The week in Westminster: December 7th-11th
The final Pre-Budget Report before the coming general election will dominate Westminster politics this week.
But, after a relatively quiet period in parliament, there’s a plethora of other interesting developments taking place.
In the Lords, new Ukip leader Lord Pearson will call for a referendum on Europe on Monday.
Serjeant-at-arms Jill Pay, who former Speaker Michael Martin attempted to blame for the Damian Green office search by police, will get her say on Monday before the committee examining the search without a warrant.
And the following day former Met commissioner Sir Ian Blair will appear before the home committee, perhaps for the last time, as he ponders the Home Office’s response to terrorist attacks.
Commons
Monday
Questions – work and pensions
Legislation – energy bill
Adjournment debate – asylum system and destitution and homelessness
Tuesday
Questions – communities and local government
Opposition day debate – i) disability benefits for the elderly; ii) local government Finance settlement and council tax
Adjournment debate – flooding in West Cumbria
Wednesday
Questions – Cabinet Office; PMQs
Statement – Pre-Budget Report
Legislation – child poverty bill
Adjournment debate – upper gastro-intestinal surgery
Thursday
Questions – environment, food and rural affairs
Business statement – leader of the House
Debate – estimates – i) students and universities; ii) the relationship between Central and Local Government
Adjournment debate – British nuclear test veterans
Lords
Monday
Questions – UK’s United Nations assessed peacekeeping contributions; number in public employment; apprenticeships in 2008/09; referendum asking whether the UK should remain in the EU
Orders and regulations – Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (References to Financial Investigators) (Amendment) Order 2009
Debate – science and technology committee on pandemic influenza: Follow-up
Debate – European Union committee on money laundering and the financing of terrorism
Tuesday
Questions – future of BBC Trust, family intervention projects, fiscal deficit
Legislation – cluster munitions (prohibitions) bill
Debate – committee on climate change’s progress report: “Meeting Carbon Budgets-the need for a step change”
Wednesday
Questions – major projects and public spending, House of Lords procedure, serving personnel voting in coming elections
Legislation – bribery bill
Short debate – teaching in schools to increase understanding of the influence of the media
Thursday
Questions – alcoholic drink pricing, Nagorno-Karabakh, government’s pledge to protect private tenants whose homes are repossessed because of their landlord’s mortgage arrears
Debate – Commonwealth’s shared goals in democracy and development
Debate – Royal Society report ‘reaping the benefits’ and contribution made by British agriculture
Orders and regulations – Criminal Defence Service (Contribution Orders) Regulations 2009; Criminal Defence Service (Representation Orders: Appeals etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2009; Criminal Defence Service (Representation Orders) (Amendment) Regulations 2009; Banking Act 2009 (Exclusion of Insurers) Order 2009
Friday
Legislation – cooperative and community benefit societies and credit unions bill
Legislation – contaminated blood (support for infected and bereaved persons) bill
Legislation – marriage (Wales) bill
Legislation – rehabilitation of offenders (amendment) bill
Pick of the committees
Monday
16:55: Serjeant-at-arms Jill Pay, before committee on issue of privilege, on: Police searches on the Parliamentary Estate
Tuesday
10:30: Ex-Met’s Andy Hayman and Sir Ian Blair, before home affairs committee, on: The Home Offices’s response to Terrorist Attacks
10:30: ITV executive chairman Michael Grade, before culture, media and sport committee, on: The Future of Local and Regional Media
Wednesday
14:30: Foreign secretary David Miliband, before foreign affairs committee, on: Developments in the EU
14:45: London mayor Boris Johnson, before transport committee, on: Update on the London Underground and the public-private partnership (PPP) agreements
