HOUSE OF LORDS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Monday 22nd March 2004
The House met at half-past two o’clock.
PRAYERS were read by the Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
1. Royal Assent—The Lord Chancellor notified the Queen’s Assent to the following Act:
| Consolidated Fund Act | c. | 1 |
Judicial Business
2. Regina v. Law Society (Respondents) ex parte Thompson (Petitioner)—The petition of Wayne Thompson praying for leave to appeal was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
3. Three Rivers District Council and others (Respondents) v. Governor and Company of the Bank of England (Petitioners) (2004)—The petition of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England praying for leave to appeal was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
4. N (FC) (Petitioner) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent)—The petition of N praying for leave to appeal was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee. The petitioner’s certificate of public funding was lodged.
5. Regina v. Gibbins (Petitioner)—The petition of Martin Brian Tobias Gibbins praying for leave to appeal in accordance with the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
6. Regina v. Secretary of State for the Home Department (Petitioner) ex parte Smith (Respondent) and one other action—The petition of the Secretary of State for the Home Department praying for leave to appeal notwithstanding that the time limited by Standing Order II has expired was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
7. Quintavalle (on behalf of Comment on Reproductive Ethics) (Appellant) v. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Respondents)—The petition of the Secretary of State for Health praying for leave to intervene in the said appeal was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
8. Ward (Respondent) v. Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis and others (Appellants)—The petition of the appellants praying that the time for lodging the statement and appendix and setting down the cause for hearing might be extended to 5th April next (the respondent not consenting thereto) was presented and referred to an Appeal Committee.
9. Manchester City Council (Petitioners) v. Lee (Respondent)—Upon application by the petitioners (the respondent not responding thereto), it was ordered that the petition be withdrawn and that there be no order as to costs.
Papers
10. Instrument withdrawn—The following instrument, laid before the House on 11th March, was withdrawn on 22nd March:
Draft Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004.
11. Command Papers—The following papers, having been presented to the House by command of Her Majesty on the dates shown, were ordered to lie on the Table:
(i) Two Exchanges of Notes between the United Kingdom and Madagascar amending the United Kingdom/Madagascar Debt Agreement No. 8 (1997); (19th March) (6160)
(ii) Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom and Madagascar concerning Certain Commercial Debts (The United Kingdom/Madagascar Debt Agreement No. 9 (2001)); (19th March) (6161)
2. Finance—Treasury Minutes on the First and Second Reports for 2003-04 of the Committee of Public Accounts. (22nd March) (6130)
12. Statutory Instruments (Standing Order 71)—The following negative instruments, having been laid before the House on 19th March, were ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004, laid under the European Communities Act 1972; (756)
2. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2004, laid under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; (781)
3. Pet Travel Scheme (Pilot Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2004, laid under the Animal Health Act 1981; (828)
4. Rules of the Supreme Court (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) 2004, laid under the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978; (—)
5. (i) Legal Aid (Financial Conditions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004; (—)
(ii) Legal Advice and Assistance (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004— (—)
(iii) Legal Advice and Assistance (Financial Conditions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004— (—)
laid under the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.
13. Affirmative Instrument—The following instrument was laid before the House for approval by resolution and ordered to lie on the Table:
Draft Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004, laid under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, together with an Explanatory Memorandum.
14. Negative Instruments—The following instruments were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2004, laid under the Civil Aviation Act 1982; (705)
2. (i) European Communities (Designation) Order 2004— (706)
(ii) Controlled Drugs (Substances Useful for Manufacture) (Intra-Community Trade) (Amendment) Regulations 2004— (850)
laid under the European Communities Act 1972;
3. Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions (Amendment) Order 2004, laid under the Social Security (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1977. (708)
15. Papers not subject to parliamentary proceedings—The following papers were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Amendment to the Queen’s Regulations for the Royal Air Force, laid under the Air Force (Constitution) Act 1917;
2. Civil List Pensions for 2003-04, laid under the Civil List Act 1972.
Select Committee Report
16. European Union—The 7th Report from the Select Committee, Remaining Government Responses Session 2002-03, was made; it was ordered that the Report be printed. (HL Paper 60)
Public Business
17. Privileges--It was moved by the Chairman of Committees that, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville be appointed a member of the Select Committee in place of the Lord Trefgarne; the motion was agreed to.
18. Constitutional Reform Bill [HL]--It was moved by the Chairman of Committees that, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Lords be named of the Select Committee on the bill:
V. Bledisloe
L. Carlisle of Bucklow
L. Carter
L. Craig of Radley
L. Crickhowell
L. Elder
L. Falconer of Thoroton (Lord Chancellor)
B. Gibson of Market Rasen |
L. Goodhart
L. Holme of Cheltenham
L. Howe of Aberavon
L. Kingsland
L. Lloyd of Berwick
L. Maclennan of Rogart
L. Richard (Chairman)
L. Windlesham; |
That it be an instruction to the Committee that they should report the bill to the House not later than Thursday 24th June next;
That the Committee have power to appoint specialist advisers;
That the minutes of evidence taken before the Committee from time to time shall, if the Committee think fit, be printed; and
That the Committee do meet on Wednesday 24th March at 5 o’clock;
after debate, the motion was agreed to.
19. Constitutional Reform Bill [HL]—It was moved by the Lord President (Baroness Amos) to resolve, That it is expedient that if the Constitutional Reform Bill [HL]—
(a) has not completed all its stages by the end of this session of Parliament, and
(b) is reintroduced in the next session of Parliament,
the new bill shall, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 47 (No two stages of a Bill to be taken on one day), be taken pro forma through all the stages completed in this session;
the motion was agreed to.
20. Air Traffic Emissions Reduction Bill [HL]—The report was received.
21. Energy Bill [HL]—The bill was further considered on report; amendments were moved and (by leave of the House) withdrawn; amendments were agreed to; amendments were disagreed to (see division lists 1 and 2); further consideration on report was adjourned.
22. National Health Service staff—The Baroness Knight of Collingtree asked Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recent report from the National Audit Office on the suspension of National Health Service staff; after debate, the question was answered by the Lord Warner.
The House was adjourned during pleasure.
The House was resumed.
23. Energy Bill [HL]—The bill was further considered on report; amendments were moved and (by leave of the House) withdrawn; amendments were agreed to; amendments were disagreed to (see division lists 3 and 4); further consideration on report was adjourned after amendment 171.
The House was adjourned at six minutes past ten o’clock
till tomorrow, half-past two o’clock.
PAUL HAYTER
Clerk of the Parliaments
APPENDIX
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GRAND COMMITTEE (IN COMMITTEE ROOM 3A AND 4B)
The Committee met at a half-past three o’clock.
Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill [HL]—The bill was further considered in the Grand Committee; amendments were moved and (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn; amendments were agreed to; the Committee was adjourned after Schedule 2 was agreed to.
The Committee was adjourned at twenty-six minutes before eight o’clock. | 
