The week in Westminster 27th October – 31st October
The climate change bill faces its remaining stages on Tuesday. Environmentalists are head-over-heels with glee after the government caved in and incorporated aviation into the emissions target. It’s a total victory for the green lobby, who this time last year were calling for the 60 per cent target to be bumped up to 80 per cent and for aviation to be thrown in. They have now secured everything they wanted. If it passes on Tuesday, which it probably will, Britain will have the most far-reaching green legislation in the world.
Another contentious piece of law facing its last hurdle this week is the human fertilisation and embryology bill, which has its Commons amendments evaluated in the Lords by Lord Darzai on Wednesday.
Jacqui Smith undergoes a potentially gruelling session giving evidence to the joint committee on human rights on Tuesday. Parliamentary committees are usually far more liberal than the government when it comes to civil liberties, so lords and MPs will be probably be extremely critical of the home secretary’s calls for a database of Briton’s phone calls, texts and emails. There may even be a little gloating about the government’s decision to drop plans for 42-day detention and private coroners’ inquests.
Monday
Commons
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Home Office; including Topical Questions
Legislation:
Local Transport Bill [HL] – remaining stages
Adjournment:
Street works by utility companies – Andrew Gwynne
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Compliance with immigration and security rules relating to passengers travelling by private aircraft – Lord Naseby
Advice received from Muslim Women’s Advisory Group – Baroness Warsi
Co-operation between NATO and the European Union on defence matters – Lord Astor of Hever
Visitors to Palace of Westminster – Baroness Massey of Darwen
Legislation:
Torture (Damages) Bill [HL] – Committee stage – Lord Archer of Sandwell
Legislation:
Pensions Bill – Report stage (day 2) – Lord McKenzie of Luton
Orders and Regulations:
Mental Health Act 2007 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2008 – Baroness Thornton
Select committees
2.30pm
The Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Affairs
Subject:
Political Developments in Northern Ireland
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Peter Robinson MP MLA, First Minister
3.45pm
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families
Subject:
Looked-after Children
Witness(es):
Local Government Association; London Borough of Hackney, Manchester City Council, and Warwickshire County Council (at 4.30 pm)
4.15pm
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject:
English pig industry
Witness(es):
British Hospitality Association; British Retail Consortium and Waitrose (at 4.45 pm); Rt Hon Jane Kennedy MP, Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (at 5.30 pm)
4.15pm
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject:
Draft Apprenticeships Bill
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families, and Lord Young of Norwood Green, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, and official, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
4.30pm
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts
Subject:
Protecting the public: the work of the Parole Board
Witness(es):
Christine Glenn, Chief Executive, Parole Board, Phil Wheatley, Chief Executive, National Offender Management Service, and Peter Handcock CBE, Director General, Access to Justice Directorate, Ministry of Justice
4.40pm
Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government
Subject:
Communities and Local Government’s Departmental Annual Report 2008
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State, Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing, and Rt Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Local Government, Department for Communities and Local Government
Lords committees
4.05pm
EU Sub-Committee B: Internal Market
Subject:
The Small Business Act
Witness(es):
(a)officials from the Department for Transport on the Greening Transport Package; and from (b) officials from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
General committees
4.30pm
Room 10, Palace of Westminster
European Committee B:
Subject:
EU Document No.11238/08 and Addendum 1 relating to Relations between the EU and the Overseas Countries and Territories
4.30pm
Room 11, Palace of Westminster
First Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject:
Draft Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008, the Draft Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2008 and the draft Police (Performance) Regulations 2008
4.30pm
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Second Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject:
Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 2668) and the Draft Landsbanki Freezing (Amendment) Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 2766)
4.30pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Third Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject:
Landfill Tax (Material from Contaminated Land) (Phasing out of Exemption) Order 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 2669)
Tuesday
Commons
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Justice; including Topical Questions
Ten Minute Rule Bill:
Gamma-butyrolactone (Prohibition) – Joan Ryan
Legislation:
Climate Change Bill [HL] – remaining stages
Motion:
To establish a Select Committee of the House
Adjournment:
Schools Adjudicator and partially selective schools – David Gauke
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
British tourism – Lord Clement-Jones
Ethnic minorities in the police force – Lord Sheikh
Education maintenance allowance – Lord Bilston
Personal, social and health education in schools – Baroness Massey of Darwen
Legislation:
Energy Bill – Report stage (day 2) – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Orders and Regulations:
Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008; Landsbanki Freezing (Amendment) Order 2008 – Lord Myners
Westminster Hall
9.30am – 11am
State pension and benefits for elderly people – Richard Younger-Ross
11am – 12.30pm
Inland waterways and their future restoration – Charlotte Atkins
12.30pm – 1pm
Bromley Hospitals NHS and Orpington Hospital – Mr John Horam
1pm – 1.30pm
Funding for restoration of the Newbridge Memorial Hall – Mr Don Touhig
1.30pm – 2pm
MOD bilateral programme with Chinese People’s Liberation Army – Mr Ben Wallace
Select committee
10.20am
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Environmental Audit
Subject:
Reducing CO2 and other emissions from shipping
Witness(es):
International Maritime Organization; The Chamber of Shipping (at 11.00 am)
10.30am
Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Culture, Media and Sport
Subject:
The Licensing Act 2003
Witness(es):
Brigid Simmonds OBE, Chairman, Central Council of Physical Recreation and Committee of Registered Club Associations; Association of Circus Proprietors of Great Britain, and Zippo’s Circus (at 11.10 am); James Lowman, Chief Executive, Association of Convenience Stores, and Jeremy Beadles, Chief Executive, The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (at 11.40 am)
10.30am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs
Subject:
Managing Migration: Draft Immigration and Citizenship Bill
Witness(es):
Immigration Advisory Service, and Refugee Legal Centre; Liberty, and JUSTICE (at 11.15 am)
10.30am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
International Development
Subject:
HIV/AIDS: DFID’s New Strategy
Witness(es):
Lucy Chesire, Kenyan TB/HIV advocate; Dr Kent Buse, Health Policy Analyst and International HIV/AIDS Alliance (at 11.00 am); ActionAid and the UK Consortium on Aids and International Development (at 11.45 am)
11.05am
Room 21, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts Commission
Subject:
NAO’s Refurbishment Project
Witness(es):
Tim Burr CB, Comptroller and Auditor General, and the National Audit Office
1.45pm
Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject:
Human rights issues relating to the Home Office
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department
2.30pm
The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
Defence and Foreign Affairs
Subject:
Afghanistan and Iraq
Witness(es):
Rt Hon John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Defence, and Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
4.15pm
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Justice
Subject:
Justice Reinvestment
Witness(es):
Savas Hadjipavlou, Head of Health Policy and Strategy Unit, Ministry of Justice; Angela Greatley, Chief Executive, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, and Professor Jonathan Shepherd CBE, Cardiff University (at 4.50 pm); Richrd Kramer, Director, Centre of Excellence for Connected Care, Turning Point, Catherine Hennessy, Director of Operations, Revolving Doors Agency, and Miles Rinaldi, Head of Recovery and Social Inclusion, New Directions Team (at 5.20 pm)
Lords committees
1.45pm
Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject:
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Home Secretary
General committees
10.30am
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Banking Bill Committee:
Subject:
To consider the Bill
10.30am
Room 11, Palace of Westminster
Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject:
Draft Local Elections (Ordinary Day of Elections in 2009) Order 2008
4.30pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Banking Bill Committee:
Subject:
To consider the Bill
Wednesday
Commons
11.30am
Oral Questions:
Scotland
Prime Minister’s Question Time:
Ten Minute Rule Bill:
Food Labelling – Mr Richard Bacon
Debate:
Opposition Day (11th allotted day) (Second part) – Olympic legacy
Private Business:
The Chairman of Ways and Means will name Opposed Private Business for consideration
Adjournment:
Rail links between Halifax and London – Mrs Linda Riordan
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Titan prisons – Lord Dubs
Amount of unsolicited mail delivered to residential addresses – Lord Selsdon
Age-appropriate accommodation and care for children and young people in mental health hospitals – Lord Williamson of Horton
Legislation:
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [HL] – Commons Amendment – Lord Darzi of Denham
Legislation:
Pensions Bill – Report stage (day 3) – Lord McKenzie of Luton
Orders and Regulations:
Judicial Appointments Order 2008 – Lord Bach
Debate:
Communications Committee Report on The ownership of the news – Lord Fowler
Westminster Hall
9.30am – 11am
Compensation for UK victims of overseas terrorism – Mr Ian McCartney
11am – 11.30am
Development policy and Sierra Leone – Laura Moffatt
2.30pm – 4pm
Government strategy and objectives in Afghanistan – Mr Oliver Heald
4pm – 4.30pm
Cancer service centre in Kendal – Tim Farron
4.30pm – 5pm
