House of Lords Journal

Prayers were read by the Lord Bishop of Bristol.

1 Lord Macdonald of River Glaven Sir Kenneth Donald John Macdonald, Knight, QC, having been created Baron Macdonald of River Glaven, of Cley-next-the-Sea in the County of Norfolk, for life by Letters Patent dated 12 July 2010, was introduced between Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws and Baroness Scott of Needham Market, made and subscribed the solemn affirmation and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct. (See Appendix 1)

2 Lord Howard of Lympne The Rt Hon Michael Howard, QC, having been created Baron Howard of Lympne, of Lympne in the County of Kent, for life by Letters Patent dated 13 July 2010, was introduced between Lord Lamont of Lerwick and Lord Marland, took and subscribed the oath and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct. (See Appendix 2)

3 Baroness Nye Susan Jane Nye, having been created Baroness Nye, of Lambeth in the London Borough of Lambeth, for life by Letters Patent dated 19 July 2010, was introduced between Baroness Royall of Blaisdon and Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, made and subscribed the solemn affirmation and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct. (See Appendix 3)

Select Committee Report

4 Merits of Statutory Instruments
The following Report from the Select Committee was made and ordered to be printed:

5th Report, on the following affirmative instrument:

Draft Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment No. 2) Order 2010. (HL Paper 22)

Public Business

5 Energy: Large Combustion Plant Directive A question was asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke and answered by Lord Henley.

6 Debt Management Service A question was asked by Lord Higgins and answered by Lord Sassoon.

7 Agriculture: Single Farm Payment A question was asked by the Duke of Montrose and answered by Lord Henley.

8 Elections: Alternative Vote referendum and Scottish Parliament A question was asked by Lord McAvoy and answered by Lord Wallace of Tankerness.

9 Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 Lord Strathclyde moved that the draft Order be referred to a Grand Committee. The motion was agreed to.

10 Electricity and Gas (Carbon Emissions Reduction) (Amendment) Order 2010 Lord Strathclyde moved that the draft Order be referred to a Grand Committee. The motion was agreed to.

11 House of Lords: allowances Lord Strathclyde moved that—

1.– (1) Members of this House, except any Member who receives a salary under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 and the Chairman and Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, should be entitled to an allowance in respect of each day of attendance on or after 1 October 2010.

(2) “Attendance” means attendance—
(a) at a sitting of this House or a Committee of this House, or
(b) on such other Parliamentary business as may be determined by the House Committee.

(3) The amount of the allowance payable to a Member in respect of a day of attendance should be—
(a) £300, or
(b) if paragraph (4) applies, £150.

(4) This paragraph applies if—
(a) the attendance in question is away from Westminster, or
(b) the attendance is at Westminster but the Member elects that this paragraph should apply.

2.– (1) Accordingly, the following provisions should not apply in relation to expenses incurred on or after 1 October 2010—

(a) paragraph (1)(d) of the Resolution of 22nd July 1980 (office costs allowance),

(b) paragraph (1) of the Resolution of 25th July 1991 (day and night subsistence), and

(c) paragraph 4 of the Resolution of 10th November 2004 (overnight subsistence on visits away from the House).

(2) The limit on the expenses incurred from 1 August 2010 to 30 September 2010 which a Member of this House may recover under paragraph (1)(d) of the Resolution of 22nd July 1980 (office costs allowance) should be the amount obtained by multiplying—
(a) the number of days in that period specified by the Member, subject to a maximum of 40 days, and
(b) the appropriate amount for expenses incurred in that period (calculated in accordance with paragraph (3)(b) of the Resolution of 20th July 1994).

After debate, the motion was agreed to.

12 House of Lords: travel expenses Lord Strathclyde moved that the following provisions should apply to journeys commenced on or after 1 October 2010—

(a) in respect of journeys by car, motorcycle or bicycle for which Members of this House are entitled to a mileage allowance, Members should also be entitled to recover road tolls (other than congestion charges), and

(b) in respect of journeys by public transport for which Members are entitled to recover fares, Members should also be entitled to recover the costs of parking at stations, ports or airports (where it is appropriate to do so).

The motion was agreed to.

13 House Committee The Chairman of Committees moved that the First Report (HL Paper 18) from the Select Committee be agreed to. Then Baroness Harris of Richmond moved, as an amendment to the original motion, at end to insert "but that it be an instruction to the Committee to bring forward proposals for a scheme for Members living more than 90 minutes' train journey time from Westminster to be reimbursed for the cost of a first class rail ticket". The amendment was negatived. Then the original motion was agreed to.

14 Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill A bill to authorise the use of resources for the service of the year ending with 31 March 2011 and to apply certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending with 31 March 2011; to appropriate the supply authorised in this Session of Parliament for the service of the year ending with 31 March 2011; and to repeal certain Consolidated Fund and Appropriation Acts, certified by the Speaker as a money bill, was brought from the Commons and read a first time.

The House adjourned at 6.27pm until Wednesday 21 July at 3.00pm.