The House met at half-past Two o'clock.

1    First Delegated Legislation Committee,—Mrs Janet Dean reported from the First Delegated Legislation Committee the draft Nursing and Midwifery (Amendment) Order 2008.

Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.

2    Second Delegated Legislation Committee,—Mr Greg Pope reported from the Second Delegated Legislation Committee the draft Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2008.

Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.

3    Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill,—Ordered, That the Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill be read a second time on Friday 6th June.

4    Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords] [1st allocated day],—The House, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords] (Clauses Nos. 4, 11, 14 and 23, Schedule No. 2 and any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to the termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners).

(In the Committee)

Clause No. 4 (Prohibitions in connection with genetic material not of human origin).

Amendment (No. 1) proposed, in page 4, to leave out line 5.—(Mr Edward Leigh.)

Question proposed, That the Amendment be made.

And it being three hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill, the Chairman put the Question already proposed from the Chair, pursuant to Order [12th May].

Tellers for the Ayes, Daniel Kawczynski, Mr Nigel Evans: 176.

Tellers for the Noes, Mr Bob Blizzard, Alison Seabeck: 336.

Another Amendment (No. 10) proposed, in page 4, line 14, at the end, to insert the words—

'(4A) A licence cannot authorise the creation of an embryo using—

(a) human gametes and animal gametes, or

(b) one human pronucleus and one animal pronucleus.'.—(Mark Simmonds.)

Tellers for the Ayes, Mark Pritchard, Miss Ann Widdecombe: 223.

Tellers for the Noes, Alison Seabeck, Mr Bob Blizzard: 286.

Another Amendment (No. 44) proposed, in page 4, to leave out lines 25 to 27.—(Mr David Drew.)

Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Gary Streeter, Mr Brian Binley: 181.

Tellers for the Noes, Mr Bob Blizzard, Alison Seabeck: 314.

Other Amendments (Nos. 34 and 35) made.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clause No. 11 (Activities that may be licensed).

Amendment (No. 31) proposed, in page 8, line 21, to leave out subsection (1) and insert the words—

'(1) Section 11 of the 1990 Act (licences for treatment, storage and research) is amended as follows—

(a) in the title, for "and research" substitute ", research and therapy".

(b) in subsection (1)(b), for "and embryos" substitute ", embryos or human admixed embryos"; and

(c) after subsection (1)(c) add—

  "(d) licences under paragraph 3B of that Schedule authorising activities for the purposes of therapy".'.—(Dr Evan Harris.)

Amendment (No. 15) proposed, in page 55, to leave out lines 24 to 28 and insert the words—

'(i) a gender-related physical or mental disability which is life-threatening or severely impairs their quality of life,

(ii) a gender-related serious illness which is life-threatening or severely impairs their quality of life, or

(iii) any other gender-related serious medical condition which is life-threatening or severely impairs their quality of life.'.—(Mark Simmonds.)

Tellers for the Ayes, Mike Penning, Mr Robert Syms: 149.

Tellers for the Noes, Mr Alan Campbell, Mr Bob Blizzard: 318.

Another Amendment (No. 4) proposed, in page 55, to leave out lines 30 to 37.—(Mr David Burrowes.)

Tellers for the Ayes, David Taylor, Daniel Kawczynski: 163.

Tellers for the Noes, Mr Bob Blizzard, Mr Alan Campbell: 342.

It being more than three hours after the commencement of proceedings on Clause No. 11, the Chairman put the Questions necessary to dispose of the business to be concluded at that hour.

Another Amendment (No. 18) proposed, in page 55, line 35, after 'other', to insert 'regenerative'.—(Mark Simmonds.)

Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Robert Syms, Mike Penning: 200.

Tellers for the Noes, Mr Alan Campbell, Mr Bob Blizzard: 293.

Amendments (Nos. 36 to 39) made.

Schedule, as amended, agreed to.

Whereupon the Chairman left the Chair to report progress and ask leave to sit again.

________________

The Deputy Speaker resumed the Chair; and Liz Blackman reported, That the Committee had made progress in the Bill, and moved, That the Committee may have leave to sit again.

Committee again to-morrow.

5    Procedure,—Ordered, That Mr Rob Wilson be discharged from the Procedure Committee and Mr Mark Field be added.—(Mr Nicholas Brown, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)

6    Tax Law Rewrite Bills (Joint Committee),—Ordered, That Mr Nick Clegg be discharged from the Joint Committee on Tax Law Rewrite Bills and Mr Colin Breed be added.—(Mr Nicholas Brown, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)

7    Public Petition,—A Public Petition from the O'Gorman family relating to Family Courts (reform) was presented and read.

