The week in Westminster: April 22nd to 26th
It is all about legislation this week, as both houses debate, discuss, propose and vote on everything from visa restrictions on visitors from Brazil to the unlawfulness of caste discrimination.
After the House of Commons voted down amending the equality act to include caste discrimination on Tuesday, the House of Lords will hear the case again next week. They will either dismiss the issue or challenge the Lords by standing ground (lookout for our upcoming comment piece by Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, on the vote), bringing the proposal back to the Commons.
Meanwhile, John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay, takes on the UK membership in the European Union bill, Lord McColl of Dulwich tackles human trafficking prevention and Lord Dubs sees about our air quality.
House of Commons
Monday 22 April 2013
Oral Questions – Education, including Topical Questions
Legislation – Public Service Pensions Bill – Consideration of Lords amendments
Legislation – Crime and Courts Bill [HL] – Consideration of Lords amendments
Legislation – Partnerships (Prosecution) (Scotland) Bill [HL] – Report stage
Legislation – Partnerships (Prosecution) (Scotland) Bill [HL] – Third reading
Motion – Section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993
Adjournment – Fixed odds betting terminals – Tom Greatrex
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Oral Questions – Foreign & Commonwealth Office, including Topical Questions
Ten Minute Rule Motion – Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (Amendment) – Sarah Teather
Debate – Opposition Day [Unallotted half day] – Northern Ireland
Adjournment – Effect of weather conditions on upland sheep farmers – Glyn Davies
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Oral Questions – Scotland
Prime Minister's Question Time
Ten Minute Rule Motion – Planning Permission (Financial Penalties) – Jeremy Lefroy
Debate – Opposition Day [Unallotted half day] – Agricultural Wages Board
Adjournment – Attracting girls to ICT careers – Chi Onwurah
Thursday 25 April 2013
Oral Questions – Transport, including Topical Questions; Leader of the House and House of Commons Commission
Business Statement – Leader of the House
Motion – To approve a Statutory Instrument relating to Banks and Banking
Motion – To approve a European Document relating to Railways
Adjournment – Human rights in Burma – Mr David Burrowes
Friday 26 April 2013
Business – The following bills have been named for consideration on this day although the House is not expected to sit. Standing Order No. 14 provides for 13 Fridays on which private Members' bills have precedence over government business. Unless the House decides otherwise, these are the only Fridays on which the House sits. MPs may, however, name any other day for consideration of private Members' bills.
Legislation – Regulation of Bailiffs Bill – Second reading – Mr Jim Cunningham
Legislation – NHS Audit Requirements (Foreign Nationals) Bill – Second reading – Henry Smith
Legislation – Relationship, Drug and Alcohol Education (Curriculum) Bill – Second reading – Diana Johnson
Legislation – Honours (Equality of Titles for Partners) Bill – Second reading – Oliver Colvile
Legislation – Winter Fuel Allowance Payments (Off Gas Grid Claimants) Bill – Second reading – Mr Mike Weir
Legislation – Planning Applications (Community Right of Appeal) Bill – Second reading – Chris Skidmore
Legislation – Building Regulations (External Retaining and Load-Bearing Walls) Bill – Second reading – Stephen Mosley
Legislation – Consolidation of Housing Regulations Bill – Second reading – Mr Adrian Sanders
Legislation – Regulation of the Private Rented Sector Bill – Second reading – Jeremy Corbyn
Legislation – Regulation of Signage and Ticketing Technology (Publicly-Available Car Parks) Bill – Second reading – Nick Smith
Legislation – Multinational Motor Manufacturing Companies (Duty of Care to Former Employees) Bill – Second reading – Geraint Davies
Legislation – Planning Act 2008 (Amendment) Bill – Second reading – Phil Wilson
Legislation – Supermarket Pricing Information Bill – Second reading – Mr John Denham
Legislation – Recall of Elected Representatives Bill – Second reading – Zac Goldsmith
Legislation – Voting Age (Reduction to 16) Bill Bill – Second reading – Stephen Williams
Legislation – Local Authority Devolution and Powers Bill – Second reading – John Pugh
Legislation – Landlord Accreditation Bill – Second reading – Caroline Lucas
Legislation – Micro Businesses and Energy Contract Roll-Over Bill – Second reading – Caroline Lucas
