Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.30 pm.
Prayers
1Questions to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
2Speaker’s Statement: Election of Lord Forsyth of Drumlean as Lord Speaker
3Urgent Questions: (1) New Medium Helicopter contract (Luke Pollard)
(2) Water supplies: East Grinstead (Emma Hardy)
4Statement: Non-consensual sexual deepfakes (Secretary Liz Kendall)
5Finance (No. 2) Bill (Clauses 1 to 6 and Schedule 1, Clauses 7 and 8 and Schedule 2, and any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to the subject matter of those Clauses and Schedules; Clauses 9, 10 and 69 and any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to the subject matter of those Clauses; Clause 62 and Schedule 12 and any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to the subject matter of that Clause and that Schedule): Committee of the whole House (first day)
The House resolved itself into a Committee (Programme Order, 16 December 2025).
(In the Committee)
Clause 1 agreed to.
Clauses 2 to 6 agreed to.
Schedule 1 agreed to.
Clauses 7 and 8 agreed to.
Schedule 2 agreed to.
New Clause NC12—(Gareth Davies)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 398
Ayes: 167 (Tellers: Lincoln Jopp, Alicia Kearns)
Noes: 350 (Tellers: Jake Richards, Imogen Walker)
Question negatived.
Clause 9 agreed to.
Clause 10 (Basic rate limit and personal allowance for tax years 2028–29 to 2030–31)
Question put, That Clause 10 stand part of the Bill.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 399
Ayes: 324 (Tellers: Jake Richards, Imogen Walker)
Noes: 180 (Tellers: Lincoln Jopp, Alicia Kearns)
Question agreed to.
Clause 69 agreed to.
Clause 62 (Agricultural property relief and business property relief etc)
Question put, That Clause 62 stand part of the Bill.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 400
Ayes: 344 (Tellers: Jake Richards, Imogen Walker)
Noes: 181 (Tellers: Alicia Kearns, Lincoln Jopp)
Question agreed to.
Schedule 12 (Reform of reliefs for business property and agricultural property)
Amendments 24 to 26 made.
Amendment 3 proposed.—(Victoria Atkins.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 401
Ayes: 185 (Tellers: Alicia Kearns, Lincoln Jopp)
Noes: 344 (Tellers: Jake Richards, Imogen Walker)
Question negatived.
Amendments 27 to 29 made.
Schedule 12, as amended, agreed to.
New Clause NC7—(Charlie Maynard)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.
The Committee divided.
Division No. 402
Ayes: 188 (Tellers: Zöe Franklin, Claire Young)
Noes: 341 (Tellers: Jake Richards, Imogen Walker)
Question negatived.
The occupant of the Chair left the Chair (Programme Order, 16 December 2025).
The Deputy Speaker resumed the Chair.
Mark Ferguson reported, That the Committee had made progress on the Bill, and moved, That the Committee may have leave to sit again.
Committee again tomorrow.
6Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (Exclusions from Market Access Principles: Glue Traps) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 1 December 2025, be approved.—(Mark Ferguson.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the 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, which were laid before this House on 4 December 2025, be approved.—(Mark Ferguson.)
Question agreed to.
Ordered, That the Speaker have leave of absence on Thursday 15 January to attend the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in New Delhi.—(Sir Alan Campbell.)
8Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
Resolved, That Helena Dollimore be appointed to the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in place of Leigh Ingham, until the end of the present Parliament, in pursuance of paragraph 1(d) of Schedule 3 to the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009.—(Sir Alan Campbell.)
9Changes to membership of select committees
(1) Ordered, That Max Wilkinson be discharged from the Administration Committee and Marie Goldman be added.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
(2) Ordered, That Robin Swann be added to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.—(Jessica Morden, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
Subject: Government support for higher education (Mr Bayo Alaba)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mark Ferguson.)
Adjourned at 11.45 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Changes to Notices Given
11Road Traffic (Horse and Rider Safety) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 16 January, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 27 February.
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).
12First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Local Government (Exclusion of Non-commercial Considerations) (England) Order 2026)
Members: Tim Farron and Pippa Heylings discharged and Charlotte Cane and Zöe Franklin nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports relating to orders for printing made during the adjournment under Standing Order No. 137
Friday 9 January
13Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Correspondence with Ofcom: Written evidence, to be published (Clerk of the House).
14Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Correspondence relating to intimate Grok AI deepfakes: Written evidence, to be published (Clerk of the House).
Select Committees: Reports
The work of the Chief of Defence Staff: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 974) (Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi).
16Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 1236);
(2) Correspondence from the Minister for Energy relating to the Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to the publication of the Affordable Homes Programme annual report 2024–25: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence relating to the Committee’s previous Reports: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Costs of clinical negligence: Written evidence, to be published, (HC 1234);
(6) Faulty energy efficiency installations: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1229);
(7) Financial sustainability of children’s care homes: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1233);
(8) Government’s use of external consultants: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1521);
(9) The remediation of dangerous cladding: Written evidence, to be published (HC 362)
(Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown).
17National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
(1) Defending democracy: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 720);
(2) National Security Strategy: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1045)
(Matt Western).
Farming in Wales in 2025: Challenges and opportunities: Written evidence, to be published (HC 785) (Ruth Jones).
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 4.30 pm.
Debate on an e-petition (Standing Orders No. 10(1)(a) and No. 145A(7))
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered e-petition 727309 relating to a general election.—(John Lamont.)
The sitting was suspended between 6.48 pm and 7.02 pm for a division in the House (Standing Order No. 10(3)).
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 727309 relating to a general election.
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 7.21 pm until tomorrow.
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Climate Change Levy (Fuel Use and Recycling Processes) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Dan Tomlinson)
Draft Energy-Intensive Industry Electricity Support Payments and Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Peter Kyle)
Draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Torsten Bell)
(1) Draft Child Benefit and Guardian's Allowance Up-rating Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Dan Tomlinson)
(2) Draft Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran’s Relief) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Dan Tomlinson)
(3) Draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Sir Stephen Timms)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Compulsory Purchase of Land (Vesting Declarations) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 19), dated 8 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Matthew Pennycook)
Non-Domestic Rating (Small Business Rate Relief and Demand Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 17), dated 7 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Alison McGovern)
7Sports Grounds and Sporting Events
Football Governance Act 2025 (Suitability Determination Period for Owners and Officers) Regulations 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 18), dated 9 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Stephanie Peacock)
(1) Arts and Culture Streamlined Subsidy Scheme (by Act) (Kate Dearden)
(2) Community and Regeneration Streamlined Subsidy Scheme (by Act) (Kate Dearden)
9Terms and Conditions of Employment
Employment Rights Act 2025 (Parental and Paternity Leave) (Removal of Qualifying Periods etc.) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 15), dated 6 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Kate Dearden)
Other papers
Office for Environmental Protection: Progress in improving the natural environment in England (by Act) (Clerk of the House)
11Financial Services and Markets
Financial Conduct Authority Standards Instrument: The Technical Standards (Strong Customer Authentication and Common and Secure Methods of Communication) (Amendment) Instrument 2025 (by Act) (Lucy Rigby)
Corporate Strategy of the General Medical Council 2026–2030 (by Act) (Secretary Wes Streeting)
Report and Accounts of Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust for 2024–25 (by Act) (Secretary Wes Streeting)
14Social Security Administration
(1) Report by the Government Actuary on the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 and the draft Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran's Relief) Regulations 2026 (by Act) (Sir Stephen Timms)
(2) Report by the Government Actuary on the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 and the draft Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran's Relief) Regulations 2026 (by Act) (Dan Tomlinson)
Report from the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs to the Treasury on Tax Credits under Section 40 of the Tax Credits Act 2002 (by Act) (Dan Tomlinson)
Exchange of Notes, done at London on 21 October 2025, regarding the Temporary Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation on Services Mobility (by Command) (CP 1480) (Secretary Yvette Cooper)
Decision No. 1/2025 of the UK-Faroe Islands Joint Committee, done at London and Tórshavn on 19 August 2025, amending the Tariff Rate Quota in respect of fish feed of the Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Denmark in respect of the Faroe Islands (by Command) (CP 1481) (Secretary Yvette Cooper)
SPEAKER’S CERTIFICATE
VOTING BY PROXY (STANDING ORDER NO. 39A)
(Variations to existing arrangements appear in bold.)
|
Member |
From |
To |
Proxy |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Andrew Gwynne |
12 January |
27 February |
Sir Nicholas Dakin |