Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 2.30 pm.
Prayers
1Speaker’s Statement: Lord Flight and Lord Wallace of Tankerness
2Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence
3Statements: (1) China and Japan (Prime Minister)
(2) US Department of Justice release of files (Darren Jones)
4Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Programme (No. 2)
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 83A(7)), That the following provisions shall apply to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill for the purpose of supplementing the Order of 16 October 2025 (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Programme):
Consideration of Lords Amendments
(1) Proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.
Subsequent stages
(2) Any further Message from the Lords may be considered forthwith without any Question being put.
(3) Proceedings on any further Message from the Lords shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.—(Imogen Walker.)
Question agreed to.
5Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Consideration of Lords Amendments
Lords Amendment 1 agreed to.
Lords Amendments 2 to 12 agreed to.
6Business of the House (Today)
Ordered, That, at this day’s sitting, proceedings on the motions in the name of Secretary Heidi Alexander relating to (i) High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill: Carry-over and (ii) High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill: Select Committee shall be brought to a conclusion no later than one and a half hours after the commencement of proceedings on the motion for this Order; the Speaker shall then put the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on those motions; such Questions shall include the Questions on any Amendments selected by the Speaker which may then be moved; proceedings on those motions may be entered upon and may continue, though opposed, after the moment of interruption; and Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply.—(Sir Alan Campbell.)
7High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill: Carry-over
Ordered, That the following provisions shall apply in respect of the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill if proceedings on the Bill have not been completed before the end of this Session or any subsequent Session of this Parliament (each a “qualifying Session”).
Suspension at end of qualifying Session
1. Further proceedings on the Bill shall be suspended from the day on which the qualifying Session in question ends until the Session that follows it (“the new Session”).
2. If a Bill is presented in the new Session in the same terms as those in which the Bill stood when proceedings on it were suspended in the qualifying Session in question—
(a) the Bill so presented shall be ordered to be printed and shall be deemed to have been read the first and second time;
(b) the Standing Orders and practice of the House applicable to the Bill, so far as complied with or dispensed with in the qualifying Session or a relevant earlier Session, shall be deemed to have been complied with or (as the case may be) dispensed with in the new Session;
(c) any resolution relating to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 that is passed by the House in the qualifying Session or a relevant earlier Session shall be deemed to have been passed by the House in the new Session;
(d) the Bill shall be dealt with in accordance with—
(i) paragraph 3, if proceedings in Select Committee were not completed when proceedings on the Bill were suspended;
(ii) paragraph 4, if the Bill has been reported from the Select Committee but proceedings on the Bill in Public Bill Committee were not begun when proceedings on the Bill were suspended;
(iii) paragraph 5, if proceedings in Public Bill Committee were begun but not completed when proceedings on the Bill were suspended (and see also paragraph 9);
(iv) paragraph 6, if the Bill was waiting to be considered when proceedings on it were suspended;
(v) paragraph 7, if the Bill was waiting for third reading when proceedings on it were suspended;
(vi) paragraph 8, if the Bill has been read the third time and sent to the House of Lords.
3. If this paragraph applies—
(a) the Bill shall stand committed to a Select Committee of such Members as were members of the Committee when proceedings on the Bill were suspended in the qualifying Session;
(b) any instruction of the House to the Committee in the qualifying Session or a relevant earlier Session shall be an instruction to the Committee on the Bill in the new Session;
(c) all petitions submitted in the qualifying Session or a relevant earlier Session which stand referred to the Committee and which have not been withdrawn, and any petition submitted between the day on which the qualifying Session ends and the day on which proceedings on the Bill are resumed in the new Session in accordance with this Order, shall stand referred to the Committee in the new Session;
(d) any minutes of evidence taken and any papers laid before the Committee in the qualifying Session or a relevant earlier Session shall stand referred to the Committee in the new Session;
(e) only those petitions mentioned in sub-paragraph (c), and any petition which may be submitted to the Private Bill Office and in which the petitioners complain of any amendment proposed by the member in charge of the Bill which, if the Bill were a private bill, could not be made except upon petition for additional provision or of any matter which has arisen during the progress of the Bill before the Committee in the new Session, shall stand referred to the Committee;
(f) any petitioners whose petitions stand referred to the Committee in the new Session shall, subject to the rules and orders of the House, be entitled to be heard upon their petition by themselves, their counsel, representatives or parliamentary agents provided that the petition is prepared and signed in conformity with the rules and orders of the House; and the Member in charge of the Bill shall be entitled to be heard through counsel or agents in favour of the Bill against any such petition;
(g) the Committee shall require any hearing in relation to a petition mentioned in sub-paragraph (f) above to take place in person, unless exceptional circumstances apply;
(h) in applying the rules of the House in relation to parliamentary agents, any reference to a petitioner in person shall be treated as including a reference to a duly authorised member or officer of an organisation, group or body;
(i) the Committee shall have power to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, and to report from day to day minutes of evidence taken before it;
(j) the Committee shall have power to make special reports from time to time;
(k) three shall be the quorum of the Committee.
