January]
Justice (Northern Ireland) [HL] [16th December]
Planning and Compulsory Purchase [6th January]
Air Traffic Emissions Reduction [HL]
Smoking in Public Places (Wales) [HL]
Committed to a Grand Committee
Public Audit (Wales) [HL]
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims [HL]
AFFIRMATIVE INSTRUMENTS IN PROGRESS
Waiting for consideration by the Joint Committee
Draft New Opportunities Fund (Specification of Initiative) Order 2004
Draft European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (Common Electoral Principles) Order 2004
Draft Solvent Emissions (England and Wales) Regulations 2004
Waiting for Affirmative Resolution
Draft European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Lebanon) Order 2003
Draft European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria) Order 2003
Draft Local Government Best Value (Exemption) (England) Order 2003
Draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003
Draft Extradition Act 2003 (Police Powers: Code of Practice) Order 2003
Draft Extradition Act 2003 (Part 3 Designation) Order 2003
Draft Extradition Act 2003 (Designation of Part 2 Territories) Order 2003
Draft Extradition Act 2003 (Designation of Part 1 Territories) Order 2003
REGULATORY REFORM ORDERS IN PROGRESS
Referred to the Regulatory Reform Committee for first-stage scrutiny
Draft Regulatory Reform (Patents) Order 2004
Reported following first-stage scrutiny by the Regulatory Reform Committee
Draft Regulatory Reform (Sunday Trading) Order 2004 [28th Report, Session 2002-03]
CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS FOR PRIVATE BILLS BY THE EXAMINERS
THURSDAY 18TH DECEMBER
| Ipswich Market | 11.00 am |
| Medway Council | in Committee Room 6 |
| University of Manchester |
| University of Wales, Cardiff |
COMMITTEES
[Unless otherwise indicated, Committees meet in the Lords’ rooms
in the Committee Corridor as indicated in the daily broadsheets]
TUESDAY 16TH DECEMBER
| Draft Gambling Bill (Joint Committee) | 9.30 am |
| European Union (Sub-Committee A) | 10.30 am |
| European Union (Select Committee) | 3.00 pm |
| Economic Affairs (Select Committee) | 3.30 pm |
| Science and Technology (Select Committee) | 4.00 pm |
| Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee) | 4.15 pm |
WEDNESDAY 17TH DECEMBER
| European Union (Sub-Committee D) | 10.30 am |
| European Union (Sub-Committee F) | 11.00 am |
| Constitution (Select Committee) | 3.30 pm |
THURSDAY 18TH DECEMBER
| Science and Technology (Sub-Committee II) | 10.30 am |
| (Practicalities of Renewable Energy) | in Room 134, Millbank House |
WEDNESDAY 7TH JANUARY
| Science and Technology (Sub-Committee I) | in the Antarctic |
| (Science and International Agreements) |
| Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform | 10.30 am |
| (Select Committee) |
THURSDAY 8TH JANUARY
| European Union (Sub-Committee C) | 10.30 am |
MONDAY 12TH JANUARY
| European Union (Sub-Committee B) | 4.00 pm |
| Human Rights (Joint Committee) | 4.15 pm |
| 
