Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.30 pm.
Prayers
1Questions to the Secretary of State for Education
2Urgent Questions: (1) UK armed forces in the Middle East (Leo Docherty)
(2) Checks on goods entering the UK (Sir Mark Spencer)
The Speaker suspended the sitting for 10 minutes.
4Statement: Health and disability reform (Secretary Mel Stride)
5Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill: Programme (No. 2)
Motion made and Question proposed, That the Order of 20 March (Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill (Programme)) be varied as follows:
(1) Paragraphs (2) to (5) of the Order shall be omitted.
(2) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House, any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be completed in one day.
(3) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption.
(4) Any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption.—(Robert Largan.)
Question agreed to.
6Post Office (Horizon Systems) Offences Bill: Committee of the whole House
Ordered, That it be an Instruction to the Committee on the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill that it has power to make provision in the Bill for it to extend to Northern Ireland.—(Kevin Hollinrake.)
Motion made and Question put, That it be an Instruction to the Committee on the Bill that it have leave to make provision relating to Scotland.—(Marion Fellows.)
The House divided.
Division No. 140
Ayes: 42 (Tellers: Peter Grant, Gavin Newlands)
Noes: 265 (Tellers: Robert Largan, Aaron Bell)
Question negatived.
The House resolved itself into a Committee (Programme Order, 20 March).
(In the Committee)
Clause 1 (Quashing convictions for relevant offences)
Amendment 25 made.
Amendments 27, 26 and 28 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 2 (Meaning of a "relevant offence")
Amendments 29 to 33 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 3 (Determining when a conviction has been considered by the Court of Appeal)
Amendment 34 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 4 (Identification and notification of quashed convictions)
Amendments 35 to 44 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 5 (Deletion of cautions for relevant offences)
Amendments 45 to 47 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 6 agreed to.
Clause 7 (Power to make further consequential provision)
Amendments 48 to 51 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 8 (Interpretation)
Amendments 52 to 55 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 9 (Extent and commencement)
Amendment 56 made.
Clause, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 10 agreed to.
New Clause NC2—(Kevin Hollinrake)—brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.
New Clause NC3—(Kevin Hollinrake)—brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.
Amendments 23 and 24 made.
Title accordingly amended, as follows: A Bill to provide for the quashing of convictions in England and Wales and Northern Ireland for certain offences alleged to have been committed while the Horizon system was in use by the Post Office; to make provision about the deletion of cautions given in England and Wales or Northern Ireland for such offences; and for connected purposes.
Bill to be reported with Amendments.
The Deputy Speaker resumed the Chair.
Aaron Bell reported, That the Committee had gone through the Bill and made Amendments.
Bill, as amended, to be considered now (Programme Order, today).
7Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill: Consideration of the Bill, as amended in Committee of the whole House
No amendments on consideration.
8Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill: Third Reading
Bill read the third time and passed.
9Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Accounting Standards (Prescribed Bodies) (United States of America and Japan) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, which were laid before this House on 21 February, be approved.—(Joy Morrissey.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Sea Fisheries (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024, which were laid before this House on 14 March, be approved.—(Joy Morrissey.)
Question agreed to.
(3) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft National Crime Agency (Directed Tasking) Order 2023, which was laid before this House on 7 December 2023, be approved.—(Joy Morrissey.)
Question agreed to.
10House of Commons Members' Fund
Resolved, That the sum to be deducted from the salaries of Members of the House of Commons in pursuance of section 4(1) and (2) of the House of Commons Members’ Fund Act 2016 shall for the financial year 2024–25 be £2.20 per month.—(Mr Marcus Jones.)
11Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
Resolved, That, in pursuance of paragraph 2A of Schedule 3 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, Ms Tina Fahm be appointed as a lay member of the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority for a period of five years from 6 May 2024 to 4 May 2029.—(Penny Mordaunt.)
(1) A public petition from residents of the constituency of Glasgow North relating to the recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry was presented and read by Patrick Grady.
(2) A public petition from residents of the constituency of Linlithgow and East Falkirk relating to recognition of Peter McLagan MP was presented and read by Martyn Day.
Subject: Cost of post-16 education for Isles of Scilly families (Derek Thomas)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Joy Morrissey.)
Adjourned at 9.47 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
General Committees: Reports
14First Delegated Legislation Committee
Caroline Nokes (Chair) reported the draft Combined Authorities (Finance) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.
15Second Delegated Legislation Committee
Christina Rees (Chair) reported the draft Contracts for Difference (Sustainable Industry Rewards) Regulations 2024.