8    Adjournment.

Subject: General practitioner dispensing (Tony Baldry).

A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House do now adjourn—(Liz Blackman);

And the Motion having been made after Ten o'clock, and the Debate having continued for half an hour, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order, it being then Eleven o'clock, till to-morrow.

Michael J. Martin

Speaker

Mr Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock.

APPENDIX I

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1    Capital Gains Tax,—Draft Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Taxes on Income and Capital) (Saudi Arabia) Order 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Jane Kennedy].

2    Income Tax,—Draft Alternative Finance Arrangements (Community Investment Tax Relief) Order 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Angela Eagle].

3    Taxes,—Draft International Tax Enforcement (Bermuda) Order 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Jane Kennedy].

Papers subject to Negative Resolution:

4    Food,—Drinking Milk (England) Regulations 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 1317), dated 13th May 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Secretary Hilary Benn].

5    Pensions,—Draft Code of Practice: Dispute resolution - reasonable periods [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Secretary James Purnell].

6    Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups,—(1) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Barred List Prescribed Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 (S.R. (N.I.), 2008, No. 202);

(2) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Barring Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 (S.R. (N.I.), 2008, No. 203);

(3) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Prescribed Criteria) (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 (S.R. (N.I.), 2008, No. 201); and

(4) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Transitional Provisions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008 (S.R. (N.I.), 2008, No. 200),

dated 6th May 2008 [by Statutory Instrument], with Explanatory Memoranda thereon [by Command] [Mr Secretary Woodward].

Other Papers:

7    Access to Justice,—Legal Services Commission Funding Code: Procedures—Amendments [by Act] [Secretary Jack Straw].

8    Financial Reporting to Parliament,—(1) Departmental Annual Report 2007-08 for the Ministry of Justice [by Command] [Cm. 7397] [Secretary Jack Straw];

(2) Departmental Report 2008 for the Department for Children, Schools and Families [by Command] [Cm. 7391] [Secretary Ed Balls];

(3) Departmental Report 2008 for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport [by Command] [Cm. 7400] [Secretary Andy Burnham];

(4) Departmental Report 2008 for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [by Command] [Cm. 7399] [Secretary Hilary Benn];

(5) Departmental Report 2008 for the Department for Transport [by Command] [Cm. 7395] [Secretary Ruth Kelly];

(6) Departmental Report 2008 for the Department for Work and Pensions [by Command] [Cm. 7401] [Secretary James Purnell];

(7) Departmental Report 2008 for the Department of Health [by Command] [Cm. 7393] [Secretary Alan Johnson]; and

(8) Departmental Report 2008 for the Northern Ireland Office [by Command] [Cm. 7405] [Mr Secretary Woodward].

Papers withdrawn:

9    Pensions,—Draft Code of Practice: Dispute resolution—reasonable periods, with an Explanatory Memorandum [laid 1st April].

APPENDIX II

General Committees

1    Draft Nursing and Midwifery (Amendment) Order 2008,—The Committee of Selection has discharged Sandra Gidley, Mr Bob Laxton, Chris McCafferty and Mr Nick Raynsford from the First Delegated Legislation Committee (nominated in respect of the draft Order) and nominated in substitution Hilary Armstrong, Lorely Burt, Sandra Osborne and Mrs Betty Williams.

2    Draft Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2008,—The Committee of Selection has discharged Dr Ian Gibson and Kate Hoey from the Second Delegated Legislation Committee (nominated in respect of the draft Regulations) and nominated in substitution Chris Mole and Jessica Morden.

APPENDIX III

Reports from Select Committees

1    Business and Enterprise,—After the Network Change Programme: the future of the Post Office Network:

(1) Sixth Report from the Business and Enterprise Committee, with Memoranda; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report [No. 577]; and

(2) Memoranda laid before the Committee; to be published

[Peter Luff].

2    Business and Enterprise, Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development,—Strategic Export Controls:

(1) Minutes of Evidence taken before the Business and Enterprise, Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees; to be printed [No. 254-iii]; and

(2) Memoranda laid before the Committees; to be published

[Roger Berry].

3    Communities and Local Government,—(1) Planning Skills:

(i) Minutes of Evidence taken before the Communities and Local Government Committee; to be printed [No. 517-iv]; and

(ii) Memorandum laid before the Committee; to be published; and

(2) Provision of Public Toilets: Memorandum laid before the Committee; to be published

[Dr Phyllis Starkey].

4    Public Accounts,—(1) Government preparations for digital switchover: Twenty-eighth Report from the Committee of Public Accounts; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report [No. 416]; and

(2) Meeting Needs? The Offenders' Learning and Skills Service: Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee; to be printed [No. 584-i]

[Mr Alan Williams].