HOUSE OF LORDS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Wednesday 11th October 2006

The House met at a quarter before ten o’clock.

PRAYERS were read by the Lord Bishop of Coventry.

Judicial Business

1.  Jameel and others (Respondents) v. Wall Street Journal Europe Sprl (Appellants)—It was moved by the Lord Bingham of Cornhill that the 76th Report from the Appellate Committee be agreed to; the motion was agreed to. It was ordered and adjudged that the appeal be allowed; that, to the extent of the words complained of, the Order of the Court of Appeal of 3rd February 2005 be set aside; that the Order of Mr Justice Eady in the High Court of Justice Queen’s Bench Division of 19th December 2003 also be set aside; that the action be dismissed; and that the question of costs be adjourned in order that the parties may make written submissions within 14 days. [2006] UKHL 44

2.  Freakley and others (Appellants) v. Centre Reinsurance International Company and others (Respondents) and one other action--It was moved by the Lord Hoffmann that the 77th Report from the Appellate Committee be agreed to; the motion was agreed to. It was ordered and adjudged that the appeal be allowed; that paragraph 3 of the Order of the Court of Appeal of 11th February 2005 be set aside and the Answer to Issue 14 set out in the Order of Mr Justice Blackburne in the High Court of Justice Chancery Division of 23rd April 2004 restored; and that the question of costs in this House and below be adjourned in order that the parties may make written submissions within 14 days. [2006] UKHL 45

3.  Carter (sued on his own on behalf of the other members of the Labour Party) (Respondent) v. Ahsan (Appellant)—The appeal was set down for hearing and referred to an Appellate Committee (lodged 27th July).

4.  Johnston (Original Appellant and Cross-respondent) v. NEI International Combustion Limited (Original Respondents and Cross-appellants)—

5.  Rothwell (Original Appellant and Cross-respondent) v. Chemical and Insulating Company Limited and others (Original Respondents and Cross-appellants)—

6.  Topping (Original Appellant and Cross-respondent) v. Benchtown Limited (formerly Jones Bros Preston Limited) (Original Respondents and Cross-appellants)—

(Conjoined Appeals)

The appeals were set down for hearing and referred to an Appellate Committee (lodged 15th August).

7.  Lonsdale (t/a Lonsdale Agencies) (Appellant) v. Howard & Hallam Limited (Respondents)—The appeal was set down for hearing and referred to an Appellate Committee.

8.  A (Appellant) v. Hoare (Respondent)—The appeal was set down for hearing and referred to an Appellate Committee.

9.  Kola (FC) and another (FC) (Appellants) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Respondent)—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 22nd November (the agents for the respondent consenting thereto) was presented; and it was ordered as prayed.

The House was adjourned during pleasure.The House was resumed.

Papers

10.  Command Papers—The following papers, having been presented to the House by command of Her Majesty, were ordered to lie on the Table:

1.  Finance—Treasury Minutes on the Forty-seventh to the Fifty-first Reports from the Committee of Public Accounts;    (6908)

2.  Animals—Protocol of Amendment to the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Purposes;    (6938)

3.  Education—Government Response to the Report of the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee on Special Educational Needs.    (6940)

11.  Affirmative Instrument—The following instrument was laid before the House for approval by resolution and ordered to lie on the Table:

Draft Big Lottery Fund (Prescribed Expenditure) Order 2006, laid under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993, together with an Explanatory Memorandum.

12.  Negative Instruments—The following instruments were laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:

1.  Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006, laid under the United Nations Act 1946;  (2657)

2.  Airports Slot Allocation Regulations 2006, laid under the European Communities Act 1972;  (2665)

3.  Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2006, laid under the Road Traffic Act 1988;  (2680)

4.  Tax Credits (Claims and Notifications) (Amendment) Regulations 2006, laid under the Tax Credits Act 2002.  (2689)

13.  Paper not subject to parliamentary proceedings—The following paper was laid before the House and ordered to lie on the Table:

Accounts for 2005-06 of the South Bank Centre, laid under the Local Government Act 1985.

14.  Instrument coming into operation before being laid—The Lord Speaker acquainted the House that she had received, under the proviso to section 4(1) of the Statutory Instruments Act 1946, notification that the following instrument had come into operation before being laid before Parliament, with an explanation thereof; the notification and explanation were ordered to lie on the Table:

Protection of Wrecks (Designation) (England) (No. 7) Order 2006, laid under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.  (2535)

Public Business

15.  Parliamentary Costs Bill [HL]—The bill was read a third time and passed and sent to the Commons.

16.  National Health Service Bill [HL]—

17.  National Health Service (Wales) Bill [HL]—

18.  National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Bill [HL]—The bills were read a third time and passed en bloc and sent to the Commons.

19.  Armed Forces Bill—The House again resolved itself into a Committee upon the bill; amendments were moved and (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn; amendments were agreed to; the House was resumed.

20.  Home Information Packs—The Baroness Hanham asked Her Majesty’s Government what is now their policy on Home Information Packs; after debate, the question was answered by the Baroness Andrews.

The House was adjourned during pleasure.The House was resumed.

1.  21.  Armed Forces Bill—The House again resolved itself into a Committee upon the bill; amendments were agreed to; amendments were moved and (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn; the House was resumed after clause 161 stood part.

The House was adjourned at ten o’clock till tomorrow, eleven o’clock.

PAUL HAYTER

  Clerk of the Parliaments

CORRECTION

The following entry should have appeared as the first entry in item 84. (Human Rights) in the Minutes of Proceedings for Monday 9th October:

Human Trafficking, together with appendices. (26th Report—HL Paper 245)