Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 11.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to (1) the Secretary of State for Scotland
(2) the Prime Minister
2Chalk Streams (Sewerage Investment) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
Daisy Cooper presented a Bill to require water companies to prioritise areas with chalk streams and related habitats when investing in new and upgraded sewerage systems, including foul water leak prevention and the replacement or upgrading of porous sewage pipelines; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 11 July, and to be printed (Bill 223).
3Interpersonal abuse and violence against men and boys (strategy): Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the Secretary of State to prepare and publish a strategy for tackling interpersonal abuse and violence against men and boys; and for connected purposes;
That Ben Obese-Jecty, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Roger Gale, Sir Ashley Fox, Charlie Dewhirst, Wendy Morton, David Simmonds, Paul Holmes, Rebecca Smith, Bob Blackman, Alison Griffiths and Mr Richard Holden present the Bill.
Ben Obese-Jecty accordingly presented the Bill.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 16 May, and to be printed (Bill 224).
4Opposition Day: Leader of the second largest opposition party (6th allotted day (Standing Order No. 14))
(1) Hospitals
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House regrets the appalling state of repair of NHS hospitals across the country; notes that the NHS maintenance backlog rose to £13.8 billion in 2023–24; further notes the sustained pattern of cannibalising NHS capital budgets to keep day-to-day services running; condemns the previous Government’s record of starved repair budgets and exploding maintenance backlogs, which made sewage leaks, cracked walls, crumbling ceilings and sinking floors commonplace; further condemns the previous Government for launching the New Hospital Programme with no realistic plan to fund or deliver it; further regrets that almost half of the selected hospitals are now not set to begin construction until after 2030; calls on the Government to reverse the delay to the New Hospital Programme and create a crumbling hospitals taskforce to bring construction dates forward; and further calls on the Government to end the vicious cycle of false economies and rising repair backlogs by putting hospitals across the country on a path towards sustainable funding.—(Helen Morgan.)
Amendment proposed, in line 7, to leave out from 'it' to the end of the Question and add 'also notes that the Chancellor has announced new fiscal rules to ensure capital budgets can no longer be cannibalised, with transfers from capital to resource budgets not permitted; recognises that the previous Government left a New Hospital Programme which was unfunded, unrealistic and undeliverable; welcomes that the Government has taken action to review that Programme and has published the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, to put the Programme on a sustainable footing; supports the Government’s investment in the Plan, which will increase to up to £15 billion over each consecutive five-year wave, averaging around £3 billion a year from 2030; and further supports the work being done to bring forward construction of the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete replacement schemes wherever possible, to ensure that patient and staff safety is prioritised.'.—(Stephen Kinnock.)
Question proposed, That the original words stand part of the Question (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put.
The House divided.
Division No. 171
Ayes: 77 (Tellers: Charlie Maynard, Mr Will Forster)
Noes: 307 (Tellers: Gerald Jones, Christian Wakeford)
Question negatived.
Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 31(2)), That the proposed words be there added.
Question agreed to.
Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.
Resolved, That this House regrets the appalling state of repair of NHS hospitals across the country; notes that the NHS maintenance backlog rose to £13.8 billion in 2023–24; further notes the sustained pattern of cannibalising NHS capital budgets to keep day-to-day services running; condemns the previous Government’s record of starved repair budgets and exploding maintenance backlogs, which made sewage leaks, cracked walls, crumbling ceilings and sinking floors commonplace; further condemns the previous Government for launching the New Hospital Programme with no realistic plan to fund or deliver it; also notes that the Chancellor has announced new fiscal rules to ensure capital budgets can no longer be cannibalised, with transfers from capital to resource budgets not permitted; recognises that the previous Government left a New Hospital Programme which was unfunded, unrealistic and undeliverable; welcomes that the Government has taken action to review that Programme and has published the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, to put the Programme on a sustainable footing; supports the Government’s investment in the Plan, which will increase to up to £15 billion over each consecutive five-year wave, averaging around £3 billion a year from 2030; and further supports the work being done to bring forward construction of the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete replacement schemes wherever possible, to ensure that patient and staff safety is prioritised.
(2) Sewage
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House regrets the persistent scandal of raw sewage being dumped by water companies into rivers, lakes and coastal areas; notes with deep concern that just 14% of rivers and lakes in England are in good ecological health; condemns the previous Government for letting water company bosses get away with the scandal while paying themselves millions of pounds in bonuses; further notes the potential benefits of Blue Flag status in improving responsibility and accountability from water companies, through compliance checks and stringent environmental standards; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to end the sewage scandal, including the introduction of a new Blue Flag status for rivers and chalk streams, to give them greater protection against sewage dumping and ensure the public knows when rivers are clean and safe.—(Tim Farron.)
