NOTICES AND ORDERS OF THE DAY
Items marked † are new or have been altered.Items expected to be taken during an adjournment are marked # (lunch) or ‡ (dinner).
MONDAY 21ST MARCH
At half-past two o’clock
*The Lord Faulkner of Worcester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to curb the activities of companies which make unsolicited telephone calls to householders with the intention of inducing them to ring premium rate phone lines to claim non-existent prizes.
*The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the admission by the government of North Korea that it possesses nuclear weapons and to that government’s failure to re-engage in the six nations talks.
*The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will hold discussions with the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia about the introduction of democratic procedures.
*The Lord Blaker—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied with the condition of NATO.
†Business of the House—The Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That the following Unstarred Question be referred to a Grand Committee—
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will reconsider their policy on bovine tuberculosis in light of concerns expressed by more than 350 veterinary surgeons to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the spread of the disease.
†New Opportunities Fund (Specification of Initiative) Order 2005—The Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That the draft Order be referred to a Grand Committee.
†Contracting Out (Functions in Relation to Cultural Objects) Order 2005—The Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That the draft Order be referred to a Grand Committee.
†Constitutional Reform Bill [HL]—Consideration of Commons Amendments [The Lord Falconer of Thoroton]
Identity Cards Bill—Second Reading [The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]
In the event of the bill being read a second time, the Baroness Scotland of Asthal to move, That the bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
In the Moses Room
At 3.30 pm
Charities Bill [HL]—Further consideration in Grand Committee [The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]
TUESDAY 22ND MARCH
*The Lord Geddes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether personal taxation of an average earner has increased over the last eight years; and, if so, by how much.
*The Earl of Shrewsbury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government by how much recorded violent crime and gun use has increased in the last eight years compared to the previous eight years.
*The Lord Rix—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the current Disabled Facilities Grant review will consider the full costs and benefits of abolishing the means-test for families with disabled children.
Higher Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005—The Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 8th February be approved.
The Lord Glentoran—To move, as an amendment to the above motion, at end to insert, “but this House regrets that the Government have not provided the opportunity for the people of Northern Ireland to express their opinion on the matter, either through democratically elected institutions or by means of a referendum”.
The Lord Smith of Clifton—To move, as an amendment to the motion in the name of the Lord President, at end to insert “but this House regrets that the Government are proceeding with this policy in spite of opposition from every political party in Northern Ireland and the fact that their last manifesto explicitly rejected university top-up fees”.
1. Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Bill—Report [The Lord Goldsmith]
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill—Second Reading [The Lord Whitty]
Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) Measure—The Lord Bishop of Liverpool to move, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.
Care of Cathedrals (Amendment) Measure—The Lord Bishop of Liverpool to move, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Care of Cathedrals (Amendment) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.
Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure—The Lord Bishop of Liverpool to move, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.
†Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (Relaxation of Restriction on Disclosure) Order 2005—The Lord Davies of Oldham to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 9th February be approved. [9th Report from the Joint Committee]
Community Legal Service (Asylum and Immigration Appeals) Regulations 2005—The Baroness Ashton of Upholland to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 23rd February be approved. [11th Report from the Joint Committee]
†Revised Funding Code prepared by the Legal Services Commission—The Baroness Ashton of Upholland to move, That the Revised Funding Code laid before the House on 9th March be approved.
In Committee Room 3A/4B
At 3.30 pm
Pensions Appeal Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Regulations 2005—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bach] [6th Report from the Joint Committee]
Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Amendment) Order 2005—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [9th Report from the Joint Committee]
Extradition Act 2003 (Part 3 Designation) (Amendment) Order 2005—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [11th Report from the Joint Committee]
Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) (Amendment) Order 2005—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [10th Report from the Joint Committee]
Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) Regulations 2005—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [10th Report from the Joint Committee]
Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (Code of Practice) Order 2005—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [11th Report from the Joint Committee]
The Baroness Gould of Potternewton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the Plan of Action agreed at the United Nations World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995.
WEDNESDAY 23RD MARCH
*The Lord Lamont of Lerwick—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Human Rights Act 1998 alters existing legislation concerning primogeniture, the succession to the Crown and the prohibition on the Monarch marrying a Roman Catholic.
*The Baroness Masham of Ilton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether poultry in the United Kingdom are at risk from avian influenza (bird flu) and, if so, what steps they are taking to protect them.
*The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to help restore constitutional government in Nepal.
The Baroness Perry of Southwark—To call attention to school discipline; and to move for papers.
The Lord Howard of Rising—To call attention to Government planning policies on new house building and the control of traveller sites; and to move for papers.
Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Bill—Second Reading (and remaining stages) [The Lord McIntosh of Haringey] (Money Bill)
Open-Ended Investment Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2005—The Lord McIntosh of Haringey to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 10th February be approved. [11th Report from the Joint Committee]
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Carrying on Regulated Activities by Way of Business) (Amendment) Order 2005—The Lord McIntosh of Haringey to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 10th February be approved. [10th Report from the Joint Committee]
Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2005—The Lord McIntosh of Haringey to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 1st February be approved. [8th Report from the Joint Committee]
Child Trust Funds (Appeals) Regulations 2005—The Baroness Hollis of Heigham to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 9th February be approved. [9th Report from the Joint Committee]
Child Trust Funds (Appeals) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2005—The Baroness Hollis of Heigham to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 9th February be approved.
Social Security Commissioners (Procedure) (Child Trust Funds) Regulations 2005—The Baroness Hollis of Heigham to move, That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 9th February be approved. [9th Report from the Joint Committee]
In the Moses Room
At 3.30 pm
The Baroness Walmsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child Report 2002.
THURSDAY 24TH MARCH
[At eleven o’clock]
*The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the action they have taken to encourage the development of wave power is commensurate with their view stated on the Department of Trade and Industry website that “wave energy has the potential to provide as much renewable energy as the wind industry”.
*The Lord Garden—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have taken to ensure that members of the armed forces were registered by 11th March for participation in the elections on 5th May.
*The Lord Howell of Guildford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect they assess that the lifting of the European Union Embargo on Weapons to China will have on relations between the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan.
Procedure of the House—The Chairman of Committees to move, That the First Report from the Select Committee be agreed to. (HL Paper 48)
The Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank—To move, as an amendment to the above motion, at end to insert “but with the omission of paragraph 20(a)”.
The Baroness Lockwood—To move, as an amendment to the motion in the name of the Chairman of Committees, at end to insert “but with the omission of paragraph 20(b)”.
†Child Benefit Bill—Third Reading [The Lord McIntosh of Haringey]
†Mental Capacity Bill—Third Reading [The Baroness Ashton of Upholland]
†ROYAL ASSENT
MONDAY 4TH APRIL
*The Lord Peyton of Yeovil—To ask Her Majesty’s Government for how long they propose to continue to keep the option for nuclear generation open and what is the annual cost to public funds of doing so.
*The Lord Monson—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether during the United Kingdom’s forthcoming Presidency of the European Union they will secure agreement from other European states (both within and outside the European Union) to alter the date for the start of Summer Time from the last Sunday in March each year to the third Sunday so that clocks are not put forward on Easter Sunday.
*The Baroness Gardner of Parkes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Chinese care workers have been recruited either directly or indirectly by agencies for work in the National Health Service or social services; and what qualifications are required of them.
*The Lord Clement-Jones—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the conservation of ancient cathedrals is a priority for their heritage funding.
Railways Bill—Report [The Lord Davies of Oldham]
Drugs Bill—Second Reading [The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]
TUESDAY 5TH APRIL
*The Lord Ashley of Stoke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure independent living for disabled people.
†*The Baroness Sharples—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why immigrants and asylum seekers are not tested for HIV and tuberculosis.
*The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the manpower of the Corps of Army Music will be made redundant.
Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill—Committee [The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]
WEDNESDAY 6TH APRIL
*The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in response to the Make Poverty History campaign; and how they define poverty in that context.
*The Lord Bishop of Southwell—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances they can offer British sugar beet growers that they will not be unfairly discriminated against in the forthcoming reform of European Union sugar policy.
*The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why in implementing the proposed European Union Constitutional Treaty they intend the Treaty’s provisions for parliamentary control of the passarelle procedure to be exercised by the House of Commons alone.
THURSDAY 7TH APRIL
[At eleven o’clock]
*The Baroness Neuberger—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Standards for Better Health encompass commissioning skills, including specialised and mental health services; and how these skills will be assessed.
*The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has chosen words for the issuing of general licences for the killing of wild birds different from those used in the European Union Directive.
*The Baroness Lockwood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they had with the higher education sector on proposals to abolish the right of appeal for international students who are denied visas; and what prior research has been conducted on the likely effects of this proposal.
Gambling Bill—House to be again in Committee [The Lord McIntosh of Haringey] [11th Report from the Delegated Powers Committee]
MONDAY 11TH APRIL
*The Lord Barnett—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what departmental repairs and maintenance expenditure is now to be treated as capital for the purposes of public accounts.
