Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 9.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office
2Speaker’s Statement: Sub judice waiver
3Urgent Question: Post Office: Horizon compensation arrangements (Paul Scully)
4Speaker’s Statement: Conduct of Prime Minister’s Questions
5Business Question (Leader of the House)
The Speaker reported that the Queen had signified Royal Assent to the following Acts under the Royal Assent Act 1967:
Finance Act 2022
Advanced Research and Invention Agency Act 2022
Dormant Assets Act 2022
Charities Act 2022
7Statement: Higher education reform (Secretary Nadhim Zahawi)
(1) UK's relationship with Russia and China
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House calls on the Government to develop separate but aligned cross-Government strategies for both Russia and China; and further calls on the Government to support the international order, working with allies across the globe to develop an approach to Russia and China that, whilst recognising their separate legitimate interests, ensures a robust defence of both UK interests and democratic values. —(Bob Seely.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
(2) UK Government position on the recognition of the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the UK Government position on the recognition of the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.—(Julie Elliott.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
9Statement: Ukraine (The Prime Minister)
Subject: Recognition of the condition long covid (Wendy Chamberlain)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Alan Mak.)
Adjourned at 7.02 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
11City of Bradford (Referendum on Shipley and Keighley) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 18 March.
12Kinship Care (Parental Leave) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 18 March.
13Asylum Seekers (Permission to Work) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 18 March.
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 February, read and discharged.
Bill withdrawn.
15Electricity Grid (Review) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 18 March.
16Registers of Births and Deaths Bill
Order for resuming on Friday 25 February the adjourned debate on the Question proposed on 26 November 2021, That the Bill be now read a second time, read and discharged.
Debate to be resumed on Friday 18 March.
Private Business
17High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill
Mr Speaker laid upon the Table a Report from the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, pursuant to Order (25 January 2022), That, in the case of the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill, certain Standing Orders are applicable. Furthermore, of those which are applicable, Standing Orders 4, 4A, 10, 10A, 11, 12, 12A, 13, 14, 15, 27, 27A, 29, 33, 34, 36, 39, 41, 42, 45 and 47 have not been complied with.
Report referred to the Standing Orders Committee.
General Committees: Reports
18Seventh Delegated Legislation Committee
Andrew Rosindell (Chair) reported the draft Early Legal Advice Pilot Scheme Order 2022.
General Committees: Appointments
The Speaker appoints the Chair of General Committees and members of Programming Sub-Committees, and allocates Statutory Instruments to Delegated Legislation Committees.
The Committee of Selection nominates Members to serve on General Committees (and certain Members to serve on Grand Committees).
19First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022)
Chair: Sir Graham Brady
Members: Simon Fell and Matt Vickers discharged and Andy Carter and Peter Gibson nominated in substitution.
20Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) (Amendment) Regulations 2022)
Chair: Esther McVey
Members: Sir David Evennett discharged and Chris Loder nominated in substitution.
21Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) Regulations 2022)
Chair: Peter Dowd
Members: James Sunderland discharged and Mrs Natalie Elphicke nominated in substitution.
22Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance and Information-Sharing) (Consequential Provision and Modifications) Order 2022)
Chair: Christina Rees
Members: John Lamont discharged and Dean Russell nominated in substitution.
23Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022)
Chair: Sir Gary Streeter
Members: Tahir Ali, Mr Ben Bradshaw, Jo Churchill, Miss Sarah Dines, Mary Glindon, Richard Graham, Kim Johnson, Julie Marson, Mark Menzies, Selaine Saxby, Nick Smith, Royston Smith, Graham Stuart, James Sunderland, Derek Thomas, Derek Twigg and Daniel Zeichner
24Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (Repeal of EU Restrictions in Devolution Legislation, etc.) Regulations 2022)
Chair: Dr Rupa Huq
Members: Sarah Atherton, Mr Steve Baker, Steven Bonnar, Ian Byrne, Alun Cairns, Rosie Cooper, Miss Sarah Dines, David Duguid, Colleen Fletcher, Mr Mark Francois, Emma Hardy, Marco Longhi, Catherine McKinnell, Robin Millar, Alex Norris, Neil O’Brien and Jacob Young
Reports from Select Committees
25Backbench Business Committee
Determination of business to be taken on Thursday 3 and Thursday 10 March in the Chamber and Thursday 3 and Tuesday 8 March in Westminster Hall (Ian Mearns).
26Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
(1) Coronavirus Act 2020 two years on: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 978);
(2) Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2020–21: Written evidence, to be published (HC 721)
(Mr William Wragg).
HS2: progress update: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 487) Huw Merriman.
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 1.30 pm.
Business determined by the Backbench Business Committee (Standing Orders No. 10(7) and No. 14(4))
1United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Resolved, That this House has considered the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.—(Marion Fellows.)
2Persecution of Christians and religious minorities in India
Resolved, That this House has considered the matter of the persecution of Christians and religious minorities in India.—(Jim Shannon.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 4.28 pm until Monday 28 February.
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Customs Tariff (Preferential Trade and Tariff Quotas) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 174), dated 23 February 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Lucy Frazer)
* This item has been corrected since publication. See the Votes and Proceedings from Tuesday 1 March 2022 for details.
Agreement, done at London on 26 January 2022, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the Readmission of Persons Residing without Authorisation (SI, 2022, No. 628) (by Command), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Elizabeth Truss)
Statutory Sick Pay (Coronavirus) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 176), dated 24 February 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Lucy Frazer)
Other papers
5Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Minute, dated 24 February 2022, concerning a contingent liability in relation to provision of financial support to The Platinum Jubilee Pageant Limited for the 2022 Platinum Jubilee pageant (by Command) (Chris Philp)
(1) Higher education policy statement and reform consultation: Government consultation (by Command) (CP 617) (Secretary Nadhim Zahawi)
(2) Lifelong Loan Entitlement: Government consultation (by Command) (CP 618) (Secretary Nadhim Zahawi)
(3) Post-Qualification Admissions Consultation Response (by Command) (CP 619) (Secretary Nadhim Zahawi)
Government Response to the Annual Report from the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on the Operation of the Terrorism Acts in 2019 (by Command) (CP 623) (Secretary Priti Patel)
(1) Central Government Supply Estimates 2020–21: Statement of Excesses (by Command), to be printed (HC 1154) (Mr Simon Clarke)
(2) Local Government Boundary Commission for England Supply Estimates 2020–21: Statement of Excesses (by Act), to be printed (HC 1006) (The Speaker)
Treasury Minutes on the Government responses to the Twenty-seventh to the Thirty-first Reports of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 2021–22 (by Command) (CP 631) (Helen Whately)
CORRECTION
Wednesday 23 February 2022
Item 49 (Other Proceedings) should have read:
Women and Equalities Committee
(1) Equality in the heart of democracy: a gender sensitive House of Commons: Fifth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 131);
(2) Menopause and the workplace survey results: Fourth Special Report to be printed (HC 1157);
(3) Equality and the UK asylum process: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 726);
(4) Correspondence from Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Primary Care relating to UK menopause taskforce: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Menopause and the workplace: Written evidence, to be published (HC 115);
(6) The rights of cohabiting partners: Written evidence, to be published (HC 130)
(Caroline Nokes).