Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 9.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
2Business Question (Leader of the House)
3Northern Ireland Budget Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, supported by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary James Cleverly, Secretary Michael Gove, Secretary Alister Jack, Secretary David T C Davies, John Glen and Steve Baker, presented a Bill to authorise the use for the public service of certain resources for the years ending 31 March 2023 and 2024 (including, for the year ending 31 March 2023, income); to authorise the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland of certain sums for the service of those years; to authorise the use of those sums for specified purposes; to authorise the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland to borrow on the credit of those sums; and to repeal provisions superseded by this Act.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Monday 16 January, and to be printed (Bill 225) with Explanatory Notes (Bill 225–EN).
4Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner (Appointment by Parliament) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
Mr Alistair Carmichael, supported by Daisy Cooper, Wendy Chamberlain, Tim Farron, Sarah Green and Christine Jardine, presented a Bill to make provision for the appointment by Parliament of the Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner if the post is vacant for three months or more; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 3 February, and to be printed (Bill 226).
(1) Political situation and treatment of protesters in Iran
Resolved, That this House condemns unreservedly the actions of the Government of Iran in suppressing protests in that country; deplores the violent behaviour of Iranian police in regard to those protests; is deeply concerned by reports of threats made to organisations in the UK which support the rights of protesters in Iran; urges His Majesty’s Government to include Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the list of proscribed terrorist organisations; and calls upon His Majesty’s Government to work with international counterparts to ensure that further sanctions are placed on Iran without delay.—(Bob Blackman.)
(2) Landfill tax fraud
Resolved, That this House has considered the matter of landfill tax fraud.—(Mr Kevan Jones.)
Subject: Retained EU Law and trading standards (David Linden)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Andrew Stephenson.)
Adjourned at 4.59 pm until Monday 16 January.
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
7National Eye Health Strategy Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 3 March, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 24 March.
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).
8First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2023)
Chair: Mr Philip Hollobone in place of Mr Peter Bone.
9Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Health and Social Care Information Centre (Transfer of Functions, Abolition and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023)
Members: Caroline Ansell and Christian Wakeford discharged and Lilian Greenwood and Nigel Mills nominated in substitution.
10Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (Transfer of Functions) Order 2023)
Members: Selaine Saxby discharged and Richard Fuller nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports
11Backbench Business Committee
Determination of business to be taken on Thursday 19 January in the Chamber and Thursday 19 January and Tuesday 24 January in Westminster Hall (Ian Mearns).
12Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) BBC Digital: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 736);
(2) BEIS Annual Report & Accounts: Written evidence, to be published (HC 59);
(3) Correspondence from HM Treasury relating to the Making Tax Digital programme: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence from the Cabinet Office relating to UK Government Resilience Framework: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Correspondence from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy relating to household energy bills: Written evidence, to be published;
(6) Correspondence from the Ministry of Justice relating to Accounting Officer assessments: Written evidence, to be published;
(7) Correspondence relating to the Committee’s previous Reports: Written evidence, to be published;
(8) Government actions to combat waste crime: Written evidence, to be published (HC 33);
(9) Improving the Accounting Officer assessment process: Written evidence, to be published (HC 43);
(10) Management of PPE contracts: Written evidence, to be published (HC 260);
(11) Managing cross-border travel during the COVID-19 pandemic: Written evidence, to be published (HC 29);
(12) Progress combatting fraud: Written evidence, to be published (HC 40)
(Dame Meg Hillier).
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))
1Royal Mail and the future of the Universal Service Obligation
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered Royal Mail and the future of the Universal Service Obligation.—(Kate Osborne.)
At 3.00 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)).
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the matter of skills and labour shortages.—(Patricia Gibson.)
At 4.30 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 4.30 pm until Monday 16 January.
Rosie Winterton
First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Alcoholic Beverages (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
(1) Draft Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Tom Pursglove)
(2) Draft Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Tom Pursglove)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Official Controls (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 17), dated 11 January 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) (England) Order 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 18), dated 11 January 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Thérèse Coffey)
Other papers
5Government Resources and Accounts
Report and Accounts of the Vehicle Certification Agency for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 848) (Secretary Mark Harper)
Report of National Guardian's Office (by Command) (CP 701) (Secretary Steve Barclay)
Report and Accounts of the Valuation Tribunal Service for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 988) (Clerk of the House)
Northern Ireland Budget Bill: Supporting Memorandum (by Command) (CP 757) (Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris)
Accounts of the Dartford–Thurrock River Crossing Charging Scheme for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 959) (Secretary Mark Harper)
Third annual inspection of ‘Adults at risk in immigration detention’ June–September 2022 (by Act) (Secretary Suella Braverman)
SPEAKER'S CERTIFICATES
VOTING BY PROXY
1Variation of proxy voting arrangement
The Speaker has certified, further to the certificates of 5 September 2022 and 28 October 2022, under the terms of Standing Order No. 39A (Voting by proxy), that Theo Clarke has given notice that she wishes to vary her proxy vote arrangement to finish on 30 April.
CORRECTIONS
Wednesday 11 January 2023
(1) The following item should have appeared as the first item under Other Proceedings:
Private Business: Appointments
Standing Orders Committee
That Richard Thomson be discharged from the Standing Orders Committee and Peter Grant be added.
(2) The following item should have appeared as the last item:
SPEAKER’S CERTIFICATE
Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Bill
The Speaker has certified that the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Bill is a Money Bill within the meaning of the Parliament Act 1911.