HOUSE OF LORDS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday 30th March 2006
The House met at eleven o’clock.
PRAYERS were read by the Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
Judicial Business
1. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (Respondents) v. William Grant & Sons Distillers Limited (Appellants) (Scotland)—
2. Small (Her Majesty’s Inspector of Taxes) (Respondent) v. Mars UK Limited (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 11th May (the agents for the respondents consenting thereto) was presented; and it was ordered as prayed.
Papers
3. Instrument withdrawn—The following instrument, laid before the House on 13th March 2006, was withdrawn:
Statement of changes in Immigration Rules, laid under the Immigration Act 1971.
4. Command Papers—The following papers, having been presented to the House by command of Her Majesty, were ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Salary Review Bodies—Report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries; (6727)
(i) Report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration; (6733)
(ii) Report of the Prison Service Pay Review Body on Northern Ireland; (6746)
(iii) Report of The Review Body Nursing and Other Health Professions; Nursing and Other Health Professions; (6752)
3. Broadcasting—Government Response to the Report of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Broadcasting Rights for Cricket. (6772)
5. Regulatory Reform—The following order was laid before the House under section 6(1) of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 and referred to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee:
Draft Regulatory Reform (Agricultural Tenancies) (England and Wales) Order 2006, together with a statement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
6. Negative Instruments—The following instruments were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:
1. Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, laid under the Police Pensions Act 1976; (932)
2. (i) Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006— (937)
(ii) Transport and Works (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 2006— (958)
laid under the European Communities Act 1972;
3. Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2006, laid under the Superannuation Act 1972; (966)
4. Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, laid under the Immigration Act 1971; (—)
5. Police Service of Northern Ireland Pensions (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2006, laid under the (Police Northern Ireland) Act 1998. (—)
Select Committee Report
7. Merits of Statutory Instruments—The following Report from the Select Committee was made and ordered to be printed:
31st Report, on the following negative instrument:
Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) (Amendment) Regulations 2006. (HL Paper 162)
Private Business
8. London Local Authorities Bill [HL]—The bill was reported from the Select Committee with amendments and a Special Report was made; the bill was re-committed to an Unopposed Bill Committee; it was ordered that the Special Report be printed. (HL Paper 163).
Public Business
9. Consumer Credit Bill—The bill was returned from the Commons with the amendments agreed to.
10. Identity Cards Bill—The bill was returned from the Commons with the amendments agreed to.
11. Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill—The bill was returned from the Commons with the amendments agreed to.
12. Royal Assent—The Lord Speaker (Lord Brabazon of Tara) notified the Queen’s Assent to the following Acts:
| Appropriation Act | c. | 6 |
| Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Act | c. | 7 |
| Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Act | c. | 8 |
| Criminal Defence Service Act | c. | 9 |
| National Insurance Contributions Act | c. | 10 |
| Terrorism Act | c. | 11 |
| London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act | c. | 12 |
| Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act | c. | 13 |
| Consumer Credit Act | c. | 14 |
| Identity Cards Act | c. | 15 |
| Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act | c. | 16 |
13. Business of the House—It was moved by the Lord Rooker, on behalf of the Lord President (Baroness Amos), that the debate on the motion in the name of the Lord Trefgarne set down for today shall be limited to 2 hours and that in the name of the Lord King of Bridgwater to 2½ hours; the motion was agreed to.
14. Planning Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—
15. Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—
16. Terrorism Act 2000 (Revised Code of Practice for the Identification of Persons by Police Officers) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—
17. Local Government (Boundaries) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—
It was moved by the Lord Rooker, on behalf of the Lord President (Baroness Amos), that the draft Orders be referred to a Grand Committee en bloc; the motion was agreed to.
18. National Lottery Bill—It was moved by the Lord Davies of Oldham that the amendments for the Report stage be marshalled and considered in the following order—
Clauses 1 to 6
Schedule 1
Clauses 7 to 13
Schedule 2 | Clauses 14 to 20
Schedule 3
Clauses 21 to 23; |
the motion was agreed to.19. Water supplies (2-hour debate)—It was moved by the Baroness Byford, on behalf of the Lord Trefgarne, that there be laid before the House papers relating to water supplies in the United Kingdom; after debate, the motion was (by leave of the House) withdrawn.
1. 20. Rural Payments Agency (2½-hour debate)—It was moved by the Lord King of Bridgwater that there be laid before the House papers relating to the Rural Payments Agency; after debate, the motion was (by leave of the House) withdrawn.
21. Films (Definition of “British Film”) Order 2006—It was moved by the Lord Davies of Oldham that the draft Order laid before the House on 15th February be approved; after debate, the motion was agreed to.
22. Railway Safety Levy Regulations 2006—It was moved by the Lord Davies of Oldham that the draft Regulations laid before the House on 16th February be approved; after debate, the motion was agreed to.
23. Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006—It was moved by the Lord McKenzie of Luton that the draft Regulations laid before the House on 9th March be approved; after debate, the motion was agreed to.
24. Universities: Research Assessment Exercise—The Lord Williams of Elvel asked Her Majesty’s Government whether the operation of the Research Assessment Exercise in universities is satisfactory; after debate, the question was answered by the Lord Adonis.
The House was adjourned at twenty-two minutes past six o’clock
to Tuesday 18th April, half-past two o’clock.
PAUL HAYTER
Clerk of the Parliaments
APPENDIX
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GRAND COMMITTEE (IN THE MOSES ROOM)
The Committee met at two o’clock.
Company Law Reform Bill [HL]—The bill was further considered in the Grand Committee; amendments were agreed to; amendments were moved and (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn; questions that clauses stand part of the bill were negatived; the question that a Schedule be a Schedule to the bill was negatived; the Committee was adjourned after Schedule 14 stood part.
The Committee was adjourned at six o’clock. | 