School Transport Bill—Report [The Lord Filkin]
TUESDAY 12TH APRIL
*The Lord Sheldon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the results of their consultation on their draft Civil Service Bill.
†Consumer Credit Bill—Second Reading [The Lord Sainsbury of Turville]
NO DAY NAMED
PART I
The Viscount Waverley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have determined that the states surrounding the Gulf of Guinea are of strategic importance.
The Lord Pearson of Rannoch—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the First Report from the Committee for Privileges, Code of Conduct and Members’ Interests,and in particular its recommendation that Members of the House in receipt of pensions from the European Union do not normally need to declare such pensions as a financial interest when taking part in debates on European Union matters; and, if so, why.
The Lord Bowness—To move, That this House takes note of Protocol No. 14 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, amending the Control System of the Convention (Cm. 6370), presented to Parliament on 15th November; and requests that Her Majesty’s Government do not ratify it until the Joint Committee on Human Rights has considered it and reported on its implications.
The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to stimulate the bus industry outside London.
The Baroness Northover—To call attention to the case for further aid to assist the reconstruction and security of Afghanistan; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Neuberger—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether alcoholic drinks should carry a warning about the potential dangers of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome to pregnant women and their unborn children.
The Baroness Rawlings—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current status of world trade negotiations.
The Lord Howell of Guildford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what studies they have made of the diversion of sawdust supplies to power stations and the consequent shortage of supplies to chipboard manufacturers; and whether job losses will result from this diversion.
The Baroness Hamwee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the role of the Government Office for London in the context of devolved government.
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the work of the Cross Border Bodies set up as a result of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, and in particular the operation of the bodies by the Northern Ireland civil service.
The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their view of the accuracy and consistency of economic data and statistics in the United Kingdom.
The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what level the tax-gross domestic product ratio can rise without damage to the United Kingdom economy.
The Baroness Buscombe—To call attention to the significance of intellectual property rights protection for the creative industries; and to move for papers.
The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To call attention to the deaths of street children in Central and South America; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether existing policies will promote saving, given the current levels of personal debt.
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether expenditure across Government on information technology projects represents best value for money.
The Lord Harrison—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to increase the number of British-born students and graduates proficient in modern foreign languages, especially those spoken in the Middle, Near and Far East.
The Lord Clarke of Hampstead—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in relation to violations of human rights in Iran.
The Lord Freeman—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further plans they have to support the political, social and economic development of Sierra Leone.
The Lord Astor of Hever—To call attention to the situation in Bosnia Herzegovina; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Greengross—To call attention to the need to ensure that international development aid reaches the poorest people, in line with Millennium Development Goals and the aims of the Commission for Africa; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Greengross—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are tackling incidents of physical, sexual, mental and financial abuse of disabled people and elderly people.
The Lord Trefgarne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the prospects of significant gas production from coal, given the declining reserves of natural gas.
The Lord Addington—To call attention to the case for a cross-departmental physical activity strategy for the United Kingdom; and to move for papers.
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon—To move to resolve, That this House censures the Prime Minister’s advocacy of the case for war in Iraq on the basis of doubtful intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction which has proved inaccurate, and his subsequent conduct of policy in connection with the war.
The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made on the introduction in England of the access provisions in Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
The Baroness Barker—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards access to personal information relating to individuals who receive, or have received, social care, or who have been adopted; and whether they have any proposals to change this policy.
The Baroness Mallalieu—To call attention to the effect of the implementation of the Hunting Act 2004 on the economy of Exmoor National Park; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Byford—To call attention to the role which voluntary organisations play in society, and, in particular, the opportunities such organisations offer to young people; and to move for papers.
The Lord Harrison—To call attention to the development of alternatives to fox hunting in the light of the Hunting Act 2004; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Scott of Needham Market—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to amend planning guidance on the siting of mobile telephone masts.
The Lord Campbell of Alloway—To move to resolve, That the Speakership of the House be retained by the Lord Chancellor.
The Earl Howe—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how current policy initiatives in the National Health Service reflect the need for specialised services and associated commissioning.
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to develop their relations with Spain.
The Lord Luke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the proposal to build two new aircraft carriers is on target; and whether they will be delivered in time to be ready for service in 2012 and 2015 respectively.
The Lord Dykes—To call attention to the case for United Kingdom-European Union policy co-ordination to assist in future stabilisation policies in the Balkans, with particular regard to Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia; and to move for papers.
The Lord Morris of Aberavon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government according to what criteria the names of the new infantry regiments, particularly the Welsh and Scottish regiments, were decided.
The Lord Skidelsky—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider the effects of current oil prices on the economic and political outlook.
The Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the aim of English Heritage to promote the historic environment and the contribution which it makes to the quality of people’s lives.
The Lord Dykes—To call attention to the flows and changes in industrial, commercial, financial and service investments and domestic capital formation in the United Kingdom and the other principal European Union economies; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe—To call attention to increased fees for international student applications for “Leave to Remain” and the cost of processing these applications; and to move for papers.
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what initiatives they are taking to abolish modern forms of slavery.
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will reconsider their policy on bovine tuberculosis in light of concerns expressed by more than 350 veterinary surgeons to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the spread of the disease.
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking regarding the protection of minorities in Iraq.
The Lord Dykes—To call attention to the number of British citizens killed in military, terrorist or similar incidents in the countries of the Middle East since 1995; and to move for papers.
The Lord Ackner—To move to resolve, That this House regrets that owing to the Government’s failure to fund essential information technology the administration of civil justice is gravely threatened.
PART II
MOTIONS FOR BALLOTED DEBATE
[Ballot on 6th April for debate on 27th April]
The Lord Avebury—To call attention to the level of political and religious violence in Bangladesh; and to move for papers.
The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To call attention to the situation in Darfur, Sudan; and to move for papers.
The Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville—To call attention to the funding settlement for English Heritage; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Hooper—To call attention to recent developments in Latin America; and to move for papers.
The Lord Naseby—To call attention to the case for a South-East Asian tsunami recovery plan; and to move for papers.
The Lord Phillips of Sudbury—To call attention to the state of citizenship education, particularly in schools; and to move for papers.
The Lord Lamont of Lerwick—To call attention to the impact of anti-discrimination legislation and Quangos on freedom of speech and the phenomenon of political correctness; and to move for papers.
The Lord Clarke of Hampstead—To call attention to the case for a Government policy towards the Royal Mail which best reflects the national interest in all respects; and to move for papers.
The Baroness Cox—To call attention to the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in North Korea; and to move for papers.
PART III
SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS
[The date in brackets is that on which the Report was published]
The Lord Oxburgh—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Renewable Energy: Practicalities (4th Report, Session 2003-04, HL Paper 126). [15th July]
The Baroness Harris of Richmond—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on Judicial Co-operation in the EU: the role of Eurojust (23rd Report, Session 2003-04, HL Paper 138). [21st July]
The Lord Scott of Foscote—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on Strengthening OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office (24th Report, Session 2003-04, HL Paper 139). [21st July]
The Baroness Stern—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights on Deaths in Custody (3rd Report, HL Paper 15), what plans they have to reduce the number of deaths in custody.
