Lords returns to quiz government on 21 April

The House of Lords returned to business on Tuesday 21 April, with daily oral questions being held in a virtual session for the first time.

This virtual session was not broadcast, however a transcript of the session is available via Lords Hansard, and a short summary is available below.

Oral questions on Tuesday 21 April:

Lord Balfe asked the government what assessment they have made of the proposals contained in the report of the Lord Speaker's committee on the size of the House, published on 31 October 2017, for new appointments to the House of Lords to be on a “two-out, one-in” basis.

Topics discussed included delaying introductions of new members; ongoing membership requirements; and a target for a maximum 600 members. Read the full discussion in Hansard.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath asked the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans have been made to enable members to take part in the proceedings of the House of Lords remotely.

Topics discussed included the possibility of voting online; future developments for digital proceedings; the number and division of questions between members and parties; and the usage of different digital platforms. Read the full discussion in Hansard.

Lord Naseby questioned government on what representations they have made to the government of India to request the closure of call centres targeting British citizens with scams.

Topics discussed included enforcement actions by the City of London police; grants to trading standards departments for call blocking schemes; the rise of coronavirus-related scams; and pension scams. Read the full discussion in Hansard.

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock quizzed government on when they expect to announce the arrangements and a timetable for the removal of restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Topics discussed included testing and contact tracing; the five conditions for ending restrictions; the usage of PPE; and a coordinated removal of restrictions across the four nations. Read the full transcript in Hansard.

Image: House of Lords