HOUSE OF LORDS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Monday 20th December 2004
The House met at half-past two o’clock.
PRAYERS were read by the Lord Bishop of Worcester.
Papers
1. Instrument withdrawn—The following instrument, laid before the House on 16th December, was withdrawn:
Industrial Training Levy (Engineering Construction Board) Order 2005.
2. Command Papers—The following papers were presented to the House by command of Her Majesty and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. International Development—Report for 2003-04 of the Global Opportunities Fund; (6413)
2. Charity—Government Response to the Report of the Voluntary Giving Task Force; (6431)
3. Departmental Performance—Report for the—
(i) Department for Culture, Media and Sport; (6435)
(ii) Inland Revenue; (6437)
4. Defence—Minute from the Ministry of Defence, concerning the gifting of non-lethal military equipment to the Palestinian Authority. (—)
3. Statutory Instruments (Standing Order 71)—The following negative instruments, having been laid before the House on 17th December, were ordered to lie on the Table:
(i) Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Transitional Provisions) (General Insurance Intermediaries) Order 2004— (3351)
(ii) Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Designated Professional Bodies) (Amendment) Order 2004— (3352)
laid under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
4. Affirmative Instrument—The following instrument was laid before the House for approval by resolution and ordered to lie on the Table:
Draft Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (Disapplication of Part IV for Northern Ireland Parties, etc) Order 2005, laid under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, together with an Explanatory Memorandum.
5. Negative Instruments—The following instruments were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Enterprise Act 2002 (Bodies Designated to make Super-complaints) (Amendment) Order 2004, laid under the Enterprise Act 2002; (3366)
2. Plant Health (Phytophthora kernovii Management Zone) (England) Order 2004, laid under the Plant Health Act 1967; (3367)
3. Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, laid under the Immigration Act 1971. (—)
6. Papers not subject to parliamentary proceedings—The following papers were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Report and Accounts for 2003-04 of English Heritage, laid under the National Heritage Act 1983;
2. (i) Accounts for 2003-04 of the Independent Television Commission Additional Payments and Financial Penalties by Licensees Account, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General—
(ii) Accounts for 2003-04 of the Radio Authority Additional Payments by Radio Licensees Account, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General—
laid under the Broadcasting Act 1990;
3. Accounts for 2003-04 of the Office of Communications Licence Fees and Penalties Account, laid under the Communications Act 2003, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General;
4. Accounts for 2003-04 of the Kent and Somerset Education Action Zone, laid under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General;
5. (i) Code of Practice for the Police National Computer—
(ii) Report for 2003-04 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary—
laid under the Police Act 1996.
Private Business
7. Private Bills—The Examiners’ certificates that the Standing Orders applicable to the petitions for the following bills have been complied with were delivered and ordered to lie on the Table:
Liverpool City Council (Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work);
London Local Authorities;
London Local Authorities and Transport for London;
London Local Authorities (Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work);
Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company.
8. HBOS Group Reorganisation Bill—The Examiner’s Certificate that the Standing Orders applicable to the petition for the bill have not been complied with in respect of Standing Orders 4, 4A and 11 was delivered and referred to the Standing Orders Committee.
Public Business
9. School Transport Bill—A bill to make provision for school travel schemes; and for connected purposes was brought from the Commons, read a first time and ordered to be printed. (HL Bill 14)
10. School Transport Bill—It was ordered that the Explanatory Notes relating to the bill be printed. (HL Bill 14-EN)
11. Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill [HL]—It was moved by the Lord Evans of Temple Guiting that it be an instruction to the Grand Committee to which the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill [HL] has been committed that they consider the bill in the following order:
Clause 1
Schedule 1
Clauses 2 to 10
Schedule 2
Clauses 11 to 27
Schedule 3
Clauses 28 to 34 | Schedule 4
Clauses 35 and 36
Schedule 5
Clauses 37 and 38
Schedules 6 and 7
Clauses 39 to 45; |
the motion was agreed to.12. Constitutional Reform Bill [HL]—After debate, the bill was read a third time; amendments were agreed to; amendments were moved and (by leave of the House) withdrawn; amendments were disagreed to (see division lists 1 and 2); a privilege amendment was agreed to; the bill was passed and sent to the Commons.
13. Religious attitudes—The Lord Bishop of Rochester asked Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the international situation, what steps they are taking to support enlightened religious attitudes in the United Kingdom and overseas; after debate, the question was answered by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal.
14. Charities Bill [HL]—A bill to provide for the establishment and functions of the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Charity Appeal Tribunal; to make other amendments of the law about charities, including provision about charitable incorporated organisations; to make further provision about public charitable collections and other fundraising carried on in connection with charities and other institutions; to make other provision about the funding of such institutions; and for connected purposes was presented by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal, read a first time and ordered to be printed. (HL Bill 15)
15. Charities Bill [HL]—It was ordered that the Explanatory Notes relating to the bill be printed. (HL Bill 15-EN)
The House was adjourned at seventeen minutes past nine o’clock
till tomorrow, eleven o’clock.
PAUL HAYTER
Clerk of the Parliaments | 
