Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 11.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
2King's Speech (Motion for an Address) (last day)
Debate resumed (Order, 22 July).
Question again proposed, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, as follows:
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
Subject: Immigration and home affairs
Amendment proposed, at the end of the Question, to add ‘but respectfully regret that the Gracious Speech does not commit to boosting defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 with a fully funded plan, fails to include measures that provide an adequate deterrent to migrants crossing the channel illegally, fails to mention rural communities, farming and fishing, does not include a legally binding target to enhance the UK’s food security or a commitment to increase the UK-wide agriculture budget by £1 billion over the course of the Parliament, introduces new burdens on businesses without sufficient measures to support them, fails to set out a concrete plan to tackle the unsustainable post-covid rise in the welfare bill, does not adequately protect family finances and the UK’s energy security in the move to net zero, and fails to provide adequate protections for pensioners and working people to keep more of the money they have worked hard for.’.—(Mr James Cleverly.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
3Speaker’s Statement: Election of Deputy Speakers
The Speaker announced the result of the ballot held today for the election of Deputy Speakers, who would take up their posts tomorrow (Standing Order No. 2A).
Ms Nusrat Ghani was elected Chairman of Ways and Means.
Judith Cummins was elected First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means.
Caroline Nokes was elected Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means.
4King's Speech (Motion for an Address) (last day) (resumed)
The debate was resumed.
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The House divided.
Division No. 2
Ayes: 117 (Tellers: Joy Morrissey, Mike Wood)
Noes: 384 (Tellers: Christian Wakeford, Taiwo Owatemi)
Question negatived.
Another Amendment proposed, at the end of the Question, to add ‘but respectfully regret that the Gracious Speech fails to include immediate measures to abolish the two-child limit to Universal Credit; recognise that this policy is pushing children into poverty; further recognise that 1.6 million children are currently impacted and maintaining this policy will result in 670,000 additional children suffering poverty by the end of this Parliament; believe that eradicating child poverty must be a primary priority for the newly-elected Government; and therefore call on the Government, as a vital first step in tackling child poverty, to immediately abolish the two-child limit.’.—(Stephen Flynn.)
Question put forthwith, That the Amendment be made (Standing Order No. 33).
The House divided.
Division No. 3
Ayes: 103 (Tellers: Kirsty Blackman, Ben Lake)
Noes: 363 (Tellers: Christian Wakeford, Taiwo Owatemi)
Question negatived.
Another Amendment proposed, at the end of the Question, to add ‘but, while welcoming measures aimed at upholding standards in public life, which have been neglected under UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments in recent years, humbly regret that the Gracious Speech does not include sufficient measures to address the crisis in health and care, such as the introduction of a legal right to see a GP within seven days, a guarantee for cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days from urgent referral, free personal care in England, better support for carers, and a cross-party commission on social care; and call on the Government to stop the scandal of sewage dumping against which the previous Government failed to take action, including by replacing Ofwat with a new regulator, to support families with the cost of living and to tackle poverty, including by introducing a national food strategy, extending free school meals to all children in poverty, and by scrapping the two-child benefit cap, to ensure that rural communities and farmers receive adequate support, and to reform the system for parliamentary elections by replacing first-past-the-post with proportional representation, so that every vote counts.’.—(Christine Jardine.)
Question put forthwith, That the Amendment be made (Standing Order No. 33).
The House divided.
Division No. 4
Ayes: 85 (Tellers: Jamie Stone, Munira Wilson)
Noes: 382 (Tellers: Christian Wakeford, Taiwo Owatemi)
Question negatived.
Main Question put and agreed to.
Resolved, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, as follows:
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
Address to be presented to His Majesty by Members of this House who are Privy Counsellors or Members of His Majesty’s Household.
Ordered, That, at this day’s sitting, the Motion in the name of Lucy Powell relating to Business of the House (Today) may be proceeded with, though opposed, until any hour, and Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply.—(Gerald Jones.)
6Business of the House (Today)
Ordered, That at today’s sitting the Speaker shall put the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the Motion in the name of Lucy Powell relating to Westminster Hall not later than one hour after the commencement of proceedings on the Motion for this Order; such Questions shall include the Questions on any Amendments selected by the Speaker which may then be moved; proceedings on that Motion may continue, though opposed, after the moment of interruption; and Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply.—(Lucy Powell.)
