The Week in Westminster December 15th – 19th
It’s the last week of parliamentary business before the Christmas break, and things now start slowing down. The Home Office answers questions in the Commons on Monday. Jacqui Smith will be wary of queries relating to Zimbabwe. The Home Office is standing firm on preventing any Zimbabwean asylum seekers coming to the UK to escape the cholera outbreak and general disaster in their home state. The Foreign Office is far more sympathetic, primarily because the policy cripples its ability to maintain a strong attack on Robert Mugabe. Several MPs on every part of the political spectrum find this outrageous, so expect some attacks on Ms Smith over the issue.
The business and enterprise select committee on Tuesday homes in on a central issue of last week’s PMQs – bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses. The roll call of witnesses is impressive: the British Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Barclays, Lloyds etc. The answers they give are as good an indication of the relative merits of the parties’ positions as you’re going to get. The Tories say the government is lending to banks at 12 per cent and expecting banks to lend to businesses at half that. Labour – especially Lord Mandelson – is putting a lot of store in its regular meetings with leading industry figures.
Monday
Commons
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Home Office, including Topical Questions
Debate on the Address:
Economy, Pensions and Welfare
Adjournment:
Regulation of the grocery sector – Andrew George
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Votes for prisoners – Lord Pannick
Bluetongue disease – Lord Livsey of Talgarth
Pain in older people – Baroness Neuberger
Tuberculosis in London Schools – Baroness Sharples
Legislation:
Marine and Coastal Access Bill – Second reading – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
3.30pm
Orders and Regulations: Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Limited (Determination of Compensation) Order 2008; Heritable plc (Determination of Compensation) Order 2008; Bradford & Bingley Compensation Scheme Order 2008 – Lord Myners
Child Benefit (Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 – Lord McKenzie of Luton
Christmas Bonus (Specified Sum) Order 2008 – Lord McKenzie of Luton
Local Authorities (England) (Charges for Property Searches) Regulations 2008 – Baroness Andrews
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2008 – Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
Legislative Reform (Verification of Weighing and Measuring Equipment) Order 2008 – Lord Young of Norwood Green
Select Committees
1.30am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Treasury
Subject: The work of the Financial Services Authority 2007-08
Witness(es): Nick Prettejohn, Chairman, Financial Services Practitioner Panel, Simon Bolam, Chairman, Smaller Businesses Practitioner Panel, Adam Philips, Acting Chairman, Financial Services Consumer Panel, Peter Vicary-Smith, Chief Executive, Which?; Hector Sants, Chief Executive, Financial Services Authority (at 2.30pm)
2.30am
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Business and Enterprise
Subject: The role of regional development agencies
Witness(es): Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
2.30am
National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff
Welsh Affairs
Subject: The proposed draft National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Agriculture and Rural Development) Order 2008, relating to the Red Meat Industry
Witness(es): Elin Jones AM, Minister for Rural Affairs, Welsh Assembly Government; Wayne David MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (at 3.15 p.m.)
4.20pm
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Communities and Local Government
Subject: The Balance of Power: central and local government
Witness(es): Jeremy Smith, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), appearing in a personal capacity and the Institute of Local Government Studies; the Local Government Association (at 5.00 p.m.)
4.30pm
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Energy efficiency and fuel poverty
Witness(es): Consumer Focus; Joan Ruddock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (at 5.00 p.m.)
4.30am
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts
Subject: CDC: Investing to reduce poverty?
Witness(es): Nemat (Minouche) Shafik, Permanent Secretary, and Mark Lowcock, Director General, County Programmes, Department for International Development, and Sir Malcolm Williamson, Chairman, and Richard Laing, Chief Executive, CDC Group
General Committees
4.30pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
First Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Armed Forces (Alignment of Service Discipline Acts) (No. 2) Order 2008
4.30pm
Room 11, Palace of Westminster
Second Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) (England and Wales)
Order 2008
4.30pm
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Third Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Heritable Bank plc (Determination of Compensation) Order 2008, the Draft Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Limited (Determination of Compensation) Order 2008 and the draft Bradford and Bingley plc Compensation Scheme Order 2008
Tuesday
Commons
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
Health; including Topical Questions
Debate:
Estimates (1st allotted day) – i) energy prices, fuel poverty, OFGEM; ii) dental services
Adjournment:
Physical contact between teachers and pupils – Norman Baker
Lords
2.30pm
Oral Questions:
London 2012 and languages – Baroness Coussins
Dispensing of medicines by general medical practices – Lord Walton of Detchant
Effect on residents of pesticide spraying – Lord Tyler
Legislation:
Banking (No.2) Bill – Second reading – Lord Myners
Westminster Hall
9.30am – 11am
BBC World Service – Mr Greg Hands
11am – 12.30pm
Implications of the Rose Report – Dr Ian Gibson
12.30pm – 1pm
National Parks in England – Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger
1pm – 1.30pm
Implementing the Renewable Fuel Transfer Obligation – Paddy Tipping
1.30pm – 2pm
Secondary school reorganisation in Colchester – Bob Russell
Select Committees
10am
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Business and Enterprise
Subject: Banks lending to small and medium-size enterprises
Witness(es): David Frost, Director General, British Chambers of Commerce, Andrew Cave, Head of Policy, Federation of Small Businesses, and Michael Izza, Chief Executive, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; Steve Cooper, Managing Director, Local Business, Barclays Bank, John Maltby, Managing Director, Commercial Banking, Lloyds TSB, Lynne Peacock, Chief Executive Officer, Clydesdale Bank, and Peter Ibbetson, Chairman, RBS Small Businesses, Royal Bank of Scotland (at 11.15 a.m.)
