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House of Lords written statement – made at on 7 November 2006.

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Photo of Lord Hunt of Kings Heath Lord Hunt of Kings Heath Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

My Honourable Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr James Plaskitt) has made the following Statement.

I announced on 18 July 2006 that the DWP would bring forward amendments to Regulation 9 of the Social Security (Crediting and Treatment of Contributions and National Insurance Numbers) Regulations to make explicit the evidence which must be produced to demonstrate that the "right to work" condition has been satisfied. These amendments will be laid before Parliament today and copies will be made available from the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office from 2.30 pm onwards.

The Amendment regulations also incorporate a change which will require students who qualify for a student loan to apply for a national insurance number if they do not already have one. This change will mirror changes in forthcoming Department for Education and Skills regulations, which will be made in early 2007. These changes will facilitate the improved collection of student loans.

House of Lords

The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.

The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

honourable friend

When speaking in the House of Commons, an MP will refer to an MP of the same party as "My Honourable Friend".

amendment

As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.

Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.

In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.

The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.