Q&A WRITTEN REPLIES

LORDS DEFEAT: The Government was defeated by eight votes in the Lords last night as peers backed a move to protect landowners from new controls on pollution from abandoned mines. Voting was 108 to 100 for an amendment proposed by Tory Lord Stanley of Alderley during the Third Reading debate on the Environment Bill, which creates new agencies to police pollution of land, water and air.

TODAY'S BUSINESS - Commons: Education questions; Prime Minister's Questions; Debate on EU report on Common Agricultural Policy price proposals. Lords: Pensions Bill, Third Reading; Miners' Welfare Act (Transfer of Functions of Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation) Order; Prisoners (Scotland) orders.