What's on in the House of Lords 12-16 December
9 December 2022
Highlights of what’s coming up this week:
Questions
Look out for questions on housing benefit for domestic abuse victims, funding of school meals, malnutrition and undernutrition, and affordable housing in relation to income.
Debate
Members will debate Arts Council England funding, support for workers in the NHS and social care with regards to staff shortages, and the Public Services Committee report ‘Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce’.
Read on for more.
Friday 16 December
From 10am
Debates
The House of Lords will debate the following committee reports:
- Communications and Digital Committee: ‘Licence to Change: BBC Future Funding’
- Public Services Committee: ‘Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce’
- Constitution Committee: Revision of the Cabinet Manual.
Catch up
Monday 12 December
Questions
Members quizzed the government for 40 minutes on:
- abuse directed against football referees and match day officials
- housing benefit for domestic abuse victims
- armoured fighting vehicles
- Department for Education and children’s private information.
Private notice question
Members pressed the government in an urgent question on executions of anti-government protestors in Iran.
Legislation
Members began line examination of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill at committee stage.
In Grand Committee, work away from the chamber, members continued detailed scrutiny of the Energy Bill at committee stage.
Tuesday 13 December
Questions
Members questioned the government on:
- renewable energy generation licenses
- closure of railway station ticket offices
- the responsibility for the funding of school meals
- Albanian asylum seekers.
Legislation
The House of Lords ‘tidied up’ the Procurement Bill and the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill at third reading. In addition, members continued their detailed examination of the Public Order Bill at committee stage.
Regulations
Members considered voter identification regulations with a motion to decline to approve and a motion to regret.
In Grand Committee, the House considered regulations relating to the following topics:
- parliamentary works
- public contracts
- South Yorkshire transport
- product safety
- conformity assessment.
Urgent question repeat
Members questioned government preparations for NHS industrial action.
Wednesday 14 December
Questions
Members questioned the government for 40 minutes on:
- malnutrition and undernutrition
- clean energy investments
- biomass strategy
- NHS: spending on short-notice agency doctors.
Statement
Members pressed government following a statement on illegal immigration.
Legislation
Members of the House of Lords continued their line by line scrutiny of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill at committee stage.
In Grand Committee, members continued detailed checks of the Energy Bill at committee stage.
Thursday 15 December
Questions
Members questioned the government for 40 minutes on:
- retailers accepting cash
- abolition of tax-free shopping
- affordable housing in relation to income
- shortages of antibiotics.
Debates
Members debated Official Development Assistance spending and the regional distribution of Arts Council England funding.
Short Debate
The House debated support for workers in NHS and social care with regards to staff shortages.
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Read
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Image: copyright House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris