Week in Westminster: March 4th – 8th
With the Eastleigh by-election behind us, Westminster can return to the act of governing, in theory at least. The coalition escaped having to answer questions on Lord Rennard and sexual harassment during prime minister's questions last week, so it would appear they are in the clear unless some new scandal arises.
One scandal stubbornly refusing to go away is the one regarding horsemeat. Several organisations will appear before the environment, food and rural affairs committee to discuss the contamination of beef products.
Elsewhere Chris Bryant, Martin Horwood and Andrea Leadsom will be among a group of MPs discussing the ever-popular subject of EU scrutiny in the Commons, and the Lords will be doing their part to improve the representation of women in sports and business as part of International Women's Day on Thursday.
House of Commons
Monday 4 March 2013
Oral Questions – Education, including Topical Questions
Legislation – Justice and Security Bill [HL] – Report stage
Adjournment – Regulation of health professionals – Stephen Barclay
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Oral Questions – Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including Topical Questions
Ten Minute Rule Motion
Property Blight Compensation – Mrs Caroline Spelman
Debate – Estimates Day [2nd allotted day] – Budget and structure of the Ministry of Justice
Adjournment – Operations of JG Pears Limited's animal rendering plant in Market Harborough – Sir Edward Garnier
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Oral Questions – Northern Ireland
Prime Minister's Question Time
Ten Minute Rule Motion – Blood, Organ and Bone Marrow Donation (Education) – Seema Malhotra
Debate – Estimates Day [3rd allotted day] – Universal Credit
Debate – Regulation of Medical Imports in the EU and UK
Adjournment – Dalgety Bay radiation – Mr Gordon Brown
Thursday 7 March 2013
Oral Questions – Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, including Topical Questions, and to the Church Commissioners, the Public Accounts Commission and the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission
Business Statement – Leader of the House
Business – Proceedings on the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipations and Adjustments) Bill
Legislation – Justice and Security Bill [HL] – Report stage (Day 2)
Legislation – Justice and Security Bill [HL] – Third reading
Adjournment – Child Support Agency – non-resident parents assessed before 2003 – Pamela Nash
Friday 8 March 2013
No business has been announced for this day.
House of Lords
Monday 4 March 2013
Oral Questions – Assisting families facing homelessness as a result of housing benefit changes due in April – Baroness Turner of Camden; Face-to-face careers guidance for all young people in schools – Baroness Jones of Whitchurch; Effects of local council tax support schemes on poverty – Lord McKenzie of Luton; Representations received from the public on the negotiations for the new EU budget perspective period to 2020 – Lord Dykes
Legislation – Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill – Report stage (Day 2) – Lord Marland/Viscount Younger of Leckie
Short Debate – Commemorating the centenary of the First World War – Lord Clark of Windermere
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Oral Questions – Assessment of the EU subsidiarity test procedure in view of the two recent reasoned opinions submitted by this House to the EU Institutions – Lord Kakkar; Management of community-sentenced offenders remaining the responsibility of the Probation Service – Lord Ramsbotham; Legislation concerning the holding of referendums in the UK – Baroness Quin
Legislation – Presumption of Death Bill – Third reading – Baroness Kramer
Legislation – Mobile Homes Bill – Third reading – Lord Best
Legislation – Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill – Committee of the whole House (Day 2) – Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Debate – Report from the Delegated Powers Committee on the scrutiny of delegated legislation – Baroness Thomas of Winchester
Short Debate – Personal, Social and Health education in schools – Baroness Massey of Darwen
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Oral Questions – Ensuring wage-earners who are below the income tax threshold will benefit from any future increases in the personal allowance – Lord Greaves; Measures to detect and prevent sudden cardiac death – Lord Storey; Number of people employed by the EU Institutions and information on the number of those who pay either no tax, or reduced tax rates, on their remuneration – Lord Flight
Legislation – Antarctic Bill – Third reading – Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Legislation – Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill – Report stage (Day 3) – Lord Marland/Viscount Younger of Leckie
Short Debate – Sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations – Bishop of Wakefield
Thursday 7 March 2013
Oral Questions – Action to encourage women and girls to take part in sport and improve the profile of women’s sport in the media – Baroness Massey of Darwen; Addressing the under-representation of women, especially black and ethnic minority women, on FTSE 100 boards – Baroness Howells of St Davids; Ensuring the action plan for ending violence against women and girls is delivered consistently in schools – Baroness Prosser
Debate – International Women’s Day – Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Debate – Developments in the Commonwealth – Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Friday 8 March 2013
No business has been announced for this day.
Pick of the select committees
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Contamination of beef products
Witness(es): Local Government Association; British Meat Processors Association and ABP Food Group; National Farmers Union
Location: The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Wednesday 6 March 2013
European Scrutiny
Subject: European Scrutiny system in the House of Commons
Witness(es): Chris Bryant MP, Martin Horwood MP and Andrea Leadsom MP; Richard Bacon MP, Robert Broadhurst and Chris Heaton-Harris MP
Location: Room 5, Palace of Westminster