The Lord Wright of Richmond —To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on After Madrid: the EU’s response to terrorism (5th Report, HL Paper 53). [8th March]
The Lord Radice—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on Future Financing of the European Union (6th Report, HL Paper 62). [9th March]
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
[Tabled on 17th March]
The Lord Kilclooney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what way pensioner households in Northern Ireland will benefit from the Budget proposal for a council tax refund of £200. (HL1839)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, given the role played by malign key logging software and spyware in the foiled attempt to steal £220 million from the London offices of Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, existing legislative provision offers adequate protection against the risks posed by such software. (HL1840)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they keep data relating to United Kingdom civilians currently working in Iraq; and, if so, whether they will provide the number and geographical detail of those engaged there directly or indirectly on contracts. (HL1841)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will present proposals to Parliament on how they intend to respond to the withdrawal from Iraq of the military contingents of a number of countries, including Spain, New Zealand, Ukraine, Poland and Italy. (HL1842)
The Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Bichard report into police sharing of intelligence, whether they plan to roll out nationally the CSIS (Custody Suite Imaging System) system which has been used by the Metropolitan Police Service for several years. (HL1843)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will instruct public sector organisations which require Criminal Records Bureau security clearance for access to their establishments to accept counter terrorist checks where an external candidate already has that clearance. (HL1844)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are currently allowing in-country appeals by refused Bangladeshi asylum seekers. (HL1845)
The Baroness Wall of New Barnet—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the 2004 science and innovation public service agreement target, what have been the total numbers of scientists and engineers employed in Government departments and public sector research establishments, including post-doctoral and other training contracts, in each of the last ten years; how many of these employees were recruited in each of the last ten years; and how many of these employees left the public service in each of the last ten years. (HL1846)
The Baroness Wall of New Barnet—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the 2004 science and innovation public service agreement target, what information is held across Government on its scientific and engineering skill base; and what assessment has been made of the science and engineering skills needed to enhance Her Majesty’s Government’s contribution to the science and innovation investment framework. (HL1847)
The Baroness Knight of Collingtree—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 2nd February (WA 42), which member states are blocking the European Commission proposal to allow direct trade between European Union countries and Northern Cyprus; and whether the decision will be subject to—
(b) qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers. (HL1848)
The Baroness Knight of Collingtree—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they can ensure that undertakings given to Turkish Cypriots by the European Union are honoured. (HL1849)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the terms of employment under which Mr Rod Eddington will be employed as a strategic adviser to the Government on transport policy from September 2005; how much he will be paid; and what are the anticipated costs of his office accommodation and secretarial support. (HL1850)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will reimburse any travel expenses of Mr Rod Eddington incurred whilst undertaking his role as a Government transport adviser from September 2005; and whether they will estimate the annual level of such expenses. (HL1851)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, was consulted prior to the announcement on 16th March that Mr Rod Eddington was to become a Government adviser on transport policy from September 2005. (HL1852)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, will continue to provide advice on transport-related issues, following the announcement that Mr Rod Eddington will advise the Government on transport policy from September 2005. (HL1853)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government to which Minister and department it is anticipated that Mr Rod Eddington will provide advice following his appointment as a Government adviser on transport policy from September 2005. (HL1854)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they minute meetings between the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, and (a) the Prime Minister, and (b) other members of the Cabinet. (HL1855)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the comments made by Cardinal Cormack Murphy O’Connor on the reduction of the time limit for abortion from 24 to 20 weeks. (HL1856)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any new plans to provide for either direct rule or the reinstatement of the Northern Ireland Assembly. (HL1857)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to change the criteria for the receipt of long-term invalidity benefit; and, if so, how. (HL1858)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase the number of intensive care cots for infants. (HL1859)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what estimates of the number of residential property purchases and their average price, the indexed projections in line 12 of Table 1.2 in Budget 2005 (HC 372) are based for (a) 2005-06; (b) 2006-07; and (c) 2007-08. (HL1860)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money they now expect the Financial Inclusion Fund to spend on improving face-to-face money advice provision; and over what period. (HL1861)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the 7,800 “relocations of civil service posts” described in paragraph 6:16 on page 138 of Budget 2005 (HC 372) are also to locations within London and South East England. (HL1862)
The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Health Service Service Increments for Teaching are restricted to medicine and dentistry; or whether they are also available for nursing and midwifery practice-based education. (HL1863)
The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to prepare nurses and allied health professionals to undertake new roles, such as that of nurse consultant, through funded periods of supervised practice and education. (HL1864)
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER AWAITING ANSWER
17th MARCH 2005
[Tabled on the dates shown]
[The Government department responsible for answering each Question is shown in brackets]
12th January
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 13th December 2004 (WA 55), whether they will place in the Library of the House the minutes of meetings between the Ulster Scots Agency and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. [NIO] (HL728)
2nd February
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, during the month of January 2005, how many cases there were of Northern Ireland civil servants being warned or fined for smoking at work. [NIO] (HL1142)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which political parties made representations to them concerning the issues in the proposed Electoral Registration (Northern Ireland) Bill, announced by the Lord President on 31st January. [NIO] (HL1143)
4th February
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what grades of senior civil servants in Northern Ireland are entitled to official cars and drivers; and how much this facility has cost for each year for each department since 1st January 2000. [NIO] (HL1192)
8th February
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 2nd February (WA 39) concerning allegations of misconduct at Waterways Ireland, whether any of the 21 staff who made complaints included allegations about mismanagement; if so, how many; and how they are being investigated. [NIO] (HL1271)
21st February
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of producing the logo for the United Kingdom’s six-month presidency of the European Union. [FCO] (HL1367)
The Lord Roberts of Llandudno—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost to the United Kingdom of the military engagement in Iraq. [MoD] (HL1397)
The Earl Howe—To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances, and for what purposes, they consider that polygraph tests may appropriately be carried out by the police, the Probation Service or other official bodies; and what validity is to be attributed to the results of such tests. [HO] (HL1421)
22nd February
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what occasions since 15th December 2004, and for what purposes, visits were undertaken by Mr David Blunkett for which a Government car was used. [HO] (HL1423)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to adopt European Union standards for defence procurement. [MoD] (HL1448)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to replace their existing defence procurement standards with harmonised European Union standards. [MoD] (HL1449)
23rd February
The Lord Maginnis of Drumglass—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they are now proposing a Gender Action Plan which does not address the specific childcare arrangements proposed in Recommendation 123 of the Patten Report. [NIO] (HL1503)
24th February
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they propose to make on the cases of the Turkish Parliamentarians, Merve Kavakçi and Leyla Zana and others, which were initially considered by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1994 and 2001 respectively, in the light of Turkey’s commitment to the Copenhagen Principles. [FCO] (HL1517)
28th February
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Electricity (Applications for Licences, Modification of an Area and Extensions and Restrictions of Licences) Regulations (S.I. 2004/2541) do not define “working days”. [DTI] (HL1548)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the implications of the transitional provisions in paragraph 2(1) of the Electricity (Applications for Licences, Modification of an Area and Extensions and Restrictions of Licences) (No. 2) Regulations (S.I. 2004/2952) and the Gas (Applications for Licences and Extensions and Restrictions of Licences) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2983). [DTI] (HL1549)
1st March
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 24th February (WA 220) concerning underspending by Northern Ireland departments, whether any funding allocated to Northern Ireland departments in each financial year since 2000 was surrendered to central government as unspent. [NIO] (HL1569)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 27th January (WA 176) concerning the document “Ministerial Decision Making: Interim Procedures”, whether the practice of not consulting advisers about decisions for cross border bodies means that there is no Unionist input; and, if so, whether this is consistent with the spirit of the Belfast Agreement of 1998. [NIO] (HL1570)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 24th February (WA 224) concerning the funding of nationalist and unionist festivals in Northern Ireland, what were the amounts provided in (a) 2003, and (b) 2004, by those departments which keep records; and which projects received this funding. [NIO] (HL1571)
2nd March
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 23rd February (WA 211), why the public interest in withholding the dates of meetings between the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, and—
(b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer; and
(c) the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
outweighs the public interest in releasing it; and whether the Secretary of the Cabinet was consulted on the decision. [CO] (HL1572)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations or advice the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, has raised with any Minister or official on behalf of McKinsey & Company Incorporated [CO] (HL1575)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any Minister or official from (a) the Prime Minister’s Office, or (b) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has met any employee, paid or unpaid, from McKinsey & Company Incorporated in the last two years; and on each occasion what were the nature of and reason for the meeting. [DCMS] (HL1577)
The Lord Howell of Guildford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is any overlap between the work of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust; and what is the total annual cost to public funds of the two organisations. [DTI] (HL1580)
The Lord Maginnis of Drumglass—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many ombudsman-type positions, including sectoral oversight commissioners, exist in Northern Ireland; for how long each post has existed; who occupies each position; what are the salary and remit for each post; and what was the budget for each year from 2001 to 2005. [NIO] (HL1583)
