Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.00 pm (Order, 13 October).
Prayers
1Taking of the Oath or making of the Affirmation
Several Members present took the Oath or made the Affirmation.
The Speaker suspended the House until 2.30 pm.
2Speaker’s Statements: (1) Proxy voting
(2) Resignation of the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee
3Questions to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
4Urgent Question: Replacement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Penny Mordaunt)
5Statement: Economic update (The Chancellor of the Exchequer)
6Benefit Cap (Report on Abolition) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
David Linden presented a Bill to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the likely effects of the abolition of the benefit cap, including on levels of absolute and relative poverty, poor mental health, food bank use, borrowing of money from friends and family, evictions from homes and problem debt, and on different groups including women, lone parents and people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 21 October, and to be printed (Bill 161).
7Financial Investment and Deforestation: Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23 and Order, 22 September)
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require banks and investment institutions regulated in the UK to verify and certify that they do not provide any form of financial or investment support to businesses which derive income from forest risk commodities, or that relevant local laws were complied with in relation to such commodities; and for connected purposes;
That Chris Grayling, Andrew Selous, Jim Shannon, Chris Bryant, Wera Hobhouse and Barry Gardiner present the Bill.
Chris Grayling accordingly presented the Bill.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 24 March 2023, and to be printed (Bill 162).
8Energy Prices Bill: Allocation of time
Motion made and Question proposed, That the following provisions shall apply to the proceedings on the Energy Prices Bill:
Timetable
(1)(a) Proceedings on Second Reading and in Committee of the whole House, any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be taken at today’s sitting in accordance with this Order.
(b) Proceedings on Second Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 7.00 pm.
(c) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House, any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 10.00 pm.
Timing of proceedings and Questions to be put
(2) When the Bill has been read a second time:
(a) it shall, despite Standing Order No. 63 (Committal of bills not subject to a programme order), stand committed to a Committee of the whole House without any Question being put;
(b) proceedings on the Bill shall stand postponed while the Question is put, in accordance with Standing Order No. 52(1) (Money resolutions and ways and means resolutions in connection with bills), on any financial resolution relating to the Bill;
(c) on the conclusion of proceedings on any financial resolution relating to the Bill, proceedings on the Bill shall be resumed and the Speaker shall leave the Chair whether or not notice of an Instruction has been given.
(3)(a) On the conclusion of proceedings in Committee of the whole House, the Chair shall report the Bill to the House without putting any Question.
(b) If the Bill is reported with amendments, the House shall proceed to consider the Bill as amended without any Question being put.
(4) For the purpose of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph (1), the Chair or Speaker shall forthwith put the following Questions in the same order as they would fall to be put if this Order did not apply:
(a) any Question already proposed from the chair;
(b) any Question necessary to bring to a decision a Question so proposed;
(c) the Question on any amendment, new Clause or new Schedule selected by the Chair or Speaker for separate decision;
(d) the Question on any amendment moved or Motion made by a Minister of the Crown;
(e) any other Question necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded; and shall not put any other questions, other than the question on any motion described in paragraph (11)(a) of this Order.
(5) On a Motion so made for a new Clause or a new Schedule, the Chair or Speaker shall put only the Question that the Clause or Schedule be added to the Bill.
(6) If two or more Questions would fall to be put under paragraph (4)(d) on successive amendments moved or Motions made by a Minister of the Crown, the Chair or Speaker shall instead put a single Question in relation to those amendments or Motions.
(7) If two or more Questions would fall to be put under paragraph (4)(e) in relation to successive provisions of the Bill, the Chair shall instead put a single Question in relation to those provisions, except that the Question shall be put separately on any Clause of or Schedule to the Bill which a Minister of the Crown has signified an intention to leave out.
Other proceedings
(8) Provision may be made for the taking and bringing to a conclusion of any other proceedings on the Bill.
Miscellaneous
(9) Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply to proceedings on the Bill.
(10) Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) shall not apply in relation to any proceedings to which this Order applies.
(11)(a) No Motion shall be made, except by a Minister of the Crown, to alter the order in which any proceedings on the Bill are taken, to recommit the Bill or to vary or supplement the provisions of this Order.
(b) No notice shall be required of such a Motion.
(c) Such a Motion may be considered forthwith without any Question being put; and any proceedings interrupted for that purpose shall be suspended accordingly.
(d) The Question on such a Motion shall be put forthwith; and any proceedings suspended under sub-paragraph (c) shall thereupon be resumed.
(e) Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply to proceedings on such a Motion.
(12)(a) No dilatory Motion shall be made in relation to proceedings to which this Order applies except by a Minister of the Crown.
(b) The Question on any such Motion shall be put forthwith.
(13)(a) The start of any debate under Standing Order No. 24 (Emergency debates) to be held on a day on which the Bill has been set down to be taken as an Order of the Day shall be postponed until the conclusion of any proceedings on that day to which this Order applies.
(b) Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply in respect of any such debate.
(14) Proceedings to which this Order applies shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to the sittings of the House.
