Forthcoming Business of the House of Lords
19 - 23 February 2007

Monday 19 February (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Lord Berkeley to ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the light dues payable by ships entering United Kingdom ports represents a subsidy to support the maintenance of lights in the Republic of Ireland; Lord Naseby to ask Her Majesty's Government whether the public can have confidence in the statistics published by the Office of National Statistics; Lord Sheldon to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current economic cycle; Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the use of Article 308 of the Treaty Establishing the European Communities as the legal base for the European Union's decision to renew support for its programme promoting active European Union citizenship.

Question for short debate - whether physical restraints, including seclusion and strip searching, are used on children in custody (L. Carlisle of Berriew).

Legislation - Government Spending (Website) Bill [HL] (Committee stage); Mental Health Bill [HL] (Report stage 1st day

Tuesday 20 February (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn to ask Her Majesty's Government how they will maintain the independence of the Metropolitan Police's Art and Antiquities Unit if it is to be funded by individual companies within the private sector; Baroness D'Souza to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe's recommendation to adopt a Council of Europe legal instrument on state immunity and serious human rights violations; Baroness O'Cathain to ask Her Majesty's Government how many post offices and sub-post offices have closed since 1997; and whether they have established a minimum number of offices in rural and suburban areas to reflect the Government's policy on sustainable local communities.

Legislation - Bournemouth Borough Council Bill [HL] (Second reading); Manchester City Council Bill [HL] (Second reading); Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill [HL] (Third reading); Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Bill [HL] (Third reading); Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill (Second reading); Welfare Reform Bill (Grand Committee stage 1st day - Moses Room 3.30pm).

Wednesday 21 February (3.00pm)

Oral questions - Lord Howarth of Newport to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will undertake a further consultation on their plans for new procedures for issuing visas to international students; Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty's Government whether their current policy and practice regarding the repatriation of children of unsuccessful asylum applicants meets all the needs of those children; Viscount Astor to ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to appoint a new chairman of English Heritage.

Legislation - Legal Services Bill [HL] (Committee stage 5th day).

Delegated legislation - European Communities (Employment in the Civil Service) Order 2007 - Motion for approval; Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2007; Waste (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007; Local Authorities (Contracting Out of Anti-social Behaviour Order Functions) (England) Order 2007; Industrial Training Levy (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2007; Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2007; Mental Capacity Act 2005 (Loss of Capacity during Research Project) (England) Regulations 2007 - Motions for approval (Grand Committee - Moses Room 3.45pm).

Thursday 22 February (11.00am)

Oral questions - Lord Ashley of Stoke to ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have of abuse of patients in National Health Service care homes; Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty's Government what progress is being made on the implementation of section 3 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; Lord Addington to ask Her Majesty's Government whether the current level of expertise in sports medicine within the National Health Service is sufficient to guarantee adequate help to those who do not have access to private healthcare.

Debates - Iraq (L. Hurd of Westwell).

Delegated legislation - Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2007; Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2007; Guardian's Allowance Up-rating Order 2007; Child Benefit Up-rating Order 2007; Guardian's Allowance Up-rating (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 - Motions for approval.

Friday 23 February (11.00am)

Legislation - Palliative Care Bill [HL] (Second reading); Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Bill [HL] (Second reading).

Provisional Future Business
26 February - 2 March 2007

Monday 26 February (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Lord Astor of Hever to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Iran's influence on events in Iraq, Afghanistan and international seaways; Baroness Quin to ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the 2005 Report of the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance Refusals without the right of Appeal; Lord Judd to ask Her Majesty's Government what cooperation there has been between British and Russian authorities in the investigation of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko; and what implications this has for their relations with Russia; Lord Janner of Braunstone to ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they can report, following the representations which they, together with other governments or international organisations, have made concerning the release of the three Israeli soldiers captured in Lebanon and Gaza in 2006.

Legislation - Mental Health Bill [HL] (Report stage 2nd day).

Tuesday 27 February (2.30pm)

Oral questions - Viscount Trenchard to ask Her Majesty's Government when the 2005-06 accounts for the National Health Service pension scheme will be published; Lord Ezra to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering the creation of a separate department, at Cabinet level, to deal with energy in all its aspects; Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure further progress in the reduction of the salt content of supermarket economy food ranges.

Legislation - Further Education and Training Bill [HL] (Report stage)

Delegated legislation - Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007; Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007; Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations 2007; Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2007; Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2007; Smoke-free (Penalties and Discounted Amounts) Regulations 2007; Smoke-free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007; Children and Young Persons (Sale of Tobacco etc.) Order 2007 - Motions for approval (Grand Committee - Moses Room, 3.30pm).

Wednesday 28 February (3.00pm)

Oral questions - Lord Northbourne to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase the resources made available to providers of youth services targeted at the 12-16 age group; Earl of Mar and Kellie to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the removal of trees liable to fall on railway lines in high winds; Lady Saltoun of Abernethy to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce legislation to ensure that the judgments of judges hearing family care and other similar cases are published, in anonymised form if necessary.

Legislation - Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill (Third reading); Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill (Second reading); Welfare Reform Bill (Grand Committee stage 2nd day - Moses Room, 3.45pm).

Thursday 1 March (11.00am)

Oral questions - Lord Jenkin of Roding to ask Her Majesty's Government when they will introduce the legislation proposed in the White Paper Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act; Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty's Government when they next expect to table proposals at the Middle East Quartet group for a resumption of direct talks between Palestine and Israel; Lord Dubs to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to Wandsworth Borough Council about the likely impact of the threatened closure of Battersea Arts Centre upon the arts in London.

Crossbench Debates - subject to be announced

Legislation - Parliament (Joint Departments) Bill [HL] (Second reading); European Union (Information, etc.) Bill [HL] (Committee stage); Welfare Reform Bill (Grand Committee stage 3rd day - Moses Room, 2.00pm).