House of Lords Journal

Prayers were read by the Lord Bishop of Liverpool.

1 Royal Assent The Lord Speaker (Baroness D’Souza) notified the Queen’s Assent to the following Acts:

HGV Road User Levy Act

c 7

Mental Health (Discrimination) Act

c 8

European Union (Approvals) Act

c 9

Scrap Metal Dealers Act

c 10

Prisons (Property) Act

c 11

Canterbury City Council Act

c i

Leeds City Council Act

c ii

Nottingham City Council Act

c iii

Reading Borough Council Act

c iv

2 Personal statement Baroness Butler-Sloss made a personal statement.

Select Committee Report

3 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
The following Report from the Select Committee was made and ordered to be printed:

Roads to Success: SME Exports. (HL Paper 131)

4 Ecclesiastical Committee
The 231st Report of the Ecclesiastical Committee on the following Measures:

Diocese in Europe Measure
Clergy Discipline (Amendment) Measure

was laid before the House under section 4 of the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919. The Report was ordered to be printed. (HL Paper 132)

5 Diocese in Europe Measure
The Measure was laid before the House under section 4 of the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and ordered to be printed. (HL Paper 133)

6 Clergy Discipline (Amendment) Measure
The Measure was laid before the House under section 4 of the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and ordered to be printed. (HL Paper 134)

Public Business

7 Burma A question was asked by Baroness Cox and answered by Baroness Warsi.

8 Dyslexia: apprenticeships A question was asked by Lord Addington and answered by Baroness Garden of Frognal.

9 Medical research: International Rare Diseases Research Consortium A question was asked by Lord Avebury and answered by Earl Howe.

10 National Health Service: west London hospitals A question was asked by Lord Dubs and answered by Earl Howe.

11 House of Lords: membership Lord Steel of Aikwood moved that, notwithstanding the normal practice of the House, this House resolves that no introductions of new Peers shall take place until the recommendation in paragraph 67 of the First Report of the Leader’s Group on Members Leaving the House, chaired by Lord Hunt of Wirral (HL Paper 83, Session 2010–12), has been followed. Then Lord Hunt of Kings Heath moved, as an amendment to the above motion, to leave out from "that" in line 1 to the end and insert "this House affirms the recommendation in paragraph 67 of the First Report of the Leader’s Group on Members Leaving the House, chaired by Lord Hunt of Wirral (HL Paper 83, Session 2010–12), that "restraint should be exercised by all concerned in the recommendation of new appointments to the House"; and calls on Her Majesty’s Government to support proposals, in line with legislation passed by this House, to:

(a) allow members of the House to retire permanently from the House;

(b) provide for the exclusion from the House of any member who does not attend the House during a Session save where that member has leave of absence in respect of the Session in accordance with Standing Orders of the House, or where a Session is less than six months long; and

(c) provide that a member who is convicted of a serious offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than one year shall not attend the sittings of the House.".

After debate, the amendment was agreed to (see division). Then the original motion, as amended, was agreed to.

13 Research Council UK: open access policy (S&T Report) A question was asked by Lord Krebs and, after debate, answered by Lord Popat.

14 Succession to the Crown Bill The bill was further considered in Committee, beginning with amendment 3A. Amendments were considered. The House resumed and the bill was reported without amendment.

15 Local Authorities (Contracting Out of Tax Billing, Collection and Enforcement Functions) (Amendment) (England) Order 2013
Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Detection of Fraud and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013
Gateshead and Northumberland (Boundary Change) Order 2013
East Hertfordshire and Stevenage (Boundary Change) Order 2013
Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2013
Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2013
National Employment Savings Trust (Amendment) Order 2013

The Grand Committee reported that it had considered the draft statutory instruments.

The House adjourned at 5.57pm until Monday 4 March at 2.30pm.

Grand Committee Business

The Grand Committee met in the Moses Room at 2.00pm.

Local Authorities (Contracting Out of Tax Billing, Collection and Enforcement Functions) (Amendment) (England) Order 2013 Baroness Hanham moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft Local Authorities (Contracting Out of Tax Billing, Collection and Enforcement Functions) (Amendment) (England) Order 2013. After debate, the motion was agreed to.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Detection of Fraud and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 Baroness Hanham moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Detection of Fraud and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013. The motion was agreed to.

Gateshead and Northumberland (Boundary Change) Order 2013 Baroness Hanham moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft Gateshead and Northumberland (Boundary Change) Order 2013. After debate, the motion was agreed to.

East Hertfordshire and Stevenage (Boundary Change) Order 2013 Baroness Hanham moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft East Hertfordshire and Stevenage (Boundary Change) Order 2013. The motion was agreed to.

Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2013 Baroness Stowell of Beeston moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2013. After debate, the motion was agreed to.

Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2013 Baroness Stowell of Beeston moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2013. The motion was agreed to.

National Employment Savings Trust (Amendment) Order 2013 Baroness Stowell of Beeston moved that the Grand Committee do consider the draft National Employment Savings Trust (Amendment) Order 2013. After debate, the motion was agreed to.

Vocational education A question was asked by Lord Lucas and, after debate, answered by Baroness Garden of Frognal.

The Committee adjourned at 4.52pm.