Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 9.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to (1) the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(2) the Attorney General
2Urgent Question: Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy eligibility for Afghan special forces (James Heappey)
3Business Question (Leader of the House)
Resolved, That the draft Windsor Framework (Constitutional Status of Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024, which were laid before this House on 31 January, be approved.—(Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.)
5United Kingdom Internal Market
Resolved, That the draft Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024, which were laid before this House on 31 January, be approved.—(Mr Steve Baker.)
6Business of the House (Today)
Ordered, That at this day’s sitting, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of Standing Order No. 22D relating to the scheduling of select committee statements, a select committee statement on the Third Report of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee may be made after the conclusion of proceedings on this motion.—(Robert Largan.)
7Select Committee Statement (Standing Order No. 22D): Publication of the Third Report of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, Financial distress in local authorities, HC 56 (Mr Clive Betts)
Freedom and democracy in Iran
Resolved, That this House condemns unreservedly the actions of the government of Iran and the violent conduct of the police in suppressing protests in that country; is deeply concerned over Tehran’s growing use of terrorism, espionage, cyber attacks and hostage-taking diplomacy to restrict and eliminate the Iranian democratic opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), targeting in particular members of the organised opposition, PMOI (MEK), in Ashraf 3, Albania and NCRI gatherings since 2018; notes that the resistance is struggling for the establishment of a secular democratic republic; calls on European governments, especially the government of Albania, to counter Tehran’s illegal activities and uphold the rights of members of the Iranian opposition PMOI (MEK) at Ashraf-3 in accordance with the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, the European Convention of Human Rights and international law; is further concerned by reports of threats made to Iranian dissidents in the UK; urges the Government to include Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the list of proscribed terrorist organisations; and further calls upon the Government to work with international counterparts to ensure that further sanctions are placed on Iran without delay and Iran is held to account for its illegal activities at home and abroad.—(Bob Blackman.)
Subject: Regeneration of Bond Street and Waterloo Road, Blackpool (Scott Benton)
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mark Jenkinson.)
At 5 pm, the motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 9(3)).
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mark Jenkinson).
Adjourned at 5.16 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
Order for Second Reading on Friday 2 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 15 March.
General Committees: Appointments
11Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Water Industry (Special Administration) Regulations 2024 and draft Water Industry Act 1991 (Amendment) Order 2024)
Members: Toby Perkins and Jeff Smith discharged and Emma Hardy and Andrew Western nominated in substitution.
12Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft East Midlands Combined County Authority Regulations 2024)
Members: Dr Rosena Allin-Khan discharged and Mary Kelly Foy nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports
13Backbench Business Committee
Determination of business to be taken on Thursday 8 February in the Chamber and Thursday 8 February, Tuesday 27 February and Thursday 29 February in Westminster Hall (Ian Mearns).
The Coroner Service: follow-up: Written evidence, to be published (HC 490) (Sir Robert Neill).
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))
Resolved, That this House has considered living standards.—(Stewart Malcolm McDonald.)
The sitting was suspended between 2.46 pm and 3 pm.
2Employment of people living in rural and coastal communities
Resolved, That this House has considered the employment of people living in rural and coastal communities.—(Virginia Crosbie.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 3.48 pm until Tuesday 6 February.
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (Consequential, Supplementary and Incidental Provisions) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Kemi Badenoch)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (England) Regulations 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 110), dated 28 January 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Lee Rowley)
School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 109), dated 30 January 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Damian Hinds)
Pension Protection Fund and Occupational Pension Schemes (Levy Ceiling) Order 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 101), dated 30 January 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Paul Maynard)
Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 106), dated 30 January 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Alex Chalk)
Other papers
Report of the Independent Expert Panel for 2023 (by Standing Order), to be printed (HC 517) (Clerk of the House)
7Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Government Response to the Second Report of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee on Council Tax Collection (by Command) (CP 1018) (Secretary Michael Gove)
Explanatory Memorandum to the draft East Midlands Combined County Authority Regulations 2024 (by Command) (Jacob Young)
Vote on Account for the Parliamentary Works Grant for 2024–25 (by Act), to be printed (HC 534) (Chairman of Ways and Means)
(1) Supplementary Estimate for the National Audit Office for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 447) (Clerk of the House)
(2) Supplementary Estimate for the Parliamentary Works Grant for 2023–24 (by Act), to be printed (HC 533) (Chairman of Ways and Means)
Withdrawn papers
Draft Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (Consequential, Supplementary and Incidental Provisions) Regulations 2024 and Explanatory Memorandum (laid 10 January)
Explanatory Memorandum to the draft East Midlands Combined County Authority Regulations 2024 (laid 18 December 2023)
CORRECTION
Wednesday 31 January 2024
Item 6 (Papers subject to Negative Resolution) should have appeared before item 7 in the list of Other papers.