House of Lords back to business
22 February 2013
The House of Lords returns from recess on Monday 25 February.
As the 2012-13 session continues, members of the House of Lords have been busy scrutinising several public bills and investigating government activity through committee work and questions.
Defamation Bill
The bill proposes to reform the law of defamation to ensure a fair balance is struck between the right to freedom of expression and the protection of reputation. It concluded report stage on 5 February and moves to third reading on 25 February.
- Catch up on the Defamation Bill
Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill
The bill implements an announcement by the chancellor in the 2012 Autumn Statement. He proposed that increases in certain working-age welfare benefits and tax credits would be limited to one per cent, rather than increasing them in line with inflation. It had its second reading in the Lords on Monday 11 February and proceeds to committee stage on 25 February.
- Learn more about the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill
Public Service Pensions Bill
The Public Service Pensions Bill will establish a framework enabling the government to introduce new public service pension schemes. It completed report stage yesterday (Tuesday 12 February) and is back in the chamber for more scrutiny on 26 February.
- Find out more about the Public Service Pensions Bill
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill includes changes to competition policy and employment law, measures for reducing regulation and rules around copyright and planning. It completed committee stage on 31 January and enters report stage, a chance for further examination, on 26 February.
- Track the progress of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill
Growth and Infrastructure Bill
The bill looks at the use of infrastructure and the carrying-out of development. It completed committee stage in the Lords on 6 February and moves to report stage on 27 February.
- Follow the progress of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill
Succession to the Crown Bill
The bill looks at laws governing who can be next in line to the throne. It completed second reading in the Lords on 14 February and will enter committee stage, a chance for line-by-line scrutiny of the bill, on 28 February.
- Read more about the Succession to the Crown Bill
Lords committee work
The House of Lords select committees return to business next week with a busy schedule:
- Monday 25 February: EU Sub-Committee B - Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment - hears from businesses, policy research and design experts including Rolls Royce and Airbus UK on the effectiveness of EU research and innovation proposals
- Tuesday 26 February: Science and Technology Committee hears from Earl Howe, David Willetts and NHS representatives on regenerative medicine
- Wednesday 27 February: Constitution Committee hears from legal experts on the pre-emption of parliament
Future business
There are a number of ways to stay up to date with business in the Lords:
House of Lords newsletter
Information including Lords news stories, debates, oral questions, draft law scrutiny and committee work is listed by subject area and will be delivered to your email inbox once a week.
Online calendar
The calendar allows you to find out what's on in Parliament.
Business is provisional and subject to change.