Forthcoming Business of the House of Lords
29 January - 1 February 2007

Monday 29 January (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Baroness Miller of Hendon to ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions they draw from the report of the Office for National Statistics that there are 37,000 more unemployed 16 to 24 year-olds than there were in May 1997, and that 75 per cent more 18 to 24 year-olds have been out of work for over six months compared with five years ago; Lord Soley to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Information Commissioner's Report What Price Privacy Now, whether the individuals who had their communications intercepted have a legal right to be so informed by the relevant news agencies; Baroness Stern to ask Her Majesty's Government what changes they have made to the treatment of children in custody since the report by Lord Carlile of Berriew into physical restraint, forcible strip searching and solitary confinement in custodial institutions for children, published in February 2006; Lord Blaker to ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in assisting the government of Afghanistan to control the cultivation of opium poppies.

Legislation - European Union (Information, etc.) Bill [HL] (Committee stage); Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [HL] (Report stage); Welfare Reform Bill (second reading); Mental Health Bill [HL] (Committee stage 5th day) Further Education and Training Bill [HL] (Grand Committee stage 3rd day - Moses Room 3.30pm).

Tuesday 30 January (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Lord Trimble to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are under an obligation by European law or European directives to grant European Union nationals access to posts in the United Kingdom Civil Service; and whether they have any plans to do so; Lord Teverson to ask Her Majesty's Government what view they are taking in the Council of Ministers concerning the proposal by Commissioner Reding to reduce the costs of mobile phone calls across European borders; Lord Trefgarne to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a recent assessment of the implementation of section 295 and Schedule 23 (road user charging) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

Legislation - Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL] (Report stage); Further Education and Training Bill [HL] (Grand Committee stage 4th day - Moses Room 3.30pm).

Question for short debate - Darfur (L. Alton of Liverpool).

Wednesday 31 January (3.00pm)

Oral questions - Lord Bishop of Winchester to ask Her Majesty's Government what information is given to asylum adjudicators regarding conditions in those countries subject to or emerging from conflict whose nationals are seeking asylum; Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will repeat Operation Pentameter, concerning trafficked women, in the near future; Lord Steel of Aikwood to ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Kenya following the appointment of members of the Electoral Commission without consultation with opposition parties.

Legislation - Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill [HL] (Committee stage); Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [HL] (Report stage); Legal Services Bill [HL] (Committee stage 4th day).

Question for short debate - Palliative care services (B. Jay of Paddington).

Thursday 1 February (11.00am)

Oral questions - Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the ratification of the draft Constitutional Treaty by 18 member states of the European Union; Baroness Whitaker to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the new European Union Rules of Origin will not prejudice developing countries' trade; Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty's Government how many qualified virologists are directly employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Debates - On the case for the United Kingdom to maintain and strengthen effective measures to combat corrupt practices domestically and in international trade (B. Williams of Crosby); the challenges that high re-offending rates cause to society and to the effectiveness of alternatives to custody (B. Linklater of Butterstone).

Delegated legislation - Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Cross-compliance) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2006; Social Security (Claims and Payments) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2006 - Motions to annul.

Question for short debate - what plans there are for the future of inheritance tax (L. Burnett).

Provisional Future Business
5 - 8 February 2007

Monday 5 February (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Baroness Gardner of Parkes to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce screening for hepatitis B; Earl of Shrewsbury to ask Her Majesty's Government how much rubbish collected in the United Kingdom for recycling is recycled; Lord Rotherwick to ask Her Majesty's Government whether the footnote in Planning Policy Guidance 3 which states that it is inappropriate to develop land being used for airfields applies to Planning Policy Statement 3; Baroness Walmsley to ask Her Majesty's Government when they will report to Parliament on the results of their review of section 58 of the Children Act 2004 due to take place in January 2007

Legislation - Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [HL] (third reading); Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill (report stage).

Question for short debate - What progress has been made in the statutory regulation of the professions of psychology, psychotherapy, and counselling in the past six years (L. Alderdice).

Tuesday 6 February (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty's Government to what extent DNA and other forms of personal identification could be retained and of assistance in the identification of false accusers in rape investigations; Lord Roberts of Conwy to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom's corporate tax regime is sufficiently competitive to persuade multi-national companies based in the United Kingdom to remain; Lord Willoughby de Broke to ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the direct and indirect costs to the United Kingdom's financial services industry of implementing the European Commission's proposed Financial Services Action Plan.

Legislation - Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL] (third reading); Legal Services Bill [HL] (Committee stage 5th day).

Question for short debate - What assessment has been made of the level of Chinese investment in Africa (L. Holme of Cheltenham).

Wednesday 7 February (3.00pm)

Oral questions - Lord Bramall to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quality of British Armed Forces accommodation; and whether any further action is necessary; Lord Barnett to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to revise their instructions to the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England on the issue of inflation; Lord Goodlad to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will hold further discussions on the role of Parliament in the future deployment of British Forces overseas.

Legislation - Serious Crime Bill [HL] (second reading).

Motions - Procedure of the House Committee Reports - Motions for approval

Delegated legislation - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management Licensing) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006; Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 - Motions to annul.

Thursday 8 February (11.00am)

Oral questions - Baroness Hooper to ask Her Majesty's Government what part they intend to play in the government of Colombia's Shared Responsibility initiative to pursue international solutions to the global cocaine problem; Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty's Government what research and monitoring are being undertaken on the Panton-Valentine leukocidin form of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (Community Associated-CA-MRSA); Lord Rogan to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have given any consideration to purchasing the poppy crop in Afghanistan.

Debates - On issues facing the electricity supply industry and to the case for a strategic decision mechanism (L. Tombs); the present financial situation of the Channel Tunnel (L. Dykes); the European Union Committee on Europe in the World (L. Bowness).