Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 9.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Speaker suspended the sitting until 10.30 am.
3Urgent Question: Postponement of 2026 local elections (Miatta Fahnbulleh)
4Business Question (Leader of the House)
5Deputy Speaker’s Statement: Waiver of sub judice rule (Camden nursery sexual abuse case)
6Statements: (1) Camden nursery sexual abuse case response (Secretary Bridget Phillipson)
(2) Dawn Sturgess Inquiry (Dan Jarvis)
7Select Committee Statement (Standing Order No. 22D): Publication of the Second Report from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland, HC 586 (Tonia Antoniazzi)
8National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, supported by the Prime Minister, James Murray, Dan Tomlinson, Lucy Rigby and Torsten Bell, presented a Bill to make provision to amend section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, and section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, so that amounts of salary sacrificed for employer pensions contributions pursuant to optional remuneration arrangements are liable to national insurance contributions.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Monday 8 December, and to be printed (Bill 344) with Explanatory Notes (Bill 344–EN).
War in Ukraine
Resolved, That this House again condemns President Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year of tragedy and destruction; condemns the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine, in particular the abduction of Ukrainian children; supports efforts to negotiate a durable and lasting peace agreement; asserts that this must reaffirm all Ukrainian sovereign territory as recognised in international law, including any occupied territories; believes that Ukraine’s sovereignty must be guaranteed by all parties including by all NATO nations and by the EU, to mirror Article V of the NATO Treaty; further believes that Ukraine must be free to sustain capability to deter a future Russian attack; also supports increased economic sanctions further to reduce Russian revenues from the export of oil and gas; and urges the Government and the UK's allies to accelerate military support for Ukraine, and to release frozen Russian assets for the financing of increased military spending in Ukraine as soon as possible.—(Sir Bernard Jenkin.)
Subject: Support for victims' families in cases of domestic violence (Mr Connor Rand)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Gen Kitchen.)
Adjourned at 5.18 pm until Monday 8 December.
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
11Fireworks (Noise Control etc) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Monday 26 January 2026, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 30 January 2026.
General Committees: Reports
12Public Office (Accountability) Bill Committee
Sir Roger Gale (Chair) reported:
(1) written evidence submitted to the Committee; and
(2) the Bill as amended.
Written evidence to be published.
Bill, as amended, to be considered tomorrow; and to be printed (Bill 341).
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).
13Second Delegated Legislation Committee (Customs Tariff (Establishment) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 1199))
Members: Paul Holmes discharged and Mr Gagan Mohindra nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports
14Backbench Business Committee
Determination of business to be taken on Thursday 18 December in the Chamber (Bob Blackman).
15Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Reforming the water sector: Written evidence, to be published (HC 588) (Mr Alistair Carmichael).
16Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) Government services: Identifying costs: Fifty-eighth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 1421);
(2) Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024–25: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 1231)
(Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown).
Sir 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))
1Potential merits of a comprehensive acquired brain injury action plan
Resolved, That this House has considered the potential merits of a comprehensive acquired brain injury action plan.—(Sir John Hayes.)
Resolved, That this House has considered seafarers’ welfare.—(Jen Craft.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 4.02 pm until Monday 8 December.
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Application to Immigration Officers and Designated Customs Officials in Northern Ireland) and Consequential Amendments Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 1263), dated 1 December 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Al Carns)
Other papers
3Government Resources and Accounts
(1) Client Funds Account of the 1993 and 2003 Child Maintenance Schemes for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1515) (Secretary Pat McFadden)
(2) Client Funds Account of the 2012 Child Maintenance Scheme for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1514) (Secretary Pat McFadden)
(3) Report and Accounts of the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1441) (James Murray)
4Government Resources and Accounts (Audit of Non-profit-making Companies)
Report and Accounts of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and JNCC Support Co for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Statutory Instrument), to be printed (HC 1356) (Secretary Emma Reynolds)
Report and Accounts of the Regulator of Social Housing for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1389) (Secretary Steve Reed)
Report of the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess (by Act), to be printed (HC 1525) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
7Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders
Report of the Director of Legal Aid Casework for 2024–25 (by Act), to be printed (HC 1541) (Secretary David Lammy)
Treasury Minutes Progress Report on the Government Responses to the Committee of Public Accounts in Sessions 2017–19, 2019, 2019–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–26 (by Command) (CP 1453) (Dan Tomlinson)