16Third Delegated Legislation Committee
Graham Stringer (Chair) reported the draft Goods Vehicles (International Road Transport Permits and Haulage Within the EU) Regulations 2024.
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).
17Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee
Members: Mr Virendra Sharma discharged and Mary Glindon nominated in substitution.
18First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Combined Authorities (Finance) (Amendment) Regulations 2024)
(1) Chair: Caroline Nokes in place of Yvonne Fovargue
(2) Members: Sir Desmond Swayne discharged and Dame Harriett Baldwin nominated in substitution.
19Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Contracts for Difference (Sustainable Industry Rewards) Regulations 2024)
Members: Peter Gibson, Kit Malthouse and Chloe Smith discharged and Nigel Mills, Dr Kieran Mullan and Sir John Whittingdale nominated in substitution.
20Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Goods Vehicles (International Road Transport Permits and Haulage Within the EU) Regulations 2024)
Members: Sir Geoffrey Cox, Mr Jonathan Djanogly and Derek Thomas discharged and Dr Luke Evans, Joy Morrissey and Nigel Mills nominated in substitution.
21Tobacco and Vapes Bill Programming Sub-Committee
Members: Aaron Bell, Preet Kaur Gill, Trudy Harrison, Andrea Leadsom, Kirsten Oswald, Angela Richardson and Christian Wakeford
Select Committees: Reports
Record of the Committee’s discussions at its meeting on 29 April, to be published (Sir Charles Walker).
23Health and Social Care Committee
Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide: Written evidence, to be published (HC 321) (Steve Brine).
24International Development Committee
Correspondence with the Secretary of State relating to funding for UNRWA: Written evidence, to be published (Sarah Champion).
25Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee
(1) The Finances and Sustainability of the Social Housing Sector: Sixth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 60);
(2) Children, young people and the built environment: Written evidence, to be published (HC 94);
(3) Correspondence from the CEO of the Fire Industry Association relating to fake signatures on EWS1 Forms: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) The Office for Local Government: Written evidence, to be published (HC 64)
(Mr Clive Betts).
26National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
Defending democracy: Written evidence, to be published (HC 539) (Dame Margaret Beckett).
(1) Correspondence with the Leader of the House relating to Opposition Day procedure and Standing Order No. 31: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Written Parliamentary Questions: Departmental performance in Session 2022–23: Written evidence, to be published (HC 676)
(Dame Karen Bradley).
28Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) Non-executive appointments: Thirtieth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 460);
(2) Department of Health and Social Care 2022–23 Annual Report and Accounts: Thirty-first Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 459);
(3) Rail reform: The rail transformation programme: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 652);
(4) Asylum accommodation and UK-Rwanda partnership: Written evidence, to be published (HC 639);
(5) Correspondence from the Department for Education relating to the Accounting Officer Summary for Childcare Delivery: Written evidence, to be published;
(6) Correspondence from the Home Office relating to the use of contingent liability to support Maritime Counter Terrorism response capabilities: Written evidence, to be published;
(7) Correspondence relating to the Committee’s previous Reports: Written evidence, to be published;
(8) Investigation into whistleblowing in the civil service: Written evidence, to be published (HC 457)
(Dame Meg Hillier).
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))
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered e-petition 653593 relating to assisted dying.—(Tonia Antoniazzi.)
The Chair announced a time limit on backbench speeches (under the authority of the Chairman of Ways and Means and Standing Order 47(1)).
The sitting was suspended between 6.59 pm and 7.14 pm for a division in the House (Standing Order No. 10(3)).
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 653593 relating to assisted dying.
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 7.22 pm until tomorrow.
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Human Medicines (Amendments relating to Registered Dental Hygienists, Registered Dental Therapists and Registered Pharmacy Technicians) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrea Leadsom)
Draft Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments (2019 Hague Convention etc.) Regulations 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Alex Chalk)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
National Health Service (Primary Medical Services and Performers Lists) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 575), dated 26 April 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrea Leadsom)
Other papers
King’s Regulations for the Royal Air Force (Seventh Edition) (Amendment List 2) 2024 (by Act) (Leo Docherty)
Modernising Support for Independent Living: The Health and Disability Green Paper (by Command) (CP 1061) (Secretary Mel Stride)
Explanatory Memorandum to the Treatment of Conformity Assessment Bodies (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Regulations 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 504) (by Command)
Withdrawn papers
Explanatory Memorandum to the Treatment of Conformity Assessment Bodies (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Regulations 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 504) (laid 15 April)
CORRECTION
Monday 15 April 2024
The following item should have appeared after item 7 (Papers Laid):
Withdrawn Papers
Explanatory Memorandum to the Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations (SI, 2024, No. 455) (laid 3 April)