Government support for social enterprise – Margaret Moran
Select committees
9.30am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families
Subject:
Looked-after Children
Witness(es):
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families
9.30am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject:
DIUS Departmental Report 2008
Witness(es):
Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State, and Ian Watmore, Permanent Secretary, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
9.30am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Work and Pensions
Subject:
DWP’s commissioning strategy and the employment programme market
Witness(es):
Serco, The Wise Group, and Action for Employment (A4e); Glasgow Works – City Strategy Consortium, Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, and Local Government Association (at 10.45 am)
2.15pm
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Scottish Affairs
Subject:
Implications for the Scottish economy of the current economic climate
Witness(es):
CBI Scotland and Professor David Bell, University of Stirling
2.30pm
Room 19, Palace of Westminster
European Scrutiny
Subject:
Scrutiny of European Documents
2.30pm
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Foreign Affairs
Subject:
FCO Departmental Report 2008
Witness(es):
Sir Peter Ricketts KCMG, Permanent Secretary, Keith Luck, Director General, Finance, and James Bevan, Director General, Change and Delivery, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
2.30pm
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Treasury Sub-Committee
Subject:
Administration and Expenditure of the Chancellor’s Departments 2007-08
Witness(es):
Mike Clasper, CBE, Chairman, and David Hartnett CB, Acting Chief Executive Officer, HM Revenue & Customs (at 3.30 pm)
2.45pm
Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Transport
Subject:
Department for Transport Annual Report 2008
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Geoffrey Hoon MP, Secretary of State, and Mr Robert Devereux, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport
3pm
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject:
Defra’s Departmental Report 2008
Witness(es):
Dame Helen Ghosh, Permanent Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
3.30pm
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts
Subject:
DWP: Handling customer complaints
Witness(es):
Witnesses: Sir Leigh Lewis KCB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions, Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive, Jobcentre Plus, and Terry Moran, Chief Executive, Pensions, Disability and Carers Service
Lords committee
10.40am
Science and Technology: Sub-Committee II
Subject:
Genomic Medicine
Witness(es):
Stephen Haddrill, Director General, Association of British Insurers (ABI); Sarah Veale, Head, Equality and Employment Rights, Trades Union Congress (TUC); Professor David Johns, Chairman, Genetics and Insurance Committee (GAIC); and Michael Harrison, Barrister specialist in clinical negligence, and member of the Human Genetics Commission (HGC)
General committees
2.30pm
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject:
Draft Judicial Appointments Order 2008
Thursday
Commons
10.30am
Oral Questions:
Treasury; including Topical Questions
Business Statement:
Leader of the House
Topical Debate:
Subject to be announced
Debate:
Defence Policy
Adjournment:
Adoption procedures in relation to Yat Long – Mr Paul Beresford
Lords
11am
Oral Questions:
Private sector pay increases – Lord Wedderburn of Charlton
Shared Ownership for the Elderly scheme – Baroness Greengross
Constitutional role of the monarchy – Lord Taverne
Legislation:
Education and Skills Bill – Report stage (day 1) – Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
Westminster Hall
2.30pm – 5.30pm
Debate on Politics and Administration: Ministers and Civil Servants, Third Report from the Public Administration Committee, Session 2006-07, HC 122-I
Select committee
10am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
International Development
Subject:
HIV/AIDS: DFID’s New Strategy
Witness(es):
Ivan Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development
10.15am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Administration
Subject:
The Work of the Ombudsman/Equitable Life
Witness(es):
Ann Abraham, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
11am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Health
Subject:
Patient Safety
Witness(es):
Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, and Professor Dame Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health
2pm
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
International Development
Subject:
DFID Annual Report 2008
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development
Lords committee
10.10am
EU Sub-Committee G: Social Policy and Consumer Affairs
Subject:
Inquiry into the EU Commission’s proposals for a
directive on patients’ rights in cross border healthcare
Witness(es):
Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo, Minister of State, Department of Health
General committees
8.55am
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject:
Draft Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008
9am
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Banking Bill Committee:
Subject:
To consider the Bill
1pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Banking Bill Committee:
Subject:
To consider the Bill
Friday
Neither House will be sitting.
