Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.30 pm.
Prayers
Ordered, That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough Constituency of Gorton and Denton, in the room of Andrew John Gwynne, who, since his election to the said Borough Constituency, has been appointed to the Office of Steward and Bailiff of His Majesty’s Manor of Northstead in the County of York.—(Jonathan Reynolds.)
2Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
3Urgent Question: Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill (Stephen Doughty)
4Statement: Police Reform White Paper (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
5Armed Forces Bill: Second Reading
Motion made and Question proposed, That the Bill be now read a second time.
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 83A(7)), That the following provisions shall apply to the Armed Forces Bill:
Select Committee
(1) The Bill shall be committed to a Select Committee.
(2) The Select Committee shall report the Bill to the House on or before 30 April 2026.
Committee of the whole House, Consideration and Third reading
(3) On report from the Select Committee, the Bill shall be re-committed to a Committee of the whole House.
(4) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House on recommittal, any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be taken in accordance with the following provisions of this Order.
(5) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House and any proceedings on Consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the day on which proceedings in Committee of the whole House are commenced.
(6) Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.
Programming committee
(7) Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to proceedings in Committee of the whole House, to any proceedings on Consideration or to proceedings on Third Reading.
Other proceedings
(8) Any other proceedings on the Bill may be programmed.—(Stephen Morgan.)
Question agreed to.
King’s Recommendation signified.
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 52(1)(a)), That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Armed Forces Bill, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of:
(a) any expenditure incurred under or by virtue of the Act by a Minister of the Crown or the Defence Council, and
(b) any increase attributable to the Act in the sums payable under or by virtue of any other Act out of money so provided.—(Stephen Morgan.)
Question agreed to.
Ordered, That, at this day’s sitting, Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply to the motion in the name of Secretary John Healey relating to Armed Forces Bill: Carry-over.—(Stephen Morgan.)
9Armed Forces Bill: Carry-over
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 80A(1)(a)), That if, at the conclusion of this Session of Parliament, proceedings on the Armed Forces Bill have not been completed, they shall be resumed in the next Session.—(Stephen Morgan.)
Question agreed to.
10Armed Forces Bill: Select Committee
Ordered, That the following provisions shall apply to the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill:
(1) The Committee shall have 17 members, to be nominated by the Committee of Selection.
(2) The Committee shall have power—
(a) to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place and to report from day to day the minutes of evidence taken before it;
(b) to admit the public during the examination of witnesses and during consideration of the Bill (but not otherwise); and
(c) to appoint specialist advisers either to supply information not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity relating to the provisions of the Bill.—(Stephen Morgan.)
11Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (England) Regulations 2026, which were laid before this House on 15 December 2025, be approved.—(Stephen Morgan.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Medical Devices (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2026, which were laid before this House on 16 December 2025, be approved.—(Stephen Morgan.)
The Deputy Speaker’s opinion as to the decision on the Question was challenged.
Division deferred until Wednesday 28 January (Standing Order No. 41A).
12Changes to membership of select committees
Ordered, That Charlie Maynard be discharged from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and Charlotte Cane be added.—(Gen Kitchen, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
Subject: NHS urgent care in Staffordshire (Josh Newbury)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Stephen Morgan.)
Adjourned at 10.26 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Disqualification of a Member
14Disqualification of a Member
Notification, laid upon the Table by the Speaker, That the Chancellor of the Exchequer had appointed on Friday 23 January Andrew John Gwynne, Member for Gorton and Denton, to be Steward and Bailiff of His Majesty’s Manor of Northstead in the County of York.
Lords Messages
15Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
The Lords agree to the Licensing Hours Extensions Bill without amendment.
Changes to Notices Given
16Russian Frozen Assets (Seizure and Aid to Ukraine) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 30 January, read and discharged
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 27 February.
17Transport for London (Extension of Concessions) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 30 January, read and discharged
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 20 March.
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).
18Finance (No. 2) Bill (except Clauses 1 to 10, 62 to 69 and 83 to 86 and Schedules 1, 2, 12 and 13) Committee (Programming Sub-Committee)
Members: Helena Dollimore, Mark Ferguson, Lucy Rigby, Dan Tomlinson, James Wild, Sean Woodcock and Martin Wrigley
19First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026)
Chair: Sir Desmond Swayne
Members: Rachel Blake, Kim Leadbeater, Perran Moon and Graham Stuart discharged and Steve Barclay, Anna Dixon, Anna Gelderd and Alison Taylor nominated in substitution.
20Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Order 2026 and draft Cumbria Combined Authority Order 2026)
Chair: Dr Rupa Huq
Members: Esther McVey discharged and Edward Argar nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports
21National Security Strategy (Joint Committee on)
The National Security Strategy: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 1045) (Matt Western).
22Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service: Sixty-fifth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 1235);
(2) Accountability in small government bodies: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 887);
(3) BBC World Service 2024–25: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1299);
(4) Correspondence from the Permanent Secretary to the Department of Health and Social Care relating to Accounting Officer Assessments: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Correspondence relating to the Committee’s previous Reports: Written evidence, to be published;
(6) Cost of maintaining the FCDO’s overseas estate: Written evidence, to be published (HC 884);
(7) Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1236);
(8) Whole of Government Accounts 2023–24: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1243)
(Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown).
(1) The work of the BBC in Scotland: Oral evidence to be published (HC 443);
(2) Connectivity in Scotland: Digital connectivity: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1461);
(3) GB Energy and the net zero transition: Written evidence, to be published (HC 459);
(4) Securing Scotland’s Future: Defence Skills and Jobs: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1442)
(Patricia Ferguson).
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 4.30 pm.
Debates on e-petitions (Standing Orders No. 10(1)(a) and No. 145A(7))
1Play in the key stage 1 curriculum
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered e-petition 729440 relating to play in the key stage 1 curriculum.—(Dr Roz Savage.)
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 729440 relating to play in the key stage 1 curriculum.
The sitting was suspended between 5.54 pm and 6 pm.
2Licensing and regulation of animal rescue centres
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 718660 relating to the licensing and regulation of animal rescue centres.—(Irene Campbell.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 7.08 pm until tomorrow.
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers presented and delivered to the Votes and Proceedings Office on Friday 23 January under Standing Orders No. 158 and No. 159
Papers laid under paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023
Proposal for an instrument titled Airport Noise-related Operating Restrictions (Amendment) Regulations 2026, with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Heidi Alexander)
Other papers
Government Response to the Report of the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Committee (by Command) (CP 1477) (Secretary Wes Streeting)
Papers presented or laid upon the Table on Monday 26 January
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
(1) Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Alternative Dispute Resolution) (Conferral of Functions) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Peter Kyle)
(2) Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Alternative Dispute Resolution) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Peter Kyle)
Draft Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) (Amendment) (Specified Period) Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Ed Miliband)
Draft Procurement (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Chris Ward)
Draft Goods Vehicles (Testing, Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Heidi Alexander)
Papers laid under paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023
Proposal for an instrument titled Aviation Security (Amendment, Revocation and Consequential Provision) Regulations 2026, with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Heidi Alexander)
Other papers
Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats (by Act) (Secretary Emma Reynolds)
From Local to National: A New Model for Policing (by Command) (CP 1489) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Estimates for which a Vote on Account is required for the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for 2026–27 (by Act), to be printed (HC 1586) (The Speaker)