Amendment proposed, in line 1, to leave out from 'House' to the end of the Question and insert 'recognises that the Government inherited a broken water system, with record levels of sewage being pumped into waterways; welcomes the Government’s rapid delivery of its promise to put water companies under tough special measures through the landmark Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, which has introduced new powers to ban the payment of unfair bonuses to water bosses who fail to protect the environment and to bring tough criminal charges against them if they break the law; supports the Government’s work to secure over £100 billion of private sector investment to upgrade the crumbling sewage infrastructure; and backs the largest review of the water sector since privatisation, aimed at tackling inherited systemic issues in order to clean up UK rivers, lakes and seas for good.'.—(Secretary Steve Reed.)
Question proposed, That the original words stand part of the Question (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put.
The House divided.
Division No. 172
Ayes: 77 (Tellers: Mr Will Forster, Bobby Dean)
Noes: 302 (Tellers: Christian Wakeford, Gerald Jones)
Question negatived.
Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 31(2)), That the proposed words be there added.
The House divided.
Division No. 173
Ayes: 301 (Tellers: Gerald Jones, Christian Wakeford)
Noes: 69 (Tellers: Bobby Dean, Mr Will Forster)
Question agreed to.
The Deputy Speaker declared the Main Question, as amended, agreed to (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
Resolved, That this House recognises that the Government inherited a broken water system, with record levels of sewage being pumped into waterways; welcomes the Government’s rapid delivery of its promise to put water companies under tough special measures through the landmark Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, which has introduced new powers to ban the payment of unfair bonuses to water bosses who fail to protect the environment and to bring tough criminal charges against them if they break the law; supports the Government’s work to secure over £100 billion of private sector investment to upgrade the crumbling sewage infrastructure; and backs the largest review of the water sector since privatisation, aimed at tackling inherited systemic issues in order to clean up UK rivers, lakes and seas for good.
5Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 13 March, be approved.—(Martin McCluskey.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Domestic Abuse) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025, which was laid before this House on 13 March, be approved.—(Martin McCluskey.)
Question agreed to.
A public petition from residents of the constituency of Windsor relating to Windsor Post Office was presented and read by Jack Rankin.
Subject: Pension funds (Manuela Perteghella)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Martin McCluskey.)
Adjourned at 7.51 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
8Transport (Duty to Cooperate) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 16 May.
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 16 May.
10Child Criminal Exploitation (No. 2) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 13 June.
11Chalk Streams (Protection) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 16 May.
12Domestic Abuse (Aggravated Offences) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 11 July.
General Committees: Reports
13Third Delegated Legislation Committee
Sir Edward Leigh (Chair) reported the draft Medical Devices (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025.
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).
14Planning and Infrastructure Bill (Programming Sub-Committee)
Members: Nesil Caliskan, Mark Ferguson, Olly Glover, Gen Kitchen, Matthew Pennycook, Michael Shanks and David Simmonds
15First Delegated Legislation Committee (Forensic Science Regulator Draft Code of Practice 2025 (Version 2))
Members: Dr Scott Arthur, Ms Polly Billington, Olivia Blake, Sarah Bool, Jade Botterill, Wendy Chamberlain, Harriet Cross, George Freeman, Olly Glover, Amanda Hack, Dame Diana Johnson, Katie Lam, Keir Mather, Alex Mayer, Gurinder Singh Josan, David Smith and Laurence Turner
16Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Health and Social Care Information Standards (Procedure) Regulations 2025)
Members: David Baines, Maureen Burke, Dr Danny Chambers, Jacob Collier, Deirdre Costigan, Cat Eccles, Dr Luke Evans, Alison Griffiths, Fabian Hamilton, Lola McEvoy, Kevin McKenna, Helen Morgan, Taiwo Owatemi, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Karin Smyth, Gregory Stafford and Matt Turmaine.
17Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment, Surrender and Compensation) (England and Wales) Order 2025)
Members: Alex Baker, Lee Barron, Sarah Bool, Dr Beccy Cooper, Gill German, Christine Jardine, Dame Diana Johnson, Louise Jones, Uma Kumaran, Katie Lam, Keir Mather, Andrew Ranger, Lisa Smart, Sir Julian Smith, Paul Waugh, Mike Wood and Steve Yemm
Select Committees: Reports
(1) Further education and skills: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 666);
(2) Children’s social care: Written evidence, to be published (HC 430);
(3) Correspondence from the Minister for Children and Families relating to the Supporting Families programme: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence with the Minister for School Standards relating to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Higher education and funding: Written evidence, to be published (HC 807)
(Helen Hayes).
19Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
(1) Animal and plant health: Written evidence, to be published (HC 611);
(2) The future of farming: Written evidence, to be published (HC 527);
(3) Reforming the water sector: Written evidence, to be published (HC 588);
(4) Work of the Department and its arm's-length bodies: Written evidence, to be published (HC 415)
(Mr Alistair Carmichael).
20Environmental Audit Committee
(1) The role of natural capital in the UK's green economy: First Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 501);
(2) Governing the marine environment: Written evidence, to be published (HC 551);
(3) National Planning Policy Framework reforms and the environment: Written evidence, to be published (HC 458);
(4) Outcomes of UNFCCC COP29: Written evidence, to be published (HC 667)
(Mr Toby Perkins).