(15)(a) Any private business which has been set down for consideration at a time falling after the commencement of proceedings on this Order or on the Bill on a day on which the Bill has been set down to be taken as an Order of the Day shall, instead of being considered as provided by Standing Orders or by any Order of the House, be considered at the conclusion of the proceedings on the Bill on that day.
(b) Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply to the private business so far as necessary for the purpose of securing that the business may be considered for a period of three hours.—(Joy Morrissey.)
Amendment made, in line 8, leave out '7.00 pm' and insert '7.30 pm'.—(Joy Morrissey.)
Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.
9Energy Prices Bill: Second Reading
Bill read a second time.
King’s Recommendation signified.
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 52(1)(a)), That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Energy Prices Bill, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of—
(1) any expenditure incurred under or by virtue of the Act by the Secretary of State or any other public authority, and
(2) any increase attributable to the Act in the sums payable under any other Act out of money so provided.—(Amanda Solloway.)
Question agreed to.
11Energy Prices Bill: Ways and Means
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 52(1)(a)), That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Energy Prices Bill, it is expedient to authorise—
(1) provisions by virtue of which persons concerned with the generation of electricity may be required to make payments or become liable to penalties;
(2) provisions by virtue of which electricity suppliers may be required to make additional payments or provide additional financial collateral under Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Energy Act 2013; and
(3) the payment of sums into the Consolidated Fund.—(Amanda Solloway).
Question agreed to.
12Energy Prices Bill: Committee of the whole House
The House resolved itself into a Committee (Order, today).
(In the Committee)
Clause 1 agreed to.
Clauses 2 to 30 agreed to.
New Clause NC3—(Dr Alan Whitehead)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 57
Ayes: 227 (Tellers: Jessica Morden, Sarah Owen)
Noes: 302 (Tellers: Amanda Solloway, Jacob Young)
Question accordingly negatived.
Manuscript New Clause NC18—(Alan Brown)—brought up, and read the first time as follows:
“Energy support after April 2023
(1) The Government must lay a report before the House of Commons within 28 days of Royal Assent stating what energy price support it will provide from April 2023 onwards.
(2) The report must also contain—
(a) an estimate of what average domestic energy bills are expected to be in April 2023 if no further support provided;
(b) an estimate of how many households will be classed as being in (a) fuel poverty and (b) extreme fuel poverty if no further support is provided;
(c) what the extension of the universal support scheme for a further—
(i) 6 months;
(ii) 12 months and
(iii) 18 months is estimated to cost; and
(d) what alternative support schemes the Government will introduce to prevent any further increases in fuel poverty and protect the most vulnerable including—
(i) pensioner households,
(ii) those with disabilities and
(iii) those in receipt of benefits.”
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 58
Ayes: 61 (Tellers: Richard Thomson, Marion Fellows)
Noes: 304 (Tellers: Amanda Solloway, Jacob Young)
Question accordingly negatived.
Schedules 1 to 5 agreed to.
Schedule 6 (Time limits on the exercise of certain powers under this Act)
Amendment 2 proposed—(Dr Alan Whitehead.)
Question put, that the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 59
Ayes: 229 (Tellers: Jessica Morden, Sarah Owen)
Noes: 303 (Tellers: Amanda Solloway, Jacob Young)
Question accordingly negatived.
Schedules 6 and 7 agreed to.
The occupant of the Chair left the Chair to report the Bill (Order, today).
The Deputy Speaker resumed the Chair.
Darren Henry reported, That the Committee had gone through the Bill and made no Amendments.
13Energy Prices Bill: Third Reading
Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg signified King's consent, as far as His Majesty's interest is concerned.
Bill read the third time and passed.
14Changes to membership of select committees
Ordered, That Helen Whately be discharged from the Committee of Public Accounts and Felicity Buchan be added.—(Sir Bill Wiggin, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(1) A public petition from residents of the United Kingdom relating to access to pensions for women born in the 1950s was presented and read by Patrick Grady.
(2) A public petition from residents of the constituency of Glasgow East relating to the method of uprating social security payments was presented and read by David Linden.
Subject: Lawfare and investigative journalism (Mr David Davis)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Darren Henry.)
Adjourned at 10.30 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
17Paternity (Leave and Pay) Bill
Order for second reading on Friday 2 December, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 3 February 2023.
General Committees: Reports
18First Delegated Legislation Committee
Mrs Sheryll Murray (Chair) reported the draft Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022.
19Second Delegated Legislation Committee
Sir Gary Streeter (Chair) reported the Flags (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 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).
20Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Sanctions (Damages Cap) Regulations 2022)
Members: Debbie Abrahams and Ms Marie Rimmer discharged and Kim Leadbeater and Clive Lewis nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports
Record of the Committee’s discussions at its meeting on 17 October, to be published (Sir Charles Walker).
22Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
Correspondence with the Secretary of State relating to the Energy Prices Bill: Written evidence, to be published (Darren Jones)
23International Development Committee
Correspondence from the Minister for Development relating to an extension of the pause on non-essential Official Development Assistance spending: Written evidence, to be published (Sarah Champion).
24Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee
(1) Correspondence from the Electoral Commission relating to the administration of May 2022 elections: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Correspondence from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for England relating to the 2021–22 Annual Review of Adult Social Care complaints: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility relating to Help to Heat schemes: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Council tax collection: Written evidence, to be published (HC 20);
(5) Draft strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission: Written evidence, to be published (HC 672);
(6) Public parks: Follow up: Written evidence, to be published (HC 327)
(Mr Clive Betts)
25National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
(1) Readiness for storms ahead? Critical national infrastructure in an age of climate change: First Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 132);
(2) Correspondence with the National Security Adviser relating to the Foreign Policy and Security Council and the Integrated Review: Written evidence, to be published
(Margaret Beckett).
26Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) Tackling local air quality breaches: Twenty-second Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 37);
(2) Developing workforce skills for a strong economy: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 685);
(3) Correspondence from the Department for Education relating to Accounting Officer assessments: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence relating to the Committee’s previous Reports: Written evidence, to be published
(Dame Meg Hillier).
(1) Access to cash in Scotland: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report of Session 2022–23: Fourth Special Report, to be printed (HC 695);
(2) Correspondence from the Scottish Parliament Committee on Health, Social Care and Sport relating to a report on health inequalities: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy relating to the Retained EU (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities relating to the second quarterly report on intergovernmental relations: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Firearms licensing regulations in Scotland: Written evidence, to be published (HC 710);
(6) Promoting Scotland internationally: Written evidence, to be published (HC 625)
(Pete Wishart).
Work of the Financial Conduct Authority: Written evidence, to be published (HC 142) (Mel Stride).
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 4.30 pm.
Debate on an e-petition (Standing Orders No. 10(1)(a) and No. 145A(7))
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 619781, relating to an early general election.—(Catherine McKinnell.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 5.57 pm until tomorrow.
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers presented and delivered to the Votes and Proceedings Office on Friday 14 October under Standing Orders No. 158 and No. 159:
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (England) Order 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 1041), dated 12 October 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Jonathan Gullis)
Papers presented or laid upon the Table on Monday 17 October
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
(1) Draft Armed Forces (Court Martial) (Amendment) Rules 2022 (by Statutory Instrument), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Sarah Atherton)
(2) Draft Armed Forces (Tri-Service Serious Crime Unit) (Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Sarah Atherton)
3Exiting the European Union (Education)
Draft European University Institute (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrea Jenkyns)
Draft Financial Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrew Griffith)
Draft Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Suella Braverman)
(1) Draft Civil Legal Aid (Housing and Asylum Accommodation) Order 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Brandon Lewis)
(2) Draft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Family and Domestic Abuse) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Brandon Lewis)
Draft Merchant Shipping (Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships) Order 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan)
Draft Pensions Dashboards Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Alex Burghart)
Draft Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Amendment) Order 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrew Stephenson)
Draft Social Workers (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Kelly Tolhurst)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police Area (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 1053), dated 13 October 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Suella Braverman)
Armed Forces (Tri-Service Serious Crime Unit) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 1051), dated 12 October 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Sarah Atherton)
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (Extraction of Information: Code of Practice) Regulations 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 1054), dated 12 October 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Suella Braverman)
Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England and Wales) (Amendment) (England) Rules 2022 (SI, 2022, No. 1029), dated 4 October 2022 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrew Stephenson)
Papers laid under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
Proposal for an instrument titled Common Organisation of the Markets in Agricultural Products (Amendment) Regulations 2022, with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Ranil Jayawardena)
16Exiting the European Union (Environmental Protection)
Proposal for an instrument titled Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022, with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg)
Other papers
Report and Accounts of the Children’s Commissioner for England for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 510) (Kelly Tolhurst)
HM Treasury Minute, dated 17 October 2022, concerning a contingent liability relating to the Energy Markets Financing Scheme update (by Command) (The Chancellor of the Exchequer)
19Human Fertilisation and Embryology
Report and Accounts of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 479) (Clerk of the House)
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Ministry of Defence: The Digital Strategy for Defence: A review of early implementation (by Act), to be printed (HC 797) (Clerk of the House)
(1) Report and Accounts of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust for 2021–22 (by Act) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
(2) Report and Accounts of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust for 2021–22 (by Act) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
(3) Report and Accounts of East London NHS Foundation Trust for 2021–22 (by Act) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
(4) Report and Accounts of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust for 2021–22 (by Act) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
(5) Report and Accounts of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust for 2021–22 (by Act) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
(6) Report and Accounts of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust for 2021–22 (by Act) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
22Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts
Code of Practice: Extraction of Information from electronic devices (by Act) (Secretary Suella Braverman)
23Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration
Statement of Accounts of the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 647) (Clerk of the House)
Withdrawn papers
24Exiting the European Union (Environmental Protection)
Proposal for an instrument titled Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022, with an Explanatory Memorandum (laid 12 October)
MEMORANDUM
POLITICAL PARTIES, ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS ACT 2000
The Prime Minister has appointed to the committee known as the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, established by section 2(1) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, Paul Scully to serve on the committee pursuant to section 2(3) of the Act, and Andrew Stephenson to carry out concurrently the functions of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the committee pursuant to section 2(2A(b)) of the Act.