Parliament: The House

Sheep dip fears

A VOLUNTARY moratorium should be slapped on organophosphate pesticides following new evidence of their harmful effects on the health of farmers who used them in sheep dip, the All-Party Organophosphate Pesticides Group urged.

Peer rejection

THE LORDS rejected demands for life peers to be allowed a vote in elections for most of the 92 hereditary peers who will be kept during the interim period of the House's reform. Voting was 229 to 146, a majority of 83, during a debate on the Procedure Committee's proposals.

Labour and Tory frontbenches had agreed that 75 of the 92 should be elected to represent the existing 751 hereditaries.

Today's agenda

Commons: Not sitting.

Lords, 2.30pm:

n Immigration and Asylum Bill, committee.

Debate on Government support for exports of environmental technologies and services.