21Health and Social Care Committee
(1) Community mental health services: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 566);
(2) Adult social care reform: the cost of inaction: Written evidence, to be published (HC 368);
(3) Correspondence from the Minister of State for Care: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) The work of NHS England: Written evidence, to be published (HC 563)
(Layla Moran).
Correspondence from the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to the Committee’s report on the police response to the 2024 summer disorder: Written evidence, to be published (Dame Karen Bradley).
23Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
(1) Delivering 1.5 million new homes: Land value capture: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 672);
(2) Correspondence from the Minister for Equalities relating to a call for evidence on equality law: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Grenfell and building safety: Written evidence, to be published (HC 780)
(Florence Eshalomi).
24Human Rights (Joint Committee on)
(1) Forced labour in UK supply chains: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 633);
(2) Correspondence with the Department for Education relating to the adoption of children of unmarried mothers: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence with the Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms relating to the Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords]: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede) relating to Humanist weddings: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Correspondence with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Written evidence, to be published;
(6) Transnational repression in the UK: Written evidence, to be published (HC 681)
(Sir Desmond Swayne).
Correspondence relating to the Channel 4 Dispatches programme: The Great Tagging Scandal: Written evidence, to be published (Andy Slaughter).
26Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 586) (Tonia Antoniazzi).
(1) Elections within the House of Commons: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 535);
(2) Status of independent Members of Parliament: Written evidence, to be published (HC 534);
(3) Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2024–25: Written evidence, to be published (HC 828)
(Cat Smith).
28Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
(1) Appointment of Paula Sussex CBE as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman:
(i) First Report, with Appendices, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 781);
(ii) Oral evidence, to be published (HC 781);
(2) Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary relating to the Government’s five mission boards: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster relating to the Spending Review 2025 and outstanding Government responses to the Committee’s reports: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence from the Director of Policy and Research at the Electoral Commission relating to publication of 2024 electoral fraud data: Written evidence, to be published
(5) Review of the 2024 General Election: Written evidence, to be published (HC 487)
(Lauren Edwards).
* This item has been corrected since publication. See the Votes and Proceedings relating to Thursday 24 April 2025.
(1) Scotland’s space sector follow-up: Launch:
(i) Oral evidence, taken concurrently with the House of Lords UK Engagement with Space Committee, to be published (HC 671);
(ii) Written evidence, to be published (HC 671);
(2) Industrial transition in Scotland: Written evidence, to be published (HC 729);
(3) Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility: Written evidence, to be published (HC 630);
(4) Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General for Scotland 2024–25 Supplementary Estimate Memorandum: Written evidence, to be published
(Douglas McAllister).
30Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee on)
Twenty-first Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 291-xxi) (Sir Bernard Jenkin).
Work of the Secretary of State for Transport: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 346) (Ruth Cadbury).
(1) Lifetime ISA: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 607);
(2) Work of HM Treasury: Written evidence, to be published (HC 687)
(Dame Meg Hillier).
Appointment of Delyth Evans as S4C Chair:
(i) First Report, with Appendices, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 760);
(ii) Oral evidence, to be published (HC 760)
(Ruth Jones).
Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 653) (Debbie Abrahams).
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 9.30 am.
Business appointed by the Chairman of Ways and Means (Standing Order No. 10(6))
1Transitional support for North Sea oil and gas workers
Resolved, That this House has considered transitional support for North Sea oil and gas workers.—(Kirsty Blackman.)
2Planning and development in Bedfordshire
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered planning and development in Bedfordshire.—(Blake Stephenson.)
At 11.30 am, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)).
The sitting was suspended between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm (Standing Order No. 10(1)(b)).
3Impact of AI on intellectual property
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the impact of AI on intellectual property.—(Mr James Frith.)
The Chair announced a time limit on backbench speeches (under the authority of the Chairman of Ways and Means and Standing Order No. 47(1)).
At 4 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No.10(6)),
The sitting was suspended between 4 pm and 4.30 pm.
4Impact of Government policy on the hair and beauty sectors
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the impact of Government policy on the hair and beauty sectors.—(Julia Lopez.)
At 5.30 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 5.30 pm until tomorrow.
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Scotland Act 1998 (Increase of Borrowing Limits) Order 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Ian Murray)
Draft Licensing Act 2003 (Victory in Europe Day Licensing Hours) Order 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Yvette Cooper)
Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 504), dated 22 April 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Stephen Doughty)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 502), dated 22 April 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Yvette Cooper)
Other papers
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Regulating for investment and outcomes in the water sector for 2024–25 (by Act), to be printed (HC 853) (Clerk of the House)
SPEAKER'S CERTIFICATES
VOTING BY PROXY (STANDING ORDER NO. 39A)
(Variations to existing arrangements appear in bold.)
|
Member |
From |
To |
Proxy |
|
Apsana Begum |
23 April |
21 May |
Zarah Sultana |
|
Kate Osborne |
25 April |
19 May |
Kim Johnson |
|
Chris Ward |
6 May |
22 May |
Chris Elmore |