Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 9.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to (1) the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(2) the Solicitor General
The Speaker reported that the King had signified Royal Assent to the following Acts and Measures under the Royal Assent Act 1967:
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025
Mental Health Act 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025
Space Industry (Indemnities) Act 2025
Employment Rights Act 2025
Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025
Abuse Redress Measure 2025
3Urgent Question: Animal Welfare Strategy (Secretary Emma Reynolds)
4Business Question (Leader of the House)
5Statements: (1) Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (Jess Phillips)
(2) Ukraine (Luke Pollard)
(3) Local government reorganisation (Alison McGovern)
6Select Committee Statement (Standing Order No. 22D): Publication of the First Special Report of the Backbench Business Committee, 15th anniversary of the Backbench Business Committee, HC 1548 (Bob Blackman)
7Members' interests (Standing Order No. 149(1)(b)) (Charlie Maynard)
Matters to be raised before the Christmas adjournment
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered matters to be raised before the Christmas adjournment.—(Bob Blackman.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
A public petition from residents of the United Kingdom relating to Walsall Leather Museum was presented and read by Valerie Vaz.
Subject: English indices of deprivation 2025 (Chris Webb)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Nesil Caliskan.)
Adjourned at 5.24 pm until Monday 5 January 2026 (Order, 28 October).
Other Proceedings
Private Business
11Examination of petitions for bills (Standing Order 70)
Report from the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills laid upon the Table by the Speaker, That, in the case of the petition for the following Bill, the applicable Private Business Standing Orders have been complied with:
Cheltenham Borough Council (Markets) Bill
12Division of bills between the two Houses (Standing Order 81)
Report from the Counsel to the Speaker laid upon the Table by the Speaker, That the following Bill should originate in the House of Commons:
Cheltenham Borough Council (Markets) Bill
Select Committees: Reports
13Backbench Business Committee
Determination of business to be taken on Thursday 8 January 2026 and Thursday 15 January 2026 in the Chamber and Thursday 8 January 2026, Tuesday 13 January 2026 and Thursday 15 January 2026 in Westminster Hall (Bob Blackman).
Correspondence from the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls and the Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls to the Chairs of the Home Affairs, Justice and Women and Equalities Committees relating to the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy: Written evidence, to be published (Dame Karen Bradley).
15Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Correspondence from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning: Written evidence, to be published (Florence Eshalomi).
16Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025: Sixtieth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 1447);
(2) NS&I’s transformation programme: Oral and written evidence, to be printed (HC 1237)
(Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown).
17Women and Equalities Committee
Female genital mutilation: Written evidence, to be published (HC 714) (Sarah Owen).
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))
1Cultural contribution of Jane Austen
Resolved, That this House has considered the cultural contribution of Jane Austen.—(Luke Murphy.)
Resolved, That this House has considered community audiology.—(Danny Beales.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 4.15 pm until Monday 5 January 2026 (Order, 28 October).
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
(1) Draft Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Order 2026 and an accompanying Report under section 105B of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Miatta Fahnbulleh)
(2) Draft Cumbria Combined Authority Order 2026 and an accompanying Report under section 105B of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Miatta Fahnbulleh)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Schools (Recording and Reporting of Seclusion and Restraint) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 1348), dated 17 December 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Olivia Bailey)
3Financial Services and Markets
Consumer Composite Investments (Designated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 1347), dated 17 December 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Lucy Rigby)
Other papers
Report and Accounts of Great British Energy-Nuclear for 2024–25 (by Act) (Secretary Ed Miliband)
Report and Accounts of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1577) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
6Government Resources and Accounts
(1) Report and Accounts of National Infrastructure Commission for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1456) (Dan Tomlinson)
(2) Report and Accounts of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1584) (Secretary Heidi Alexander)
Freedom from Violence and Abuse: A cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls: Strategy and Action Plan (by Command) (CP 1450) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Report to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the Government’s response to human rights judgments 2024–25 (by Command) (CP 1415) (Secretary David Lammy)
Report of the Social Mobility Commission: State of the Nation 2025: The evolving story of social mobility in the UK (by Act) (Sir Stephen Timms)
Report and Accounts of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Armouries for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1560) (Ian Murray)
(1) Account of Sports Council for Northern Ireland Lottery Distribution for 2019–20, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1502) (Clerk of the House)
(2) Account of Sports Council for Northern Ireland Lottery Distribution for 2020–21, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1575) (Clerk of the House)
12Small Business, Enterprise and Employment
Report and Accounts of the Pubs Code Adjudicator for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1534) (Kate Dearden)