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What's on in the Lords 27-30 January

31 January 2025

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Questions

Members of the Lords quiz the government on energy usage in mining cryptocurrencies, community pharmacy closures, children's wellbeing, Ofwat fines against water companies, and Taliban restrictions against women in Afghanistan.

Bills

The Lords checks and changes the Mental Health Bill, National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill and Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, and debates the key principles of the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill. Plus, further examination of the Data (Use and Access) Bill.

Debates

The implications of corporations shifting profits to low and no-tax jurisdictions, and a new youth mobility scheme with European countries are both on the agenda. Plus, a series of short debates.

Committees

Read on for more.

 

Catch up

Monday

From 2.30pm

Questions

Lords quizzed the government on:

  • local government financial resources
  • train services between Manchester and London
  • children's rights
  • mining cryptocurrencies.

Urgent questions and statements

Members questioned the government following urgent questions and statements on the chair of the Competition and Markets Authority, the Attorney General, agricultural and business property relief and the Southport attack.

Legislation

The Lords continued to check and change the Mental Health Bill.

Debates

Members discussed the impacts of the removal of the agricultural property relief for inheritance tax, increases to employers’ National Insurance contributions, and the extension of VAT to private school fees.

Orders and regulations

From 3.45pm in Grand Committee, work away from the chamber, members considered regulations on:

  • electricity generating stations
  • greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme
  • combined county authority regulations.

Tuesday

From 2.30pm

Questions

Members pressed the government on:

  • disability support
  • community pharmacy closures
  • status of retained EU law
  • non-domicile status.

Statements

Members quizzed the government following statements on Russian maritime activity and a new hospital programme review.

Legislation

Further checks of the Data (Use and Access) Bill continued at report stage.

From 3.45pm in Grand Committee, the Lords checked the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

Wednesday

From 3pm

Questions

House of Lords questioned the government on:

  • Ofwat fines against water companies
  • asylum applications of Syrians in the UK
  • energy efficiency of new homes
  • Embassy of China.

Urgent question and statement

Members also quizzed the government following an urgent question on extremism and a statement on insulation schemes.

Legislation

Members debated the key principles and main purpose of the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill.

From 4.15pm in Grand Committee, members checked and changed the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill.

Orders and regulations

Baroness Hayman of Ullock put forward a 'motion to approve' the Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations 2024. Baroness Hoey put forward a 'motion to regret' the regulations over concerns that they further distance Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom. Members voted against Baroness Hoey's amendment.

Thursday

From 11am

Questions

Members drew attention to:

  • improving musculoskeletal health
  • Taliban restrictions on women in Afghanistan
  • 80th Anniversary of the end of World War II
  • European Union trade.

Statement

The House pressed the government following a statement on Gaza.

Debates

Implications of corporations shifting profits to low and no-tax jurisdictions, and a new youth mobility scheme with European countries were both on the agenda.

Plus, a series of short debates on:

  • rape case prosecution
  • rights reservation model (copyright and AI)
  • Office for Students 2025-30 strategy
  • glorification of terrorism in the UK.

Get involved

Watch

Questions, debates and scrutiny of legislation are streamed live online for free. Watch chamber business 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.

Follow on X

Visit @UKHouseofLords on X for highlights of each day’s work in the House.

Follow the hashtag #HouseOfLords for what’s happening, or #LordsQs for details of questions put to the government at the start of business Monday to Thursday.

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Image credit: House of Lords / Roger Harris

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