The Week in Westminster January 12th – 16th
It’s back to school after the Christmas holidays, although for any front bench MP the new term started last week with everyone else. The Cabinet met in Liverpool after Gordon Brown went on a curious nationwide tour. That was complemented – if that’s the proper word – by David Cameron’s trip around Britain, with both leaders setting out their economic stall.
With Gaza dominating the headlines, there could be some interesting issues raised during Foreign Office questions on Tuesday. David Heath, Liberal Democrat Commons spokesman, has written a letter to Harriet Harman, leader of the House, calling for an emergency debate into the crisis. There’s no news yet on how the government is treating that request, so if nothing comes of it there’s every chance concerned MPs will hijack this session to get some debate on the matter.
Later on in the day the information commissioner’s job comes under the spotlight in front of the justice committee. Richard Thomas will be grilled by MPs on how his work proceeds. He holds a peculiar role in Westminster, not dissimilar to the Fool in King Lear, or Ariel in the Tempest: part of the power structure but with a special dispensation to criticise it. That may not be something he can hold up in the face of an overbearing executive.
Then it’s back to panto season with the first prime minister’s questions of the year. The weight of foreign affairs at the moment – like Russia’s gas fight with Ukraine and events in Gaza – will still struggle to overtake economic concerns as Mr Cameron’s line of attack, but we could always be surprised.
Prime Minister’s Question Time:
Debate:
Iraq: Future strategic relationship
Monday
Commons
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Defence; including Topical Questions
Legislation:
Business Rate Supplements Bill – Second reading
Adjournment:
Independent mental health advocacy – Mr Charles Walker
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Public sector recruitment – Lord James of Blackheath
People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran – Lord Waddington
Withdrawal of British troops from Iraq – Lord Astor of Hever
Surrey police force’s budget – Lord Trefgarne
Legislation:
Marine and Coastal Access Bill (HL) – Committee stage (day 1) – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Orders and Regulations:
Transfer of Tribunal Functions and Revenue and Customs Appeals Order 2009 – Lord Myners
Tuesday
Commons
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office; including Topical Questions
Legislation:
Saving Gateway Accounts Bill – Second reading
Adjournment:
Flooding and drainage in South Ribble – Mr David S Borrow
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Export Credits Guarantee Department and UK renewables industry – Lord Teverson
Juveniles held in Secure Training Centres – Baroness Stern
Lisbon Treaty – Lord Dykes
Legislation:
Banking Bill – Committee stage (day 1) – Lord Myners
Short Debate:
Reform of the default retirement age – Baroness Greengross/Baroness Vadera
Westminster Hall
9.30am – 11am
Future of local press – Dr Ashok Kumar
11am – 12.30pm
Growth in the Milton Keynes/South Midlands sub-region – Mr David Lidington
12.30pm – 1pm
Affordable housing in Durham – Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods
1pm – 1.30pm
Funding of policing in Gloucestershire – Mr Mark Harper
1.30pm – 2pm
Home repossessions – Dr Vincent Cable
Commons Committees
9.45am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Treasury
Subject: Banking Crisis
Witness(es): Professor Willem Buiter, Professor of European Political Economy, London School of Economics, Will Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, The Work Foundation, Professor Charles Goodhart, Professor Emeritus of Banking and Finance, London School of Economics, Mr Richard Lambert, Director General, CBI, and Jon Moulton, Managing Partner, Alchemy Partners
10.30am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs
Subject: Knife Crime
Witness(es): Association of Chief Police Officers; British Transport Police (at 11.15 am); Youth Justice Board (at 11.45 am)
10.30am
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Business and Enterprise and Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: Pre-Appointment Hearing for new Ofcom Chairman
Witness(es): Colette Bowe
5.15pm
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Justice
Subject: Work of the Information Commissioner
Witness(es): Richard Thomas, Information Commissioner, David Smith, Deputy Commissioner, and Simon Entwisle, Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Information Commissioner
Lords Committees
10.35am
EU Sub-Committee A: Economic and Financial Affairs, and International Trade
Subject: EU Financial Regulation
Witness(es): tbc
General Committees
10.30am
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
First Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Excise Duties (Surcharges or Rebates) (Hydrocarbon Oils etc.) (Revocation) Order 2008
(S.I., 2008, No. 3018)
4.30pm
Room 11, Palace of Westminster
Second Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Alcoholic Liquor Duties (Surcharges) and Tobacco Products Duty Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 3026) and the Alcoholic Liquor (Surcharge on Spirits Duty) Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 3062)
Wednesday
Commons
11.30am
Oral Questions:
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Prime Minister’s Question Time:
Debate:
Iraq: Future strategic relationship
Adjournment:
Self-balancing personal transporters – Lembit Öpik
Lords
3pm
Oral Questions:
Carbon capture and storage – Lord Ezra
Adults with dyslexia seeking work – Lord Addington
Disarmament – Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Legislation:
Banking Bill – Committee stage (day 2) – Lord Myners
Short Debate:
Reform of the treatment of women in prisons – Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Westminster Hall
9.30am – 11am
Social housing in central London – Mr Mark Field
11am – 11.30am
Chase Farm Hospital – Mr David Burrowes
2.30pm – 4pm
Tax credits, childcare tax credit and working parents – Ms Karen Buck
4pm – 4.30pm
Pharmacy payments and clawbacks – Mr Adrian Sanders
4.30pm – 5pm
Exchange rate policy – Mr Christopher Chope
Commons Committees
9.30am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject: Engineering
Witness(es): Ian Midgley, Richard Archer, and Bob Dover; BAE, National Grid, and WS Atkins (at 10.15 am)
9.30am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Work and Pensions
Subject: DWP’s response to the economic downturn and the implications for welfare reform
Witness(es): John Philpot, Chief Economist, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development; Rt. Hon. James Purnell MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (at 10.00 am)
9.30am
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Business and Enterprise
Subject: The Work of the Department
Witness(es): Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
2.30pm
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Treasury
Subject: Banking Crisis
Witness(es): Which?, Citizens Advice, and Federation of Small Businesses; Council of Mortgage Lenders, Finance and Leasing Association, and British Bankers’ Association (at 3.30 p.m.)