The Lord Maginnis of Drumglass—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 24th February (WA 221-222) regarding the Northern Bank robbery, whether the Chief Constable and the Government have overlooked the £10 million which has been acknowledged as being untraceable; and whether that figure can now be revised upwards or downwards. [NIO] (HL1584)
The Baroness Blood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether each of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland has a child protection policy and a designated officer for child protection; and whether each council provides child protection training for key staff. [NIO] (HL1587)
The Lord Lea of Crondall—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to evaluate the effectiveness of the Information Commissioner in—
(a) ensuring that marketing companies, when notified of telephone numbers that are registered as not wishing to receive cold calls, comply with the relevant order; and
(b) giving clear details of a one-stop shop for complaints, so that infringements of such orders can be investigated. [DCA] (HL1588)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is compatible with the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended) and the proposed Equality Bill for counter-terrorist and other police officers to use their powers of stop, search and arrest on the basis of generalisations or assumptions about Muslims and terrorism. [HO] (HL1589)
The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the start and termination dates of the periods since 1st January 2003 for which Christopher Greenwood QC was hired to give advice on (a) the legality of military action in Iraq, and (b) other matters; and what sums he has been paid in respect of each matter. [LSLO] (HL1590)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Astute class submarines they plan to procure. [MoD] (HL1598)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Lord Bach’s commitment to write to Members in response to questions not answered during the defence debate on 17th January (HL Deb, col.625), whether the Minister will write to all speakers who raised questions in the debate; and whether copies will be sent to all those who spoke in the debate . [MoD] (HL1602)
3rd March
The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what alterations they have made to the rules for legally controlling pest birds for agricultural and other purposes under the Amendments for General Licences 2005; under what powers the new conditions on licences were brought in; and what the purpose of the changes to the conditions is. [DEFRA] (HL1607)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 1st March (HL Deb, col. 121), whether the right of appeal relating to non-derogating control orders is intended to enable the court to determine that the control order should not have been made because it was not necessary for purposes connected with the protection of members of the public from the risk of terrorism. [DCA] (HL1609)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 1st March (HL Deb, col. 121), which decided case establishes that the concept of proportionality is “at the very core of the concept of judicial review”, other than cases involving alleged breaches of European Community law or European Convention on Human Rights law. [DCA] (HL1610)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training, guidance and instructions have been given to members of Her Majesty’s armed services during the past four years regarding compliance with the obligations imposed upon the United Kingdom by international humanitarian law and international human rights law. [MoD] (HL1611)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in making the appointment of the Director of Marketing and Communications for Waterways Ireland, they took account of paragraph 4 of the financial memorandum annex entitled “Staffing Principals of North South Implementation Bodies”. [NIO] (HL1619)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Director of Marketing and Communications for Waterways Ireland was appointed under current Northern Ireland legislation. [NIO] (HL1620)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 24th February (WA 218) concerning the appointment of the Director of Marketing and Communications for Waterways Ireland, who set the criteria for the appointment; and on what basis it was approved by the appropriate departments and by the North South Ministerial Council. [NIO] (HL1622)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the changes to the general licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 were made; when these changes were first (a) made known to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) press office; (b) posted on the DEFRA website; and (c) made public. [DEFRA] (HL1629)
7th March
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 27th October (WA 129), whether the Home Office will issue a Status Letter giving official recognition of a person’s British nationality status to an overseas resident whose British nationality is difficult or complicated to prove, but who satisfies the Home Office of his nationality by the production of satisfactory evidence; and whether the Home Office will issue such a Status Letter if a request is made in writing directly to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Liverpool with the necessary documentary evidence. [HO] (HL1635)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the Prison Reform Trust (PRT) finding that prisoners are less likely to re-offend if they maintain contact with their families; and what is their response to the PRT recommendation that Family Contact Development Officers should be employed by the Prison Service to facilitate these contacts. [HO] (HL1637)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the findings and recommendations of the Sentencing Commission for Scotland’s report on the Use of Bail and Remand, with a view to considering whether any of them are applicable in whole or in part in England and Wales. [HO] (HL1638)
The Lord Maginnis of Drumglass—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7th February (WA 77), whether the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has written to the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor or any other law officer commenting on, objecting to, or in any way expressing displeasure with or dissent from comments made by a resident magistrate in respect of a case in which her office was involved; if so, on what occasions; and under what circumstances. [NIO] (HL1641)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the regulations to implement the Working Time Directive for mobile workers have been laid before Parliament; and, if so, when. [DfT] (HL1644)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the regulations to implement the Working Time Directive for mobile workers will come into effect. [DfT] (HL1645)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Northern Ireland Departments charge for the provision of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; which do not; and on what basis the decision to charge is made. [NIO] (HL1650)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is appropriate for employees of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to issue policy statements. [NIO] (HL1653)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide in detail the timings of the implementation of the Future Infantry Structure. [MoD] (HL1655)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 28th February (WA 6) on the aircraft carrier project—
(a) how many individuals have been contributed by each of the participants in the alliance to the integrated team responsible for managing and executing the future aircraft carrier project;
(b) where that team is located;
(c) who are the members of the Alliance Management Board;
(d) which participant each represents;
(e) when the Management Board most recently met; and
(f) when it is next due to meet. [MoD] (HL1656)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 28th February (WA 6), whether any drafts have yet been prepared and considered of—
(a) the Alliance Agreement; and
for the future aircraft carrier project. [MoD] (HL1657)
8th March
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Home Office, when they moved offices, did not arrange for calls to their old telephone numbers to be diverted to their new ones. [HO] (HL1660)
The Baroness Goudie—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research has been undertaken into what causes the problems of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to start. [DoH] (HL1663)
The Baroness Goudie—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research has been undertaken to evaluate the link between learning difficulties and crime, and the potential for reducing re-offending by breakthroughs in research in non-drug alternatives for the treatment of those suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. [DoH] (HL1665)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements they have been able to make since the summer of 2004 in the systems for booking family and next-of kin visits to prisoners and for informing next-of-kin when prisoners are moved from one prison to another. [HO] (HL1666)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7th March (WA 63), whether they have considered the Paris Declaration of the International Commission of Jurists of 10th November 2004 and its recommendations; if so, when they expect to make public their decisions on the Declaration; and, if not, whether they will examine the relevance of the Declaration to the Prevention of Terrorism Acts. [HO] (HL1667)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what precautions they intend to take to protect British service personnel from missile attacks during airborne transit movements in Iraqi war zones. [MoD] (HL1671)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to organise an ad hoc conference of senior judges to discuss alternatives to the existing anti-terrorism legislation. [DCA] (HL1673)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will compare procedures in the United Kingdom with other large European Union member states in respect of handling anti-terrorist cases, including the use of intercepts and related material as evidence against accused detainees. [HO] (HL1674)
The Lord Cameron of Dillington—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any incentive is given to Jobcentre Plus managers to take account of the wider net savings to the taxpayer from sponsoring Wheels to Work schemes. [DWP] (HL1677)
The Lord Cameron of Dillington—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a grant of £31,000 per annum to the Wheels to Work scheme on the Isle of Wight to keep 51 people in work, at a cost of £11.69 per head, per week, represents value for money. [DWP] (HL1678)
The Lord Cameron of Dillington—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Wheels to Work scheme on the Isle of Wight and other such schemes are being discontinued through a lack of support; and whether they will encourage such schemes. [DWP] (HL1679)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 8th March (WA 74), whether they will provide a breakdown of the estimate of the £25,000 cost of providing information on the legal and other costs incurred in contesting war pension claims from veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. [MoD] (HL1680)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 8th March (WA 74), what figure they would have deemed to represent a proportionate cost of providing information on the legal and other costs incurred in contesting war pension claims from veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. [MoD] (HL1681)
The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is now too late for the United Kingdom to make a reservation under Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights in respect of the United Kingdom system of military discipline. [MoD] (HL1683)
The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are content for a person accredited to a national diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom to hold the citizenship of a country other than that of the mission concerned; if so, whether such persons are also required to hold the citizenship of the country from which they are accredited; and whether they will list those national diplomatic missions where they believe any of those accredited hold citizenship of countries other than that of the mission. [FCO] (HL1684)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether those consultations which they carried out prior to the introduction of general shooting licence WLF 18 complied with the Code of Practice on Consultations. [DEFRA] (HL1690)
The Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 8th February (WA 103), whether they will now collate from the 43 police forces in England and Wales the information on the number of houses that have been raided by police on anti-terrorism warrants since 11th September 2001. [HO] (HL1691)
The Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 8th February (WA 112), whether when stating that “there was no target date set for receipt of the Inspector’s report” on the A303 Stonehenge Inquiry, Lord Davies of Oldham was aware that the Inspector had announced at the end of the Inquiry on 11th May 2004 a target date of the week commencing 6th September 2004; and what unanticipated “complexity” in this planning matter is responsible for a delivery time of at least eight rather than four months. [DfT] (HL1692)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from the German government regarding the starting of talks with Croatia about European Union membership. [FCO] (HL1695)
9th March
The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the contribution of the British film industry to United Kingdom exports in (a) 2003, and (b) 2004. [DCMS] (HL1696)
The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the contribution of the British fashion industry to United Kingdom exports in (a) 2003, and (b) 2004. [DTI] (HL1697)
The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which publicly-funded English museums retain an entrance fee for the public. [DCMS] (HL1698)
The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many English beaches are listed as sites of scientific interest. [DEFRA] (HL1699)
The Lord Willoughby de Broke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on United Kingdom armed forces of the restriction of supply of United States weapons technology should the European Union embargo on arms sales to China be lifted. [FCO] (HL1700)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide a monitoring role in the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe. [FCO] (HL1703)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to make any changes to their policy towards Zimbabwe. [FCO] (HL1704)
The Lord Rogan—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis female officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are currently entitled to 13 weeks paid maternity leave when their civilian colleagues within the PSNI are entitled to 18 weeks; and what assessment they have made of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland’s direction to address this anomaly. [NIO] (HL1705)
The Lord Maginnis of Drumglass—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the statement by the Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, in the newspaper Alithia, that, “our efforts to date have been to prevent a settlement. We will work to refrain from negotiations until 3 October and we will search for a Cyprus settlement in due time and within the framework of EU law”, how they intend to alter their strategy to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. [FCO] (HL1706)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many farms are currently subject to a Standstill Order under the restrictions on animal movements that came into force on 17th February; how many of these are due to a breakdown of communications between the Government and Local Veterinary Inspectorates (LVI); how many are due to lack of LVI manpower, equipment or financial resources; and how many are due to a lack of communication or co-operation between LVIs and farmers. [DEFRA] (HL1707)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost per badger, based upon the estimated badger population in the southwest and midland regions of England, of (a) providing manpower and resources for testing cattle for bovine tuberculosis; (b) the slaughter of affected cattle; (c) compensation of farmers for slaughtered livestock; and (d) damage to crops and the environment. [DEFRA] (HL1708)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many sheep farmers currently hold certificates of competence for sheep dipping; and how many of these farmers are known to use organophosphate sheep dips. [DEFRA] (HL1709)
The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they regard research findings which describe the long-term effects upon human health of exposure to organophosphate sheep dips as “subtle” as meaning that they are not of any consequence. [DEFRA] (HL1710)
The Baroness Perry of Southwark—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 21st February (WA 178), what they expect to spend on (a) research underpinning building regulations; and (b) other applied construction research in (i) 2004-05; and (ii) 2005-06. [DTI] (HL1711)
The Baroness Stern—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgetary support the Department for International Development is now providing to the government of Malawi; and whether budgetary support has been given to reforming the police force in Malawi under the Safety, Security and Access to Justice Programme. [DfID] (HL1712)
The Baroness Stern—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of reports of the shootings of Epiphania Bonjesi, Dadly Lupesya and Nashaz Sakala in Malawi, what consideration has been given to suspending direct budget support until reassurances have been given that all cases of alleged shootings of unarmed civilians will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted. [DfID] (HL1713)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 3rd March (WA 33) on IRA terrorists: criminal records, what was the nature of the conference in Dublin on 16th November 2004, which Ministers and officials attended from Northern Ireland; whether the subsequent press report in the Irish Times is accurate; and whether in the event of the reform of the rehabilitation of offenders legislation, terrorists would be amongst those who benefited. [NIO] (HL1715)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 2nd March (WA 23), whether the murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast represented a breach by the IRA of its ceasefire; and, if not, which considerations in section 3(9) of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 led to that conclusion. [NIO] (HL1716)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, since 1st January 2004, there have been any investigations into the state of organisation and morale of Waterways Ireland; if so, when; and by whom such investigations were carried out; and what was the broad outcome of each such investigation. [NIO] (HL1717)
10th March
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many inspector posts were created between July 1997 and July 2001 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and how many have been created since by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, both in response to legislation and through regulations giving the Secretary of State powers to create such posts. [DEFRA] (HL1718)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ban the import of bird feathers from China and other Far Eastern countries which report avian influenza in their poultry or wildlife. [DEFRA] (HL1719)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 28th February (WA 8), why the personal invitation document has to be taken to a local post office when many are presented by friends and relatives on behalf of elderly, sick or housebound would-be clients. [DTI] (HL1720)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, under the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1214), a train driver is exempt as a “carrier who has charge for the time being”. [DEFRA] (HL1722)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the budgetary and staff implications of the Agency for International Trade Information and Co-operation (Legal Capacities) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/3332); and within which departmental budget such costs fall. [DfID] (HL1723)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to redraft paragraphs 35(2) and (3) of the Water Mergers (Modification of Enactments) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/3202) in order to achieve greater clarity of purpose. [DTI] (HL1724)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the turnover of water companies for the purposes of the Enterprise Act 2002 (Merger Fees and Determination of Turnover) (Amendment) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/3204) includes their non-water related activities. [DTI] (HL1725)
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken through the United Nations, including the Security Council and the Commission on Human Rights, to propose or adopt resolutions to condemn the alleged suspension of human rights and democracy in Nepal since 1st February; and what were the results. [FCO] (HL1726)
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Nepal about the continued detention of political leaders, the suppression of the media, and the alleged extra-judicial killings and human rights violations carried out by the Royal Nepalese Army and by Maoist rebels. [FCO] (HL1727)
The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are giving, or intend to give, to Nepalese human rights agencies and aid organisations in India and the United Kingdom campaigning for the restoration of constitutional democracy in Nepal. [FCO] (HL1728)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is in keeping with natural justice to provide financial support for widows of haemophilia patients who died from HIV infection by contaminated National Health Service blood products, but not for those widowed in consequence of hepatitis C infection from the same source and by the same route. [DoH] (HL1729)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken or will be taking to commend United Kingdom companies which, by supplying their offices with products carrying the independent FAIRTRADE Mark, use their buying power to support third world growers. [DTI] (HL1730)
The Lord Patten—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 1st March (WA 22), whether rail users will be consulted during the Strategic Rail Authority’s forthcoming regional planning assessment for the Southwest region; and when that assessment will be published. [DfT] (HL1731)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the religious category for employment purposes of all the senior staff of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and what is the comparable breakdown for Northern Ireland generally. [NIO] (HL1732)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (a) fatalities; (b) serious injuries; and (c) other collisions there have been on the A1 in Northern Ireland on the dual carriageway section between Sprucefield and Loughbrickland, in each of the last five years. [NIO] (HL1733)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (a) fatalities; (b) serious injuries; and (c) other collisions there have been on the A1 road in Northern Ireland at Loughbrickland, where the single carriageway section begins at the land border with the Irish Republic, in each of the last five years. [NIO] (HL1734)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what figures they have on the volume of traffic using the A1 road in Northern Ireland on the sections (a) between Sprucefield and Loughbrickland; and (b) between Loughbrickland and the land border with the Irish Republic, in each of the last five years. [NIO] (HL1735)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7th September 2004 (WA 105), (a) what and how much funding was made available to the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NIACRO) for the purchase of property before December 2004; (b) what happened to that property, and (c) what arrangements exist for return of this funding if NIACRO ceases to exist or no longer requires the property. [NIO] (HL1736)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the five largest public sector pension schemes in Northern Ireland in the latest year for which figures are available, what were—
(a) the total amount of employees’ contributions;
(b) the total amount of employers’ contributions;
(c) the schemes’ total income from contributions and net transfers;
(d) the schemes’ total expenditure on paying members’ pensions and benefits; and
(e) the difference between such income and expenditure. [NIO] (HL1737)
The Lord McColl of Dulwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what value they place on meeting Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Inter-Parliamentary Union delegates. [FCO] (HL1738)
The Lord McColl of Dulwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they consider that the target of people not having to wait longer than 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment, by the end of December 2005, will be reached for those requiring indoor/outdoor electric wheelchairs and specialised wheelchair seats. [DoH] (HL1739)
The Lord McColl of Dulwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, in the most recent period for which statistics are available, are (a) the mortality; and (b) the morbidity attributable to the treatment of varicose veins by surgery; and whether such statistics provide a comparison between the results of surgery and of treatment by means of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy. [DoH] (HL1741)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the speech by the Lord Luke on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 83), whether the suggestion that the Government’s Lorry Road User Charging Scheme would require 1,000 new civil service positions is accurate; and, if not, what is the best estimate to the nearest 250 positions. [DfT] (HL1743)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the speech by the Lord Luke on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 83), whether the fuel would have to be a different colour to prevent rebated fuel from finding its way into private cars. [DfT] (HL1744)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the speech by the Lord Luke on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 83), whether it would cost £2 billion to fit all 400,000 trucks with satellite transponders; and, if not, what is an approximate figure. [DfT] (HL1745)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the speech by the Lord Luke on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 83), whether the Lorry Road User Charging Scheme will be cost or revenue neutral; and, if so, for how long. [DfT] (HL1746)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the speech by the Lord Luke on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 83), whether the anti-fuel tax evasion idea, raised during the debate on the Unstarred Question, is compliant with European Union law. [DfT] (HL1747)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is enough refuelling capacity in southeast England to support the proposal raised in the debate on the Unstarred Question on 1st March. [DfT] (HL1748)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the provision for those individuals, the so-called “missing millions”, who were born before 1st September 2002 and therefore do not qualify for a Child Trust Fund. [HMT] (HL1749)
