The week in Westminster: March 7th – 11th
A monster grilling of the government’s top foreign affairs head honchos is the centrepiece of the coming week in Westminster.
William Hague, Liam Fox, Andrew Mitchell and Oliver Letwin will give evidence to the defence committee on Wednesday afternoon on the trifling, minor subject of the strategic defence and security review.
It’s unusual for so many Cabinet ministers to be together at the same time, so expect a lot of interest from the sketchwriters. And us, of course.
COMMONS
Monday
Questions – Home Office
Legislation – Scotland bill
Adjournment debate – future of Pfizer site in Sandwich
Tuesday
Questions – health
Ten minute rule motion – Charitable Healthcare Providers (Value Added Tax Relief)
Legislation – European Union bill
Adjournment debate – responding to humanitarian disasters
Wednesday
Questions – Scotland, PMQs
Ten minute rule motion – Tied Public Houses (Code of Practice)
Legislation – welfare reform bill
Adjournment debate – Portsmouth to London railway line
Thursday
Questions – transport
Business statement – leader of the House
Backbench business – future of the coastguard service, motion relating to UN women
Adjournment debate – interception of mobile communications
LORDS
Monday
Questions – census day, EMA, right of appeal against refusal of asylum to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people from Jamaica, Nigeria and Ghana, child trafficking through King’s Cross St Pancras
Legislation – public bodies bill
Orders and regulations – Social Fund Maternity Grant Amendment Regulations 2011
Tuesday
Introductions – Lord Glasman and Lord Bishop of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Questions – women in Big Society, credit unions, pregnant women
Legislation – energy bill, postal services bill
Orders and regulations – Draft Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (Continuance in Force of Sections 1 to 9) Order 2011
Wednesday
Questions – Britain in Bloom, British pensioners living abroad, impact of redundancy cuts and budget restrictions on local authorities
Legislation – public bodies bill
Short debate – Royal Commission on the law governing drug use and possession
Thursday
Introduction – Lord Blencathra
Questions – DLA and autism, prostitution, anti-semitism
Debate – recent developments in UK overseas territories
Debate – Zimbabwe
Short debate – Affects of points-based visa system on non-European Union artists, performers and academics
PICK OF THE COMMITTEES
Tuesday
10:45 – Manchester United chief executive David Gill, before culture, media and sport committee, on: football governance
Wednesday
14:30 – defence secretary Liam Fox, foreign secretary William Hague, international development secretary Andrew Mitchell and Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin, before
defence committee, on: the Strategic Defence and Security Review and the National Security Strategy
Thursday
10:00 – Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell, before political and constitutional reform committee, on: constitutional implications of the Cabinet Manual