4pm
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Energy efficiency and fuel poverty
Witness(es): Joan Ruddock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change
3.30pm
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts
Subject: Central government’s management of service contracts
Witness(es): Nigel Smith, Chief Executive, Office of Government Commerce
2.45pm
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Transport
Subject: Taxes and charges on road users
Witness(es): North East Chamber of Commerce and London First; Freight Transport Association, Brewery Logistics Group and Central London Freight Quality Partnership (at 3.15 p.m.); British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, Retail Motor Industry Federation and UK Petroleum Industry Association Ltd (at 4.00 p.m.)
3pm
Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Northern Ireland Affairs
Subject: Cross-border co-operation
Witness(es): Ronnie Spence, Paul Doran and Brian McCaughey, Probation Board for Northern Ireland; Colin Reid, Avery Bowser and Kathleen Spencer Chapman, NSPCC (at 3.30 p.m.)
Lords Committees
10.40am
EU Sub-Committee F: Home Affairs
Subject: Community Civil Protection Mechanism
Witness(es): Hans Das, Deputy Head of Unit, Civil Protection, European Commission
General Committees
2.30pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Third Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Order 2009
2.30pm
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Travellers’ Allowances (Amendment) Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 3058)
2.30pm
Room 11, Palace of Westminster
Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: The Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules 2008 (HC 1113)
Thursday
Commons
10.30am
Oral Questions:
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Solicitor General; including Topical Questions
Business Statement:
Leader of the House
Topical Debate:
Subject to be announced
Debate:
Armed Forces personnel
Adjournment:
Cyprus – Mr Andrew Dismore
Lords
11am
Oral Questions:
Bill of rights for Northern Ireland – Lord Trimble
Public lavatories at bus and rail stations – Baroness Greengross
Interest charged by lenders – Lord Higgins
Debate:
Children’s services departments in local authorities – Baroness Shephard of Northwold/Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
Local authority parking and traffic regimes – Lord Lucas/Lord Adonis
Orders and Regulations:
Companies (Trading Disclosures)(Amendment)Regulations 2008 – Baroness Vadera
Companies(Disclosure of Address)Regulations 2008 – Baroness Vadera
Local Government (Structural Changes) Areas and Membership of Public Bodies in Bedfordshire and Cheshire Order 2008 – Baroness Andrews
Westminster Hall
2.30pm – 5.30pm
A debate on the report from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee entitled ‘Policing and criminal justice in Northern Ireland: the cost of policing the past’
Commons Committees
10am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Health
Subject: Patient Safety
Witness(es): Royal College of Radiologists, Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, and Brian Toft, Professor of Patient Safety, Coventry University; Professor Mike Murphy, Consultant Haematologist, John Radcliffe Hospital, Professor Bryony Dean Franklin, Centre for Medication Safety and Service Quality, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and GS1 UK. (at 11.15 am)
10am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Administration
Subject: Good Government
Witness(es): Sir Michael Bichard, Lord Birt and Lord (Digby) Jones of Birmingham
Lords Committees
10.10am
EU Sub-Committee G: Social Policy and Consumer Affairs
Subject: Cross-border Healthcare
Witness(es): Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, EU Health Commissioner
General Committees
8.55am
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: to consider The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 794)
9am
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Second Reading Committee:
Subject: Corporation Tax Bill
Friday
Commons
The House will not be sitting
Lords
The House of Lords is not sitting.