The Lord Colwyn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when a review of the premium limits of Tax-Exempt Savings Plans was last conducted; and what increases to these plans there have been since 1992. [HMT] (HL1750)
14th March
The Lord Bridges—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the net effect of their road building programme on their commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. [DfT] (HL1751)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, in the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (Electronic Communications) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/3236), the deemed date of service of a communication is different under section 176A(1) and section 69 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. [DTI] (HL1752)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes will be made as a consequence of paragraph 2(c) of the Recreational Craft (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/3201). [DTI] (HL1753)
The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government to whom are the responsibilities passed under the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/263) if the producer goes out of business or leaves the United Kingdom. [DTI] (HL1754)
The Lord Pearson of Rannoch—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether under the proposed Constitution for Europe, if one-third of national parliaments find that a proposal from the European Commission does not respect the principle of subsidiarity, that proposal falls. [FCO] (HL1755)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional taxation revenue would be raised by implementing the anti-fuel tax evasion proposal, which was debated in Grand Committee on 1st March. [HMT] (HL1756)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 85-92), what “substantial amount of work” has been completed on finding a system for the Government’s plan; and whether they have a preferred method of technology. [HMT] (HL1757)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 85-92) on H M Customs and Excise: heavy goods vehicles, whether their plan is simply to measure distance; or whether they will be tracking location as well. [HMT] (HL1758)
The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 1st March (HL Deb, GC 85-92), whether both United Kingdom and European continental hauliers are eligible for the fuel rebate under the Lorry Road User Charging Scheme; and how this plan is levelling the playing field for United Kingdom hauliers. [HMT] (HL1759)
The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they submitted their request to the President of the European Parliament that the alleged parliamentary immunity of Mr Ashley Mote MEP be lifted, as announced in the European Parliament on 23rd February. [FCO] (HL1760)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Bach on 27th January (WS 58) on Khamisyiah: Nerve Agents, whether they were then aware that the United States Government Accountability Office had concluded that, given the “uncertainties in source term data and divergences in model results, the United States Department of Defense cannot determine, or estimate with any degree of certainty, plume size and path, or who was or was not exposed”. [MoD] (HL1761)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Bach on 27th January (WS 58) on Khamisyiah: Nerve Agents, whether the Ministry of Defence was then aware of the results of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s work on modelling the Khamisyiah detonation; and whether they plan to respond, as those results could affect British troops involved in the 1990-91 Gulf war. [MoD] (HL1762)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Bach on 27th January (WS 58) on Khamisyiah: Nerve Agents, what information they have on the amount of sarin and cyclosarin stored at sites destroyed by the Khamisyiah detonation. [MoD] (HL1763)
The Lord Pendry—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have caught the Community-Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus bug (CA-MRSA) acquired in gymnasia and health clubs in the United Kingdom. [DoH] (HL1764)
The Lord Pendry—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have died from the Community-Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus bug (CA-MRSA) acquired from gymnasia and health clubs in the United Kingdom. [DoH] (HL1765)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a Traffic Commissioner can use the services of the Treasury Solicitor’s Department; and, if so, under what circumstances. [DfT] (HL1766)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what duties Traffic Commissioners have as—
(a) licensing authorities; and
(b) one person tribunals. [DfT] (HL1767)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government to whom Traffic Commissioners are accountable in connection with disciplinary action taken against them. [DfT] (HL1768)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Traffic Commissioners have powers, discretionary or not, to change or amend some or all of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995, with particular regard to Schedule 3. [DfT] (HL1770)
The Lord Owen—To ask Her Majesty’s Government (a) how much aid they and the other G8 countries have provided to Africa as a percentage of gross domestic product over the last 30 years; and (b) how this compares to the total overseas aid budget for these years. [DfID] (HL1771)
The Lord Owen—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which base year is being taken for their pledge to double aid to Africa by 2010; and whether this pledge is dependent on the International Finance Facility initiative. [DfID] (HL1772)
The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 24th February (WA 230) and 10th March (WA 89-90), what other differing criteria or errors in the bid document for the 2012 Olympic Games have come to light, as well as the one referred to; and, in the light of the decision not to draw the highlighted mistake to the attention of the International Olympic Committee Evaluation Commission, to what address this information should be sent, so that they could be made aware of it. [DCMS] (HL1773)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 27th January (WA 171), on which days or dates the 1.5 extra public and privilege holidays are taken by Northern Ireland civil servants compared to civil servants in Great Britain; and whether this figure takes account of different bank holidays. [NIO] (HL1774)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 13th January (WA 74), (a) which are the various authorities that hold information on the religious breakdown of teachers employed in schools; (b) in what form such authorities collect and collate this information; (c) how the Equality Commission can make the required assessment of the effect of teachers’ exemption from fair employment law if the necessary statistics are unavailable; and (d) what is the estimated cost of collecting and collating this information. [NIO] (HL1775)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new car parking spaces have been made available on the Stormont estate since 1998; and at which locations; what number of further spaces are being considered; and whether they will avoid turning further parkland into free car parking spaces and return temporary office sites to parkland after moving staff to Belfast city centre accommodation. [NIO] (HL1776)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the security and other costs of the visit to Northern Ireland of the President of Ireland on 24th February. [NIO] (HL1777)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as a result of the allegations of bullying and harassment at Waterways Ireland, what legal costs from the organisation’s budget were incurred; and by whom and when. [NIO] (HL1778)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the North South Ministerial Council report of a meeting on 26th June 2002 (W1(02)6), whether the listed total of seven seconded staff included the Director of Marketing and Communications; and, if not, which category the appointment is in. [NIO] (HL1779)
The Lord Dixon-Smith—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the change to the single farm payment system to support agriculture alters in any way the ability of voluntary motor-sports organisations to hold events on land for up to 14 days in any one year provided they have the agreement of the landowner. [DEFRA] (HL1780)
15th March
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received representations from veterinary surgeons in Somerset and Devon (a) on the limited efficiency of controls of cattle movement in restricting bovine tuberculosis and (b) asking for controlled culling of badgers. [DEFRA] (HL1781)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are cooperating with the United Nations Development Programme and the Serbian government on proliferation and trafficking in small arms and ammunition in Southeast Europe. [FCO] (HL1782)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made about current and proposed arms sales by the United States to both Pakistan and India. [FCO] (HL1783)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are supporting the efforts of the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development to establish a National Council for small arms control in Georgia. [FCO] (HL1784)
The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to allegations of racism and violence against detainees within the asylum system, in particular in contracted-out detention centres and removal arrangements. [HO] (HL1785)
The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is meant by legitimate as distinct from illegitimate discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy or dislike of particular religions or their adherents in paragraph 519 of the Explanatory Notes on the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill (HL Bill 24-EN). [HO] (HL1786)
The Baroness Michie of Gallanach—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the first recommendation was made for the Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter fleet to be fitted with (a) Cockpit Voice Recorders; and (b) Accident Data Recorders; and when the completion of the fit to the entire fleet was made. [MoD] (HL1787)
The Baroness Michie of Gallanach—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Royal Air Force drafted and implemented a formal Instrument Flight Climb procedure for (a) the HC1 Chinook helicopter fleet; and (b) the HC2 helicopter fleet. [MoD] (HL1788)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any action can be taken against a Transport Manager at a public inquiry run by a Traffic Commissioner where the Transport Manager had not been formally called under paragraphs 15(1), (2) or (3) of Schedule 3 to the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995. [DfT] (HL1789)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which primary and secondary legislative provisions allow Traffic Commissioners to use discretionary powers—
(a) to produce and implement “guidelines” restricting United Kingdom Transport Managers to a maximum client base of five small vehicle operators; and
(b) to increase the financial standing requirement for United Kingdom operators of first category vehicles to £6,200 when European Union standards dictates a fifth of that at £1,125 pro rata in euros. [DfT] (HL1790)
The Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further investigations they have made on the design of the proposed identity card in the light of the conclusions of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Report (paragraph 197, 4th Report, Session 2003-04). [HO] (HL1791)
The Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to protecting the proposed identity card system should access to the central database be disabled for whatever reason; and how they propose to ensure that cards can be effectively used off-line. [HO] (HL1792)
The Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to ensure that a forensic, non-erasable record of an identity card’s history is maintained so that it can be used in criminal cases involving attempts to compromise the system. [HO] (HL1793)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their proposed aid to Africa will write-off all outstanding debts. [DfID] (HL1794)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Malawi concerning former Finance Minister Friday Junbe who is alleged to have stolen £2.1 million to build an hotel. [FCO] (HL1795)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to introduce a capital gains tax on first homes. [HMT] (HL1796)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the recommendations of Room for improvement: a manifesto for children, published by a coalition of children’s charities; and whether there is any action they will be taking. [DfES] (HL1797)
The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Department of Health commissioned its review of internal papers on the issue of self-sufficiency in blood products, consequent upon the Lord Owen’s disclosures on failure to implement a commitment made to Parliament while he was a Health Minister; and when they expect the outcome of the review to be published. [DoH] (HL1798)
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current powers of the Director General of the Anti-fraud Office of the European Union, with reference to treaties in force, legislative instruments and powers related thereto; and to what extent these provisions provide powers for its officers, or those acting on its behalf, to take proceedings in any European Union or member state court against any person or body on an indictment of fraud, or having power to compel any agency of a member state to do so. [FCO] (HL1799)
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will maintain their opposition to the creation of a European Union Public Prosecutor, and, if necessary, use any veto powers they have to ensure that this policy does not apply to the United Kingdom. [FCO] (HL1800)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Goldsmith on 28th February (WA 1), in what Ministerial capacity the Lord Falconer of Thoroton and the Baroness Morgan of Huyton were acting at the meeting on 13th March 2003. [LSLO] (HL1801)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Attorney General informed individuals outside the Cabinet that it was his clear view that military action under Resolution 1441 was lawful, rather than first communicating it to the Cabinet. [LSLO] (HL1802)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Goldsmith on 28th February (WA 1), whether the Lord Falconer of Thoroton or the Baroness Morgan of Huyton brought any information that the Prime Minister was satisfied about the factual grounds for concluding that Iraq was guilty of non-compliance and non-cooperation as set out in paragraph 379 of the Butler Report to the meeting with the Attorney General on 13th March 2003; if so, whether that information was in written form; and whether it was simultaneously circulated to members of the Cabinet. [LSLO] (HL1803)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Goldsmith on 28th February (WA 1), whether the Attorney General sought any written advice from (a) the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; (b) the Secretary of State for Defence; or (c) the Chief of the Defence Staff on their views about the extent of Iraqi non-compliance with Resolution 1441 before giving his clear view to the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 13th March 2003; and, if so, when. [LSLO] (HL1804)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which members of the United States administration the Attorney General met or contacted prior to issuing his view on the legality of military action in Iraq. [LSLO] (HL1805)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Goldsmith on 14th March (WA 107-108), where the meeting between the Attorney General, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and Foreign Policy Adviser and the Director of Government Relations took place; and which other officials were present for part or all of the meeting. [LSLO] (HL1806)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is meant by Figure 8.5 on page 115 of The State of the Countryside 2004, published by the Countryside Agency. [DEFRA] (HL1807)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Table 8.5 on page 115 of The State of the Countryside 2004 indicates that one-third of all children aged 15 or less belong to a family receiving out-of-work benefits. [DEFRA] (HL1808)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the figures in Table 18.3 on page 231 of The State of the Countryside 2004 are correct; and whether the number of those unemployed in settlements of fewer than 500 is 49,050. [DEFRA] (HL1809)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their definition of “hectare gridsquare” as used on page 274 of The State of the Countryside 2004. [DEFRA] (HL1810)
The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many copies of The State of the Countryside 2004 have been produced; at what total cost; and whether they have generated any income. [DEFRA] (HL1811)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, having regard to paragraph II(2) of the press release of the Consulate-General of India in Hong Kong dated 20th March 1998 (in response to clarifications sought by the British High Commission in New Delhi), a person born in Hong Kong before 30th June 1978 who acquired Indian citizenship by descent at birth and failed to exercise his option for Indian citizenship by formally renouncing his British Dependent Territories citizenship before his 19th birthday would automatically cease to be a citizen of India. [FCO] (HL1812)
16th March
The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many young offenders have been given custodial sentences in each of the past three months as the result of their breaking the terms of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. [HO] (HL1813)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the figures for inward foreign direct investment stock as a percentage of gross domestic product in 1990 and 2003 for each of the members of the European Union (as shown in Chart 2.5 on page 15 of the Treasury’s Long-term global economic challenges and opportunities for Europe); and what were the comparable percentages for 1996 or 1997. [HMT] (HL1814)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the estimated yield of £340 million to the Exchequer in 2005-06, from ending disadvantaged area relief from stamp duty land tax, as set out in the 2005 Budget, included the yield from ending relief from duty on leases; if so, how much that was of the total it represented; and, if not, what is the estimated additional yield from ending relief on lease duty. [HMT] (HL1815)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what elements make up the differences between the estimated yield to the Exchequer of £340 million in 2005-06, as set out in the 2005 Budget, from ending disadvantaged area relief from stamp duty and the previous estimate of the cost of relief of £1 billion. [HMT] (HL1816)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health leaflet 22883 Mobile Phones and Health, issued in January 2002 based on the Stewart Report in May 2000, gives a fair, balanced and up-to-date view of the risks associated with mobile phones; and, if not, whether they will withdraw it from circulation and issue an updated version. [DoH] (HL1817)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure the dismantling of all armed groups in Northern Ireland, including militant armed factions, from all sectarian groups. [NIO] (HL1818)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request the United Kingdom clearing and retail banks to limit rates of interest on unauthorised overdrafts to a figure not exceeding 12 per cent. [DTI] (HL1819)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the May 2005 review of the Non Proliferation Treaty balances obligations on the existing nuclear powers, including the United States, India, Pakistan and Israel, with those of prospective nuclear powers. [FCO] (HL1820)
The Lord Mason of Barnsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Environment Agency has completed its review on improvements to fisheries and fishing for salmon since the catch and release system was introduced in 1999. [DEFRA] (HL1821)
The Lord Mason of Barnsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent the catch and release system of fishing for salmon on salmon rivers has resulted in the preservation of salmon stocks; whether it has changed levels of participation in the sport of fly-fishing for salmon; whether it has changed levels of tourism in Scotland; and whether it has affected employment in the areas involved. [DEFRA] (HL1822)
The Lord Mason of Barnsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what investigation is under way to examine the major releases of farmed salmon in recent escapes to ascertain the extent of interbreeding with wild salmon; and whether the Environment Agency will undertake a report on this matter. [DEFRA] (HL1823)
The Lord Monson—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police man-hours were spent investigating a complaint against the traditional Darkie Day celebrations in Padstow, Cornwall, and subsequently videoing the event; and what was the total cost to public funds of the operation. [HO] (HL1824)
The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide details of the seventeen people who have been convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000, giving names, offences and sentences. [HO] (HL1825)
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the statement by Mr Brian Crowe, a former European Union diplomat, that, in future, European Union ambassadors are likely to be more important than national ambassadors and that, over time, this will lead to the closing of many national embassies. [FCO] (HL1826)
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a person under house arrest or the subject of a control order will be entitled to stand as a candidate at a general election or any other election; and, if so, whether they will be able to enjoy privileges such as free postage where these are available to other candidates. [DCA] (HL1827)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the overall area and the total floor space at Brock Barracks, Oxford Road, Reading; what proportion of that site is used for military purposes; and what value was recorded for the land and buildings on this site on the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defence as at 31st March 2004. [MoD] (HL1828)
The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their intentions for the future use of the land and buildings at Brock Barracks, Oxford Road, Reading; and whether they have plans for any change of use for any part of that site. [MoD] (HL1829)
The Baroness Knight of Collingtree—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to end the isolation of Turkish Cyprus. [FCO] (HL1830)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 14th March (WA 103) concerning the employment of teachers in Northern Ireland, which department drafted Article 15 of the equal treatment Council Directive 2000/78/EC; and whether the view of the European Commission on the exclusion of Northern Ireland was sought and acted upon. [NIO] (HL1831)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Waterways Ireland procedure on bullying and harassment complaints refers to Northern Ireland as “the North”. [NIO] (HL1832)
The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how information about the consultation process for the replacement of the eleven plus examination in Northern Ireland can be obtained; and how they will ensure that the response represents the entire population. [NIO] (HL1833)
The Lord Russell-Johnston—To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances Gosko Jankovic, accused of war crimes during the Bosnian War, came from Moscow to give himself up to the Hague Tribunal on 14th March. [FCO] (HL1834)
The Lord Russell-Johnston—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they made representations to the Russian government on protection given to Gosko Jankovic, accused of war crimes during the Bosnian War. [FCO] (HL1835)
The Viscount Astor—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what rules govern who can appear at an inquiry run by a Traffic Commissioner; what powers Traffic Commissioners have to limit those who can appear; and whether they have to provide reasons for doing so. [DfT] (HL1836)
The Lord Steel of Aikwood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the British embassy in Rangoon last had access to Aung San Suu Kyi, currently under house arrest. [FCO] (HL1837)
The Lord Steel of Aikwood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what decision they have made to ensure continued funding of part-time students at the Open University. [DfES] (HL1838)
17th March
The Lord Kilclooney—To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what way pensioner households in Northern Ireland will benefit from the Budget proposal for a council tax refund of £200. (HL1839)
The Earl of Northesk—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, given the role played by malign key logging software and spyware in the foiled attempt to steal £220 million from the London offices of Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, existing legislative provision offers adequate protection against the risks posed by such software. (HL1841)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they keep data relating to United Kingdom civilians currently working in Iraq; and, if so, whether they will provide the number and geographical detail of those engaged there directly or indirectly on contracts. (HL1842)
