What’s on in the Lords 6 - 9 February
7 February 2023
Questions
Members raise concerns in Lords questions on support for bereaved children in schools, access to cancer therapies, food banks for NHS staff, adding folic acid to flour and more.
Bills
In bills, members continue detailed check of the Financial Services and Markets Bill at committee stage and the Public Order Bill at report stage.
Look out for the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill as Lords scrutiny begins.
Debates
On Thursday, members will debate the situation in Ukraine, plus reports from the Science and Technology Committee and the National Plan for Sport and Recreation Committee.
Read on for more.
Catch up
Monday
From 2.30pm
Questions
Members questioned the government for 40 minutes on:
- achieving full operating capacity for the UK Carrier Strike Group
- support for bereaved children in schools
- work of legally-qualified chairs in police misconduct cases
- access to minimally invasive cancer therapies.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock was granted a Private Notice Question on earthquake relief in Turkey.
Legislation
Members debated the key principles and purpose of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill at second reading.
From 3.45pm
In Grand Committee, work away from the chamber, committee stage of the Financial Services and Markets Bill continued.
Debates
Members will debate the use of an MOU with Rwanda instead of a treaty on the transfer of asylum seekers.
Tuesday
From 2.30pm
Questions
Members pressed the government on:
- the number of NHS trusts providing food banks for NHS staff
- adding folic acid to flour and consultation on the Bread and Flour Regulations 1988
- risk status of school buildings collapsing
- impact of the energy profits levy.
Legislation
The House continued its detailed check of the Public Order Bill at report stage.
Members also held second reading and remaining stages of the Northern Ireland Budget Bill. Members considered two motions to regret the bill.
The motion put forward by Lord Hain:
- regrets the failure of political paties in Northern Ireland to form an executive
- asks the government to introduce new rules for executive formation in order to withhold Assembly party funding, expenses and salaries from parties that are eligible to join a power-sharing executive but refuse to do so.
The motion in the name of Lord Dodds of Duncairn:
- regrets that the bill is necessary due to the imposition of the Northern Ireland Protocol
- states that the Protocol is incompatible with the Belfast Agreement, undemocratic and not voted for by an elected representative of Northern Ireland, gives effect to a customs border dividing the UK and damages Northern Ireland's consitutional position within the UK.
Debates
Members debated the consequences of famine in the Horn of Africa.
Wednesday
From 3pm
Questions
Members quizzed the government for 40 minutes on:
- encouraging NHS trusts to use British-made washable PPE
- widespread introduction of 'driver only operated' trains on the rail network
- report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit 'Cost of Not Net Zero in 2022'
- forced installation of prepayment energy meters.
Legislation
Members held the main debate of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill at second reading.
Thursday
From 11am
Questions
Members questioned the government on:
- relocating former British Council staff from Afghanistan
- maintaining the quality of components of the UK's soft power
- the Care Quality Commission's Maternity Survey 2022
- NHS's Estate Returns Information Collection data.
Debates
In the chamber, members debated the current situation in Ukraine ahead of the one year anniversary of the war.
From 1pm
In Grand Committee, members debated the following committee reports:
- Nature-based solutions for climate change: rhetoric or reality? - by the Science and Technology Committee
- A national plan for sport, health and wellbeing - by the National Plan for Sport and Recreation Committee
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Watch
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Read
All business in the House of Lords chamber and in Grand Committee is transcribed and available to read from around three hours after it happens. Read it free online in Lords Hansard.
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Image: copyright House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris