Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.30 pm.
Prayers
1Changes to Standing Orders (Private Business)
Ordered, That the Amendment to the Standing Orders relating to Private Business set out in the Schedule be made.—(Chairman of Ways and Means.)
SCHEDULE
224 Examination of public bills by Examiners (HL 83)
After paragraph 6, insert:
"(6A) In the case of a public bill in relation to which the Examiner decides standing orders are applicable, or of any additional provision in such a bill, the Examiner will not report that the bill, or additional provision, is non-compliant with a standing order on the ground that the date, or dates, specified in the standing order has, or have, not been complied with, provided that the Examiner is satisfied that anything which was required to be done on, or by, a date specified in that standing order has been done on, or by, a date that is appropriate, having regard to the purpose of the standing order in question."
2Speaker's Statement: Publication of the Second Report of the Speaker's Conference on the security of MPs, candidates and elections
3Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
4Urgent Question: North Sea oil and gas industry (Michael Shanks)
5Statement: Strengthening prisoner release checks (Lord Chancellor)
The Deputy Speaker reported that the King had signified Royal Assent to the following Acts under the Royal Assent Act 1967:
Bus Services Act 2025
Deprivation of Citizenship Orders (Effect during Appeal) Act 2025
Renters’ Rights Act 2025
Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Act 2025
General Cemetery Act 2025
7Victims and Courts Bill: Consideration of the Bill, as amended in the Public Bill Committee
New Clause NC13—(Alex Davies-Jones)—brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.
New Clause NC14—(Alex Davies-Jones)—brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.
New Clause NC4—(Dr Kieran Mullan)—brought up and read the first time.
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The House divided.
Division No. 325
Ayes: 152 (Tellers: Sir Ashley Fox, Nick Timothy)
Noes: 337 (Tellers: Mark Ferguson, Imogen Walker)
Question negatived.
New Clause NC7—(Jess Brown-Fuller)—brought up and read the first time.
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The House divided.
Division No. 326
Ayes: 165 (Tellers: Zöe Franklin, Claire Young)
Noes: 323 (Tellers: Imogen Walker, Mark Ferguson)
Question negatived.
New Clause NC12— (Mr Joshua Reynolds)— brought up and read the first time.
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The House divided.
Division No. 327
Ayes: 166 (Tellers: Zöe Franklin, Claire Young)
Noes: 322 (Tellers: Imogen Walker, Mark Ferguson)
Question negatived.
Amendments 10 to 21 made.
Amendment 5 proposed.—(Dr Kieran Mullan.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The House divided.
Division No. 328
Ayes: 153 (Tellers: Sir Ashley Fox, Nick Timothy)
Noes: 332 (Tellers: Imogen Walker, Mark Ferguson)
Question negatived.
Consideration completed.
8Victims and Courts 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 Companies (Directors’ Report) (Payment Reporting) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 17 July, be approved.—(Deirdre Costigan.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Definition of Relevant Land) (Amendment) Order 2025, which was laid before this House on 8 September, be approved.—(Deirdre Costigan.)
Question agreed to.
(3) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Financial Services (Overseas Recognition Regime Designations) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 15 July, be approved.—(Deirdre Costigan.)
Question agreed to.
(4) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Control of Mercury (Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 17 July, be approved.—(Deirdre Costigan.)
Question agreed to.
10Changes to membership of select committees
(1) Ordered, That Gregor Poynton and Rosie Wrighting be discharged from the Business and Trade Committee and Daniel Aldridge and Justin Madders be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(2) Ordered, That James Frith, Tom Rutland and Paul Waugh be discharged from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and Vicky Foxcroft, Anneliese Midgley and Jeff Smith be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(3) Ordered, That Andrew Pakes be discharged from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and Terry Jermy be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(4) Ordered, That Blair McDougall be discharged from the Foreign Affairs Committee and Fleur Anderson be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(5) Ordered, That Jake Richards, Shaun Davies and Conor Rand be discharged from the Home Affairs Committee and Lewis Atkinson, Peter Prinsley and Jo White be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(6) Ordered, That Naushabah Khan and Joe Powell be discharged from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee and Sean Woodcock and Andrew Cooper be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(7) Ordered, That Alice MacDonald be discharged from the International Development Committee and Janet Daby be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(8) Ordered, That Mike Tapp be discharged from the Justice Committee and Tony Vaughan be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(9) Ordered, That Nesil Caliskan and Luke Charters be discharged from the Committee of Public Accounts and Catherine McKinnell and Tristan Osborne be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(10) Ordered, That Steve Race and Jon Pearce be discharged from the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee and Samantha Niblett and Daniel Zeichner be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(11) Ordered, That Catherine Atkinson be discharged from the Transport Committee and Jacob Collier be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(12) Ordered, That Lola McEvoy, Dr Jeevun Sandher and Rachel Blake be discharged from the Treasury Committee and Jim Dickson, Luke Murphy and Catherine West be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(13) Ordered, That Kirith Entwistle, Natalie Fleet and Catherine Fookes be discharged from the Women and Equalities Committee and Kevin McKenna, Kim Leadbeater and Nadia Whittome be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(14) Ordered, That David Pinto-Duschinsky, Gill German and Frank McNally be discharged from the Work and Pensions Committee and Lee Barron, David Baines and Rushanara Ali be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
Subject: Regulation and inspection of funeral services (Simon Hoare)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Deirdre Costigan.)
Adjourned at 9.49 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Lords Messages
12Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill
The Lords agree to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill with Amendments to which they desire the agreement of the Commons.
13Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill
The Lords agree to the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill without amendment.
Printing of Lords Amendments
14Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill
Lords Amendments to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill to be considered tomorrow, and to be printed (Bill 319) with Explanatory Notes (Bill 319–EN).
Changes to Notices Given
15Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill
Order for Consideration of Bill, not amended in the Public Bill Committee, on Friday 31 October, read and discharged.
Bill to be further considered on Friday 28 November.
16Aviation (Accessibility) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 14 November, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 23 January 2026.
General Committees: Reports
17First Delegated Legislation Committee
David Mundell (Chair) reported the draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Mutual Recognition Agreement) (Switzerland) 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).
18First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Mutual Recognition Agreement) (Switzerland) Regulations 2025)
Members: Mr Paul Foster and Blake Stephenson discharged and Aphra Brandreth and Andy MacNae nominated in substitution.
19Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Football Governance Act 2025 (Specified Competitions) Regulations 2025)
Members: Andrew Snowden discharged and Mr Gagan Mohindra nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports relating to orders for printing made during the adjournment under Standing Order No. 137
Friday 24 October
20Foreign Affairs Committee, Home Affairs Committee, Justice Committee and National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
Espionage cases and the Official Secrets Acts: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1414) (Clerk of the House).
21National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
Espionage cases and the Official Secrets Acts: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1414) (Clerk of the House).
Select Committees: Reports made on Monday 27 October
22National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
(1) Espionage cases and the Official Secrets Acts: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 1414);
(2) The National Security Strategy: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1045)
(Matt Western).
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 4.30 pm.
Debate on e-petitions (Standing Orders No. 10(1)(a) and No. 145A(7))
1Holidays during school term time
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 700047 relating to holidays during school term time.—(Robbie Moore.)
The sitting was suspended between 5.54 pm and 6 pm.
2Statutory maternity and paternity pay
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered e-petition 715292 relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay.—(Jacob Collier.)
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)).
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 715292 relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay.
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 7.28 pm until tomorrow.
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Jo Stevens)
2Financial Services and Markets
Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (ESG Ratings) Order 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Lucy Rigby)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Court and Public Guardian Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 1126), dated 27 October 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary David Lammy)
Coasting Schools (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 1120), dated 23 October 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Georgia Gould)
Draft Statutory Guidance on the Meaning of "Significant Influence or Control" in the Context of the Football Governance Act 2025 (by Act) (Stephanie Peacock)
Other papers
Report on Local Authority Smallholdings in England for 2023–24 (by Act) (Secretary Emma Reynolds)
7Financial Services and Markets
Explanatory Memorandum to the draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (ESG Ratings) Order 2025 (by Command) (Lucy Rigby)
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department of Health and Social Care: Financial sustainability of England’s adult hospice sector (by Act), to be printed (HC 1378) (Clerk of the House)
Account of Sports Council for Wales Lottery Distribution for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1332) (Clerk of the House)
First Report of 2025 from the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the Appointment of IPSA Board Members (Former Member and Statutory Auditor) (by Act), to be printed (HC 1426) (The Speaker)
Withdrawn papers
11Financial Services and Markets
Explanatory Memorandum to the draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (ESG Ratings) Order 2025 (laid 20 October)
SPEAKER’S CERTIFICATE
VOTING BY PROXY (STANDING ORDER NO. 39A)
(Variations to existing arrangements appear in bold.)
|
Member |
From |
To |
Proxy |
|
Chris Vince |
13 October |
24 October |
Sir Nicholas Dakin |