10.20am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Communities and Local Government
Subject: Housing and the credit crunch
Witness(es): Council of Mortgage Lenders, National Housing Federation, Home Builders Federation and Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association; Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing, Department for Communities and Local Government, Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive-designate, Homes and Communities Agency, and Peter Marsh, Chief Executive-designate, Tenant Services Authority (at 11.20 a.m.)
10.20am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit
Subject: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation
Witness(es): Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd and Carbon Markets and Investors Association; Royal Institute of International Affairs (at 11.10 a.m.)
10.30am
Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Defence
Subject: Defence Equipment
Witness(es): Quentin Davies MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue KCB CBE, Chief of Defence Materiel, Lieutenant General Andrew Figgures CBE, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Equipment Capability), and Mr Amyas Morse, Defence Commercial Director, Ministry of Defence
11.45am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs
Subject: Police authorities
Witness(es): Local Government Association, and the Association of Police Authorities; Vernon Coaker MP, Minister for Policing, Crime and Security, Home Office (at 12.15 p.m.)
2am
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Administration
Subject: Good Government
Witness(es): Natalie Ceeney, National Archives, Professor Christopher Hood, Oxford University, Professor Colin Talbot, Manchester University, and Tony Travers, London School of Economics
4.15pm
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Justice
Subject: Justice Reinvestment
Witness(es): Rt Hon David Hanson MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, and Alan Campbell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office
General Committees
10am
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2008
10.30am
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Christmas Bonus (Specified Sum) Order 2008
10.30am
Room 11, Palace of Westminster
Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Transfer of Tribunal Functions and Revenue and Customs Appeals Order 2009
4.30pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Seventh Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Child Benefit (Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2008
4.30pm
Room 12, Palace of Westminster
Eighth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft Local Authorities (England) (Charges for Property Searches) Regulations 2008
4.30pm
Room 10, Palace of Westminster
European Committee B:
Subject: EU Document Nos. 12244/08, 12177/08 and Addendum 1 and 12182/08 and Addendum 1 relating to Management of EU funds in Bulgaria and Romanian and Bulgarian EU Accession
Wednesday
Commons
11.30am
Oral Questions:
International Development
Prime Minister’s Question Time:
Legislation:
Consolidated Fund Bill
Banking Bill – Third reading
Motion:
Value Added Tax (Change of Rate) Order 2008
Resolution relating to Parliamentary Pensions
Electoral Commission
Adjournment:
Cervical cancer screening of young women – Mr Fraser Kemp
Lords
3pm
Oral Questions:
Anti-doping agency – Lord Clement-Jones
Unemployment and unemployment benefit – Lord Roberts of Conwy
Violence in Nigeria – Baroness Cox
Legislation:
Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill – Second reading – Baroness Andrews
Westminster Hall
9.30am – 11am
Operation of libel laws – Mr Denis MacShane
11am – 11.30am
Freeze on settlement building in the occupied Palestinian Territories – Martin Linton
2.30pm – 4pm
Support for the British motor industry – Sandra Gidley
4pm – 4.30pm
Dartford river crossing tolls – James Brokenshire
4.30pm – 5pm
Single and double summer time – Mr David Kidney
Select Committees
9.45am
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families
Subject: Looked-after children
Witness(es): Association of Directors of Children’s Services, British Association of Social Workers, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and Professor Judith Masson, University of Bristol
10am
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Work and Pensions
Subject: Pension, Disability and Carers Service
Witness(es): Terry Moran, Chief Executive, Pension, Disability and Carers Service
2.30pm
Room 19, Palace of Westminster
European Scrutiny
Subject: Scrutiny of European Documents
2.45pm
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Transport
Subject: Taxes and charges on road users
Witness(es): Automobile Association, RAC Rescue Services, Association of British Drivers, National Alliance Against Tolls, and Drivers’ Alliance Ltd; Campaign for Better Transport, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Natural England, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, and Transport & General Workers Union (Unite) (at 3.45 pm)
3pm
Palace of Westminster
Northern Ireland Affairs
Subject: Cross-border co-operation
Witness(es): Serious Organised Crime Agency
3.30pm
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts
Subject: End of life care
Witness(es): David Nicholson, Chief Executive, NHS, Professor Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer, and Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director, Department of Health
Lords Committees
4pm
EU Sub-Committee E: Law and Institutions
Subject: Common Frame of Reference
Witness(es): Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice
General Committees
9am
Room 14, Palace of Westminster
Welsh Grand Committee:
Subject: Public Expenditure in Wales
2pm
Room 14, Palace of Westminster
Welsh Grand Committee:
Subject: Public Expenditure in Wales
2.30pm
Room 9, Palace of Westminster
Ninth Delegated Legislation Committee:
Subject: Draft OGC Buying Solutions Trading Fund (Extension and Amendment) Order 2008
Thursday
Commons
10.30am
Oral Questions:
Treasury; including Topical Questions
Business Statement:
Leader of the House
Motion:
On the Christmas recess adjournment
Adjournment:
Sri Lanka – Mr Andrew Pelling
Lords
11am
Oral Questions:
Child care – Baroness Walmsley
Number of physicians in the UK – Lord Roberts of Llandudno
Government borrowing – Baroness O’Cathain
Debate:
Recent developments in India – Baroness Cox
Enhancing Parliament’s ability to communicate with members of the public – Lord Norton of Louth
Royal Assent:
Westminster Hall
2.30pm – 5.30pm
Debate on the 9th Report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session 2007-08, HC 533, Human Rights Annual Report 2007, and the government’s response Cm 7463
Lords Committees
10.10am
EU Sub-Committee G: Social Policy and Consumer Affairs
Subject: Cross-border Healthcare
Witness(es): Unite; and Unison
Friday
Commons
Christmas recess
The House will next sit on Monday 12 January 2009.
Lords
The House of Lords is in recess
The House will next sit on Monday 12 January 2009.