Ordered, That, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 10, there shall be no sitting in Westminster Hall until Tuesday 3 September.—(Lucy Powell.)
Subject: Prevention of commercial sexual exploitation (Tonia Antoniazzi)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Gerald Jones.)
Adjourned at 8.17 pm until tomorrow.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Illegal Migration Act 2023 (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 815), dated 22 July 2024 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Yvette Cooper)
Other papers
2Budget Responsibility and National Audit
Report and Accounts of the National Audit Office for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 130) (Clerk of the House)
Report and Financial Statements of the Financial Reporting Council for 2023–24 (by Command), to be printed (HC 207) (Secretary Jonathan Reynolds)
4Commissioner for Patient Safety
Report of the Patient Safety Commissioner for 2023–24 (by Statutory Instrument) (Andrew Gwynne)
5Criminal Injuries Compensation
Report and Accounts of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 99) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Report and Accounts of the Parole Board for England and Wales for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 98) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Integrated Report and Accounts of The Crown Estate for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 25) (Clerk of the House)
Report and Accounts of BBC Group, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Command) (Secretary Lisa Nandy)
9Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall (Accounts)
(1) Integrated Report and Accounts of the Duchy of Cornwall for the year ended 31 March 2024 (by Act) (James Murray)
(2) Report and Accounts of the Duchy of Lancaster for the year ended 31 March 2024 (by Act) (James Murray)
10Exchequer and Audit Departments
Television Licence Fee Trust Statement of the British Broadcasting Corporation for the year ending 31 March 2024, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 78) (Secretary Lisa Nandy)
11Government Resources and Accounts
(1) Report and Accounts of HM Courts and Tribunals Service for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 95) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
(2) Report and Accounts of the Crown Estate Office for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 72) (James Murray)
(3) Report and Accounts of the Government Internal Audit Agency for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 64) (James Murray)
(4) Report and Accounts of the Judicial Pensions Scheme for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 49) (James Murray)
(5) Report and Accounts of the Planning Inspectorate for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 148) (Secretary Angela Rayner)
Report and Accounts of FCDO Services for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 109) (Catherine West)
Report and Accounts of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 22) (Karin Smyth)
Election of Deputy Speakers: Results (The Speaker)
Report and Accounts of Reclaim Fund Limited for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Command), to be printed (HC 166) (Tulip Siddiq)
(1) Report and Accounts of the Legal Services Board for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 93) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
(2) Report and Accounts of the Office for Legal Complaints for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 94) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Report and Accounts of the Office of the Public Guardian for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 100) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
(1) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on cross government: Government’s general grant schemes (by Act), to be printed (HC 126) (Clerk of the House)
(2) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on cross government: Lessons learned: Government compensation schemes (by Act), to be printed (HC 121) (Clerk of the House)
(3) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: The Farming and Countryside Programme (by Act), to be printed (HC 123) (Clerk of the House)
(4) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: The effectiveness of government in tackling homelessness (by Act), to be printed (HC 119) (Clerk of the House)
(5) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department for Work and Pensions: DWP customer service (by Act), to be printed (HC 127) (Clerk of the House)
(6) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England: NHS Financial Management and Sustainability (by Act), to be printed (HC 124) (Clerk of the House)
(1) Report and Accounts of NHS Resolution for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 73) (Andrew Gwynne)
(2) Report and Accounts of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Statutory Instrument), to be printed (HC 201) (Karin Smyth)
(3) Reports and Accounts of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust for 2023–24 (by Act) (Secretary Wes Streeting)
20Public Processions (Northern Ireland)
Report and Financial Statements of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 21) (Secretary Hilary Benn)
21Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform)
Assimilated Law Parliamentary Report January 2024 – June 2024 (by Act) (Secretary Jonathan Reynolds)
Report and Accounts of the Sovereign Grant and Sovereign Grant Reserve for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 142) (James Murray)
Accounts of the Crown's Nominee for 2023–24, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 75) (Tulip Siddiq)