Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.30 pm.
Prayers
The Speaker reported that the King had signified Royal Assent to the following Act under the Royal Assent Act 1967:
National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Act 2023
2Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
3Urgent Question: Trial of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong (Anne-Marie Trevelyan)
4Statements: (1) Global Combat Air Programme Treaty (Secretary Grant Shapps)
(2) Government response to the Infected Blood Inquiry (John Glen)
(3) Tackling spiking (Laura Farris)
5General Medical Council (Fitness to Practise) Rules (Amendment) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
Daisy Cooper presented a Bill to provide that an allegation concerning a medical practitioner’s fitness to practise may be considered by the General Medical Council irrespective of when the most recent events giving rise to the allegation occurred; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 26 April 2024, and to be printed (Bill 142).
6Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill: Second Reading
Bill read a second time.
7Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill: Programme
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 83A(7)), That the following provisions shall apply to the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill:
Committal
(1) The Bill shall be committed to a Committee of the whole House.
Proceedings in Committee, on Consideration and on Third Reading
(2) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion three hours after their commencement.
(3) Any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion four hours after the commencement of proceedings in Committee of the whole House.
(4) Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to proceedings in Committee of the whole House, to any proceedings on Consideration or to proceedings on Third Reading.
Other proceedings
(5) Any other proceedings on the Bill may be programmed.—(Mike Wood.)
Question agreed to.
8Changes to membership of select committees
(1) Ordered, That Sir Simon Clarke be discharged from the Committee of Public Accounts and Gary Sambrook be added.—(Mr Marcus Jones, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(2) Ordered, That Steve McCabe be discharged from the Work and Pensions Committee and Marsha De Cordova be added.—(Mr Marcus Jones, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
Subject: Highways maintenance and Integrated Transport Block funding formula allocations (Jonathan Gullis)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mike Wood.)
Adjourned at 8.41 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Select Committees: Reports relating to orders for printing made during the adjournment under Standing Order No. 137
Friday 15 December
Correspondence from the Minster for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare relating to pet theft: Written evidence, to be published (Clerk of the House).
Select Committees: Reports made on Monday 18 December
Record of the Committee’s discussions at its meeting on 18 December, to be published (Sir Charles Walker).
12Business and Trade Committee
Scrutiny of Strategic Export Controls: First Special Report, to be printed (HC 436) (Liam Byrne).
13Environmental Audit Committee
(1) Net zero and the UK aviation sector: Third Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 404);
(2) The UK's contribution to tackling global deforestation: Fourth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 405);
(3) The UK and the Arctic environment: Government Response to the Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2022–23: Second Special Report, to be printed (HC 431);
(4) Correspondence with the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury concerning measures against carbon leakage: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Heat resilience and sustainable cooling: Written evidence, to be published (HC 279)
(Philip Dunne).
14International Development Committee
Scrutiny of Strategic Export Controls: Second Special Report, to be printed (HC 436) (Sarah Champion).
15Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee
(1) Shared ownership: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 61);
(2) Correspondence from the Group Chief Executive of the Guinness Partnership relating to the finances of social housing: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Minister for Local Government: Written evidence, to be published
(Clive Betts).
(1) Commons scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the House of Lords: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 338);
(2) Correspondence from the Speaker relating to precautionary exclusions: Written evidence, to be published
(Karen Bradley).
17Public Accounts (Committee of)
FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23: Written evidence, to be published (HC 68) (Dame Meg Hillier).
(1) Intergovernmental relations: 25 years since the Scotland Act 1998: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 149);
(2) Science and Scotland: Written evidence, to be published (HC 151)
(Pete Wishart).
19Women and Equalities Committee
Correspondence from the Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy relating to the draft Mental Health Bill: Written evidence, to be published (Caroline Nokes).
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))
1International Health Regulations 2005
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 635904 relating to the International Health Regulations 2005.—(Cat Smith.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 6.22 pm until tomorrow.
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers presented and delivered to the Votes and Proceedings Office on Friday 15 December under Standing Orders No. 158 and No. 159:
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Writtle University College Higher Education Corporation (Dissolution) Order 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1365), dated 13 December 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Robert Halfon)
Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Calculation of Small Business Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier) (England) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1389), dated 14 December 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Nigel Huddleston)
Other papers
Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care Strategy (by Command) (CP 988) (David Johnston)
Storage and retention of original will documents (by Command) (CP 984) (Secretary Alex Chalk)
Papers presented or laid upon the Table on Monday 18 December
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
(1) Draft Principal Office Address (Rectification of Register) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
(2) Draft Registered Office Address (Rectification of Register) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
(3) Draft Service Address (Rectification of Register) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
6Financial Services and Markets
Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Bim Afolami)
Draft East Midlands Combined County Authority Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Jacob Young)
8International Immunities and Privileges
Draft European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere and the European Space Agency (Immunities and Privileges) (Amendment) Order 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (David Rutley)
9Limited Liability Partnerships
Draft Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Company Law) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1397), dated 14 December 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Alex Chalk)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Digital Securities Sandbox) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1398), dated 14 December 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Bim Afolami)
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1402), dated 18 December 2023 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Helen Whately)
Other papers
Report on the Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans 2023 (by Act) (Secretary Grant Shapps)
Report of the Bank of England’s supervision of financial market infrastructures for the period 16 December 2022 to 15 December 2023 (by Act) (Bim Afolami)
Explanatory Memorandum to the Misuse of Drugs (England and Wales and Scotland) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1345) (by Command) (Secretary James Cleverly)
Explanatory Memorandum to the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 949) (by Command) (Andrea Leadsom)
17Government Resources and Accounts
(1) Report and Accounts of the National Museum of the Royal Navy for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 400) (Clerk of the House)
(2) Report and Accounts of the Insolvency Service for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 93) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
(3) Report and Accounts of Oak National Academy Limited for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 293) (Damian Hinds)
(4) Report and Accounts of the Commission for Local Administration in England (Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman) for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 412) (Secretary Michael Gove)
(5) Report and Accounts of UK Sports Institute Limited for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 307) (Stuart Andrew)
Report and Accounts of the Marine Management Organisation for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 12) (Secretary Steve Barclay)
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Cabinet Office: Investigation into whistleblowing in the civil service (by Act), to be printed (HC 357) (Clerk of the House)
Report and Accounts of the United Kingdom Sports Council Grant-in-Aid and National Lottery Distribution Fund for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 261) (Stuart Andrew)
21Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts
Understanding and tackling spiking (by Act) (Secretary James Cleverly)
22Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering
Report of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on the Operation of the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (by Act) (Anne-Marie Trevelyan)
23Science, Innovation and Technology
Report and Financial Statements of Ordnance Survey Limited, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, 2022–23 (by Command) (CP 986) (Andrew Griffith)
24Small Business, Enterprise and Employment
Report and Accounts of the Pubs Code Adjudicator for 2022–23, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 305) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
Withdrawn papers
Explanatory Memorandum to the Misuse of Drugs (England and Wales and Scotland) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 1345) (laid 8 December)
Explanatory Memorandum to the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI, 2023, No. 949) (laid 4 September)