Legislation – Land Value Tax Bill – Second reading – Caroline Lucas
Legislation – United Kingdom Membership of the European Union (Referendum) Bill – Second reading – Mr John Baron
Legislation – Social Care (Local Sufficiency) and Identification of Carers Bill – Second reading (Day 2) – Barbara Keeley
Legislation – Science, Technology and Engineering (Careers Information in Schools) Bill – Second reading – Peter Luff
Legislation – European Communities Act 1972 (Repeal) Bill – Second reading (Day 2) – Mr Douglas Carswell
Legislation – Vehicle Fuel Receipts (Transparency of Taxation) Bill – Second reading – Robert Halfon
Legislation – International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill – Second reading (Day 3) – Mark Hendrick
Legislation – Property Blight Compensation Bill – Second reading – Mrs Caroline Spelman
Legislation – Blood, Organ and Bone Marrow Donation (Education) Bill – Second reading – Seema Malhotra
Legislation – National Commonwealth Military Day Bill – Second reading – Graham Evans
Legislation – Parish and Town Council Precepts (Referendums) Bill – Second reading – Kris Hopkins
Legislation – Abortion Statistics Bill – Second reading – Fiona Bruce
Legislation – Co-operative Schools Bill – Second reading – Meg Munn
House of Lords
Monday 22 April 2013
Introduction(s) – Bishop of Truro
Oral Questions – Ascertaining a date for publication of the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war – Lord Dykes
The number of instances of Female Genital Mutilation carried out in the UK in the past 10 years – Baroness Cox
Installing extra corporal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines in NHS hospitals – Baroness Gardner of Parkes
Improving the competitiveness of UK industry – Lord Haskel
Legislation – Succession to the Crown Bill – Third reading – Lord Wallace of Tankerness
Legislation – Growth and Infrastructure Bill – Consideration of Commons amendments – Baroness Hanham
Legislation – Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill – Consideration of Commons amendments – Viscount Younger of Leckie
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Oral Questions – Release of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for the protection of the public – Lord Lloyd of Berwick
Government's new policy on judicial review – Baroness Whitaker
Support given to British citizens and their families who are victims of serious violent crime abroad – Lord Kennedy of Southwark
Decision to suspend surgery at the Leeds General Infirmary Children’s Heart Unit – Baroness Eaton
Legislation – Public Service Pensions Bill – Consideration of Commons amendments – Lord Newby
Legislation – Defamation Bill – Consideration of Commons amendments – Lord McNally
Legislation – Crime and Courts Bill [HL] – Consideration of Commons amendments – Lord Taylor of Holbeach
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Oral Questions – UK Statistics Authority overruling Office for National Statistics' decision to keep the Retail Prices Index as an official national statistic – Lord Naseby
Action to improve air quality in London and other cities – Lord Dubs
UK incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis being higher than in other European countries – Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
Debate – Procedure of the House 5th Report from the Select Committee (Private notice questions; tabling oral questions; repeal of Standing Orders; repetition of answers to House of Commons urgent questions) – Lord Sewel
Debate – Procedure of the House 6th Report from the Select Committee (Backbench Debates); Motion to resolve that this House establish, for the duration of the 2013–14 session of Parliament, a Backbench Debates Committee – Lord Sewel
Legislation – Marine Navigation (No. 2) Bill – Third reading – Baroness Wilcox
Orders and Regulations – National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No. 2) Regulations 2013 – Motion to annul – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Thursday 25 April 2013
Oral Questions – Economic impact on UK tourism industry of new visa restrictions for visitors from Brazil – Lord Clement-Jones
Government efforts to ensure the EU adopts more ambitious climate change targets – Baroness Worthington
Government steps to ensure compliance with the EU directive on preventing trafficking in human beings – Lord McColl of Dulwich
Debate – Maastricht convergence criteria motion; European Union Semester – Lord Newby
Friday 26 April 2013
No business has been announced for this day.