The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will present proposals to Parliament on how they intend to respond to the withdrawal from Iraq of the military contingents of a number of countries, including Spain, New Zealand, Ukraine, Poland and Italy. (HL1843)
The Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Bichard report into police sharing of intelligence, whether they plan to roll out nationally the CSIS (Custody Suite Imaging System) system which has been used by the Metropolitan Police Service for several years. (HL1844)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will instruct public sector organisations which require Criminal Records Bureau security clearance for access to their establishments to accept counter terrorist checks where an external candidate already has that clearance. (HL1845)
The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are currently allowing in-country appeals by refused Bangladeshi asylum seekers. (HL1860)
The Baroness Wall of New Barnet—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the 2004 science and innovation public service agreement target, what have been the total numbers of scientists and engineers employed in Government departments and public sector research establishments, including post-doctoral and other training contracts, in each of the last ten years; how many of these employees were recruited in each of the last ten years; and how many of these employees left the public service in each of the last ten years. (HL1846)
The Baroness Wall of New Barnet—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the 2004 science and innovation public service agreement target, what information is held across Government on its scientific and engineering skill base; and what assessment has been made of the science and engineering skills needed to enhance Her Majesty’s Government’s contribution to the science and innovation investment framework. (HL1847)
The Baroness Knight of Collingtree—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 2nd February (WA 42), which member states are blocking the European Commission proposal to allow direct trade between European Union countries and Northern Cyprus; and whether the decision will be subject to—
(b) qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers. (HL1848)
The Baroness Knight of Collingtree—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they can ensure that undertakings given to Turkish Cypriots by the European Union are honoured. (HL1849)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the terms of employment under which Mr Rod Eddington will be employed as a strategic adviser to the Government on transport policy from September 2005; how much he will be paid; and what are the anticipated costs of his office accommodation and secretarial support. (HL1850)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will reimburse any travel expenses of Mr Rod Eddington incurred whilst undertaking his role as a Government transport adviser from September 2005; and whether they will estimate the annual level of such expenses. (HL1851)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, was consulted prior to the announcement on 16th March that Mr Rod Eddington was to become a Government adviser on transport policy from September 2005. (HL1852)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, will continue to provide advice on transport-related issues, following the announcement that Mr Rod Eddington will advise the Government on transport policy from September 2005. (HL1853)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government to which Minister and department it is anticipated that Mr Rod Eddington will provide advice following his appointment as a Government adviser on transport policy from September 2005. (HL1854)
The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they minute meetings between the Prime Minister’s strategy adviser, the Lord Birt, and (a) the Prime Minister, and (b) other members of the Cabinet. (HL1855)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the comments made by Cardinal Cormack Murphy O’Connor on the reduction of the time limit for abortion from 24 to 20 weeks. (HL1856)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any new plans to provide for either direct rule or the reinstatement of the Northern Ireland Assembly. (HL1857)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to change the criteria for the receipt of long-term invalidity benefit; and, if so, how. (HL1858)
The Lord Steinberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase the number of intensive care cots for infants. (HL1859)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what estimates of the number of residential property purchases and their average price, the indexed projections in line 12 of Table 1.2 in Budget 2005 (HC 372) are based for (a) 2005-06; (b) 2006-07; and (c) 2007-08. (HL1861)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money they now expect the Financial Inclusion Fund to spend on improving face-to-face money advice provision; and over what period. (HL1862)
The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the 7,800 “relocations of civil service posts” described in paragraph 6:16 on page 138 of Budget 2005 (HC 372) are also to locations within London and South East England. (HL1863)
The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Health Service Service Increments for Teaching are restricted to medicine and dentistry; or whether they are also available for nursing and midwifery practice-based education. (HL1864)
The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to prepare nurses and allied health professionals to undertake new roles, such as that of nurse consultant, through funded periods of supervised practice and education. (HL1865)
BILLS IN PROGRESS
[The date in square brackets is the date for which the bill is set down]
Waiting for Second Reading
Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) (Money Bill—8th March) [23rd March]
Management of Offenders and Sentencing [HL]
Identity Cards [21st March]
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment [22nd March]
Consumer Credit [12th April]
Registration of Cancer [HL]
Liverpool City Council (Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work) [HL]
London Local Authorities [HL]
London Local Authorities (Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work) [HL]
Committed to a Select Committee
Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill [HL]
Committed to a Grand Committee
Charities [HL] [21st March]
Committed to a Committee of the Whole House
Traffic Wardens and Parking Attendants [HL]
Serious Organised Crime and Police [5th April]
Waiting for Report
Commissioners for Revenue and Customs [22nd March]
School Transport [11th April]
Waiting for Third Reading
Child Benefit [24th March]
Mental Capacity [24th March]
Sent to the Commons
Borough Freedom (Family Succession) [HL]
International Organisations [HL]
Disability Discrimination [HL]
Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) [HL]
Parliamentary Commissioner (Amendment) [HL]
Waiting for Consideration of Commons Amendments
Constitutional Reform [HL] [21st March]
MEASURES IN PROGRESS
Waiting for Affirmative Resolution
Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) [22nd March]
Care of Cathedrals (Amendment) [22nd March]
Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) [22nd March]
AFFIRMATIVE INSTRUMENTS IN PROGRESS
[The Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee has drawn attention
to those instruments marked * in the reports indicated]
[The date in square brackets is the date for which the instrument is set down]
Waiting for consideration by the Joint Committee
Draft Community Interest Company Regulations 2005
Draft Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005
Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2005
Referred to a Grand Committee
Draft Pensions Appeal Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Regulations 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Extradition Act 2003 (Part 3 Designation) (Amendment) Order 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Amendment) Order 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) (Amendment) Order 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) Regulations 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (Code of Practice) Order 2005 [22nd March]
Waiting for Affirmative Resolution
Draft Company Directors Disqualification (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Drainage (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 (Consequential Modifications) (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2005
Draft Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2005 [23rd March]
Draft Firearms (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (Continuance in force of Sections 21 to 23) Order 2005 [*9th Report]
Draft Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (Relaxation of Restriction on Disclosure) Order 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Social Security Commissioners (Procedure) (Child Trust Funds) Regulations 2005 [23rd March]
Draft Child Trust Funds (Appeals) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2005 [23rd March]
Draft Child Trust Funds (Appeals) Regulations 2005 [23rd March]
Draft New Opportunities Fund (Specification of Initiative) Order 2005
Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Carrying on Regulated Activities by Way of Business) (Amendment) Order 2005 [23rd March]
Draft Employment Zones (Allocation of Contractors) Pilot Regulations 2005
Draft Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Draft Open-Ended Investment Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2005 [23rd March]
Draft Community Legal Service (Asylum and Immigration Appeals) Regulations 2005 [22nd March]
Draft Contracting Out (Functions in Relation to Cultural Objects) Order 2005
Draft Companies Act 1989 (Delegation) Order 2005
Draft Remand in Custody (Effect of Concurrent and Consecutive Sentences of Imprisonment) Rules 2005
Draft Restriction on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations 2005
Draft Suitability of Adopters Regulations 2005
Draft Higher Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 [22nd March]
Revised Funding Code prepared by the Legal Services Commission [22nd March]
NEGATIVE INSTRUMENTS
| Praying time
expires | To be debated |
| Instruments reported by the Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee | | |
| Town and Country Planning (Temporary Stop Notice) (England) Regulations 2005 [11th Report] | 10th April | |
| Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 2005 [13th Report] | 8th April | |
| Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Designated Activities) (Revocation) Order 2005 [13th Report] | 13th April | |
| Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Market Abuse) Regulations 2005 [13th Report] | 14th April | |
| Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Croydon Tramlink Class CR4000 Vehicles) Exemption (Amendment) Order 2005 [14th Report] | 20th April | |
| Pension Protection Fund (Multi-employer Schemes) (Modification) Regulations 2005 [14th Report] | 20th April | |
| New Forest National Park Authority (Establishment) Order 2005 [14th Report] | 21st April | |
REGULATORY REFORM ORDERS IN PROGRESSProposal referred to the Regulatory Reform Committee for second-stage scrutiny
Draft Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Reported following first-stage scrutiny by the Regulatory Reform Committee
Draft Regulatory Reform (Registration of Births and Deaths) (England and Wales) Order 2004 [3rd Report]
Waiting for Affirmative Resolution
Draft Regulatory Reform (National Health Service Charitable and Non-Charitable Trust Accounts and Audit) Order 2005 [14th Report]
Draft Regulatory Reform (Execution of Deeds and Documents) Order 2005 [14th Report]
SPECIAL PROCEDURE ORDER IN PROGRESS
[The date in square brackets is the date whenthe current stage of Parliamentary scrutiny ends]
Waiting for Expiry of Resolution Period
Midland Metro (Wednesbury to Brierley Hill and Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2005 [21st March]
COMMITTEES
[Unless otherwise indicated, Committees meet in the Lords’ rooms
in the Committee Corridor as indicated in the daily broadsheets]
MONDAY 21ST MARCH
| Science and Technology (Select Committee) | 2.30 pm |
| European Union (Sub-Committee G) | 3.30 pm |
| European Union (Sub-Committee B) | 4.00 pm |
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform 5.00 pm
TUESDAY 22ND MARCH
| European Union (Sub-Committee A) | 10.30 am |
| Standing Orders Committee | 11.30 pm |
| European Union (Select Committee) | 3.00 pm |
| BBC Charter Review | 3.15 pm |
| Economic Affairs (Select Committee) | 3.30 pm |
| Merits of Statutory Instruments | 4.00 pm |
(Select Committee) in Abingdon House
Science and Technology (Sub-Committee I) 4.00 pm
(Scientific Aspects of Ageing)
| Administration and Works Committee | 4.15 pm |
| Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee) | 4.15 pm |
WEDNESDAY 23RD MARCH
| European Union (Sub-Committee D) | 10.30 am |
| Human Rights (Joint Committee) | 4.00 pm |
Science and Technology (Sub-Committee II) 4.00 pm
(Energy Efficiency)
| European Union (Sub-Committee E) | 4.15 pm |
WEDNESDAY 6TH APRIL
| European Union (Sub-Committee F) | 10.30 am |
| Constitution Committee | 4.00 pm |
| Procedure Committee | 4.15 pm |
| 
