What's on in the Lords 15-18 January
12 January 2024
Questions
This week members question the government on ending poverty through international development aid, graduate driving licences, future changes to BBC funding, building 300,000 new homes a year and staffing levels in care homes.
Bills
The House will continue line by line examination of the Automated Vehicles Bill and begin to examine and make changes to the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill.
Debates
Biosecurity, mitigating the impact of climate change, and intergovernmental relations within the UK are all on the agenda in debates this week.
Committees
The Science and Technology Committee continues its inquiry into long-duration energy storage, the International Relations and Defence Committee explores the UK's interests in the Western Balkans, and the Windsor Framework Sub-Committee begins its inquiry into veterinary medicines.
Read on for more.
Catch up
Monday
From 2.30pm
Questions
Members pressed the government on:
- ending poverty
- making silicosis a notifiable disease
- graduated driving licences
- current affairs programmes.
Statements
Members also quizzed the government following statements on the situation in Israel and Gaza, the Civil Nuclear Roadmap and defending the UK and its allies.
Legislation
The House continued line by line examination of the Automated Vehicles Bill at committee stage.
Tuesday
From 2.30pm
Questions
The House quizzed the government on:
- creating better chances for children
- imprisonment for public protection
- sewage entering watercourses
- NHS: meeting key targets.
Members asked four questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, on:
- the Rohingya Refugee crisis
- ceasefire between Israel and Gaza
- UN Sustainable Development Goals
- rules-based international order.
Legislation
The House began to examine and make changes to the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill.
Regulations
From 4.15pm in Grand committee, work away from the chamber, members debated regulations on:
Wednesday
From 3pm
Questions
Members questioned the government on:
- BBC funding
- immunisation programmes for RSV
- building 300,000 new homes a year
- shortages of NHS drugs.
Urgent question
Members also quizzed the government in an urgent question on Northern Ireland industrial action.
Motion to regret
Members also discussed private crossing signs and barriers in a motion to regret put forward by Lord Berkeley.
Debates
The House debated the case for an independent inquiry into allegations against Sir Edward Heath.
Thursday
From 11am
Questions
The Lords pressed the government on:
- current staffing levels in care homes
- private rented sector
- discrimination of sexuality in the Diplomatic Service
- Taiwan elections.
Debates
Biosecurity, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and intergovernmental relations within the UK are on the agenda in debates.
From 1pm in Grand committee, members will hold four short debates on:
Get involved
Watch
Questions, debates and scrutiny of legislation are streamed live online for free. Watch chamber and Lords committee meetings on Parliament TV.
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 credit: House of Lords / Roger Harris
