To ask the Chairman of Committees how many Peers who attended the House from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 claimed expenses totalling (a) under £5,000, (b) £5,000–£9,999, (c) £10,000–£14,999, (d) £15,000–£19,999, (e) £20,000–£24,999, (f) £25,000–£29,999, (g) £30,000–£34,999, (h) £35,000–£39,999, (i) £40,000–£44,999, (j) £45,000–£49,999, (k) £50,000–£54,999, (l) £55,000–£59,999, (m)...

To ask the Chairman of Committees how many Peers who attended the House from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 claimed expenses totalling (a) under £5,000, (b) £5,000–£9,999, (c) £10,000–£14,999, (d) £15,000–£19,999, (e) £20,000–£24,999, (f) £25,000–£29,999, (g) £30,000–£34,999, (h) £35,000–£39,999, (i) £40,000–£44,999, (j) £45,000–£49,999, (k) £50,000–£54,999, (l) £55,000–£59,999, (m)...

My noble friend the Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, has made the following written ministerial statement:"During the debate on 10 December in the House of Lords—on the Commonwealth's shared goals in democracy and development—Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked about eligibility of Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland citizens for membership...

My noble friend the Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, has made the following written ministerial statement:"During the debate on 10 December in the House of Lords—on the Commonwealth's shared goals in democracy and development—Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked about eligibility of Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland citizens for membership...

During the debate on 10 December in the House of Lords on the Commonwealth's shared goals in democracy and development Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked about eligibility of Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland citizens for membership of the House of Lords. The Government undertook to set out the background to...

During the debate on 10 December in the House of Lords on the Commonwealth's shared goals in democracy and development Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked about eligibility of Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland citizens for membership of the House of Lords. The Government undertook to set out the background to...

Answer the question.

Answer the question.

My Lords, I support every word said by the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin. This is an important matter and it is important that this House gets it right. I want to add two points. On a simple matter, there will be many Members around the House who have not taken...

My Lords, I support every word said by the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin. This is an important matter and it is important that this House gets it right. I want to add two points. On a simple matter, there will be many Members around the House who have not taken...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, supported by the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, asked me a series of detailed and quite hard questions on national policy statements, some of which are for me and some of which are obviously for the Government and the usual channels. First, the noble...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, supported by the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, asked me a series of detailed and quite hard questions on national policy statements, some of which are for me and some of which are obviously for the Government and the usual channels. First, the noble...

My Lords, is it too late to intervene? If not, I should like to say just one thing. Is this not another example of the problems of the Back Benches, which are not exercisable under the authority of the usual channels?

My Lords, is it too late to intervene? If not, I should like to say just one thing. Is this not another example of the problems of the Back Benches, which are not exercisable under the authority of the usual channels?

My Lords, I do not think that that is the case.

My Lords, I do not think that that is the case.

I believe that it is.

I believe that it is.

The noble Lord is entitled to his view of course, but business in this House is, and traditionally has been, arranged by the usual channels and I hope that, on the whole, the usual channels accommodate Members’ wishes. It certainly is not a matter for the Procedure Committee. I was...

The noble Lord is entitled to his view of course, but business in this House is, and traditionally has been, arranged by the usual channels and I hope that, on the whole, the usual channels accommodate Members’ wishes. It certainly is not a matter for the Procedure Committee. I was...

My Lords, I apologise for intervening but I think that the noble Lord has moved beyond the question of an ad hoc committee. Would it then be open to any Member of the House, presumably on a Motion before the House, to recommend that the matter be referred to an...

My Lords, I apologise for intervening but I think that the noble Lord has moved beyond the question of an ad hoc committee. Would it then be open to any Member of the House, presumably on a Motion before the House, to recommend that the matter be referred to an...

I think that it could be. I shall have to get in touch with the noble Lord with further information on that but I think that that is possible.

I think that it could be. I shall have to get in touch with the noble Lord with further information on that but I think that that is possible.

The Procedure Committee certainly could look at it again, but there is, as the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, said, some urgency in the process because all this has to be settled by 6 May. I have an assurance from the Leader of the House that time will be found to...

The Procedure Committee certainly could look at it again, but there is, as the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, said, some urgency in the process because all this has to be settled by 6 May. I have an assurance from the Leader of the House that time will be found to...

Reference was made to 6 May. If there is to be a general election on 6 May, which seems to be the favourite date so far, there will have to be dissolution by 6 April. Once dissolution takes place, presumably all proceedings in this House and the other place will...

Reference was made to 6 May. If there is to be a general election on 6 May, which seems to be the favourite date so far, there will have to be dissolution by 6 April. Once dissolution takes place, presumably all proceedings in this House and the other place will...

I am doing my best to answer the questions. As I said—

I am doing my best to answer the questions. As I said—

Along with the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, I very much appreciate that the Chairman of Committees is doing his best, but he seems to be struggling a bit with this issue. I wonder whether the best thing for him to say is not that we should pass what is before...

Along with the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, I very much appreciate that the Chairman of Committees is doing his best, but he seems to be struggling a bit with this issue. I wonder whether the best thing for him to say is not that we should pass what is before...

I have already said that I cannot comment on when there might be a general election and what might happen to these national policy statements if there were. If there were a change of government, the new Government might not wish to pursue the statements. I am just saying what...

I have already said that I cannot comment on when there might be a general election and what might happen to these national policy statements if there were. If there were a change of government, the new Government might not wish to pursue the statements. I am just saying what...

My Lords, we, too, share the concerns of the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin. In view of the important business to come through your Lordships’ House, I relate my queries to the final issue with which the Chairman of Committees was concerned, which is that of Oral Questions to Secretaries of...

My Lords, we, too, share the concerns of the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin. In view of the important business to come through your Lordships’ House, I relate my queries to the final issue with which the Chairman of Committees was concerned, which is that of Oral Questions to Secretaries of...

My Lords, I am extremely grateful to the Chairman of Committees for setting out briefly but succinctly the procedure to be followed for considering the national policy statements that have been prepared and were made available last November under the provisions of the Planning Act 2008. The noble Lord has...

My Lords, I am extremely grateful to the Chairman of Committees for setting out briefly but succinctly the procedure to be followed for considering the national policy statements that have been prepared and were made available last November under the provisions of the Planning Act 2008. The noble Lord has...