4. If this paragraph applies, the Bill shall be deemed to have been reported from the Select Committee and to have been re-committed to a Public Bill Committee.
5. If this paragraph applies, the Bill shall be deemed to have been reported from the Select Committee and to have been re-committed to a Public Bill Committee in respect of those clauses and Schedules not ordered to stand part of the Bill in the qualifying Session.
6. If this paragraph applies—
(a) the Bill shall be deemed to have been reported from the Select Committee and from the Public Bill Committee, and
(b) the Bill shall be set down as an order of the day for consideration.
7. If this paragraph applies—
(a) the Bill shall be deemed to have been reported from the Select Committee and from the Public Bill Committee and to have been considered, and
(b) the Bill shall be set down as an order of the day for third reading.
8. If this paragraph applies, the Bill shall be deemed to have passed through all its stages in this House.
Other
9. If proceedings in Public Bill Committee are begun but not completed before the end of a qualifying Session, the chair of the Committee shall report the Bill to the House as so far amended and the Bill and any evidence received by the Committee shall be ordered to lie upon the Table.
10. For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3 above, each of the following is a relevant earlier Session—
(a) Session 2021–22;
(b) Session 2022–23;
(c) Session 2023–24;
(d) except where the qualifying Session is this Session, each Session of this Parliament before the qualifying Session;
(e) where the new Session is the first Session of the next Parliament, each qualifying Session.
11. In paragraph 1 above, the reference to further proceedings does not include proceedings under Standing Order 224A(8) (deposit of supplementary environmental information).
12. In paragraph 3 above, references to the submission of a petition are to its submission electronically, by post or in person.
That these Orders be Standing Orders of the House.—(Secretary Heidi Alexander.)
8High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill: Select Committee
Ordered, That the following provisions shall apply in respect of the Select Committee to which the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill stands committed by virtue of paragraph (10)(a) of the Order of 20 June 2022 (carry-over):
1. The Committee is to have five members.
2. The members of the Committee are–
(a) those who are members of the Committee by virtue of paragraph (10)(a) of the order of 20 June 2022 (carry-over), and
(b) two other members who are to be nominated by the Committee of Selection.
3. Any alteration to the membership of the Committee shall be on the nomination of the Committee of Selection.
4. In carrying out its functions under paragraphs 2(b) and 3, the Committee of Selection shall have regard to the principle that—
(a) three members of the Select Committee are to be Members from the party represented in His Majesty’s Government, and
(b) two are to be Members from opposition parties.—(Secretary Heidi Alexander.)
9Voting by proxy (serious long-term illness or injury extension)
Ordered, That the following amendment to Standing Order No. 39A (Voting by proxy) made by the Order of 23 October 2024 (Voting by Proxy (Serious long-term illness or injury))—
“In paragraph (2), insert “(d) serious long-term illness or injury;”
shall continue to have effect for the remainder of this Parliament.—(Sir Alan Campbell.)
Ordered, That,
(1) Standing Order No. 145 (Liaison Committee) be amended by deleting paragraph (3).
(2) Standing Order No. 152J (Backbench Business Committee) be amended by inserting the following new paragraph:
"( ) The committee shall report its recommendations as to the allocation of time for consideration by the House of the estimates on any day or half day which may be allotted for that purpose; and upon a motion being made that the House do agree with any such report the question shall be put forthwith and, if that question is agreed to, the recommendations shall have effect as if they were orders of the House:
Proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.”
(3) Standing Order No. 54 (Consideration of estimates) be amended as follows:
(a) in paragraph (1), replace “paragraph (3) of Standing Order No. 145 (Liaison Committee)” with “paragraph ( ) of Standing Order No. 152J (Backbench Business Committee)”
(b) in paragraphs (2) and (3), replace the words “Liaison Committee” wherever they occur with “Backbench Business Committee”
(4) Standing Order No. 14 (Arrangement of public business) be amended by inserting, after paragraph (5), the following paragraph:
"( ) Any day or half day which may be allotted for consideration by the House of estimates on a recommendation from the Backbench Business Committee under paragraph (x) of Standing Order No. 152J shall not be treated as a day or half day allotted under paragraph (4) above."—(Sir Alan Campbell.)
11Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Order 2026, which was laid before this House on 18 December 2025, be approved.—(Taiwo Owatemi.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Cumbria Combined Authority Order 2026, which was laid before this House on 18 December 2025, be approved.—(Taiwo Owatemi.)
Question agreed to.
Subject: Tolled crossings and regional connectivity (Anna Gelderd)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Taiwo Owatemi.)
Adjourned at 7.54 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Lords Messages
13Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill
The Lords agree to the Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill without amendment.
Changes to Notices Given
14Property (Registration and Valuation) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 6 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 27 February.
Order for Second Reading on Friday 6 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 29 May.
16Building Regulations (Minimum Standards) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 6 February, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 29 May.
General Committees: Reports
17First Delegated Legislation Committee
David Mundell (Chair) reported the draft Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026 and the draft Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Calculation of Non-Domestic Rating High-Value Multiplier) (England) Regulations 2026.
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).
18Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill (Programming Sub-Committee)
Members: David Chadwick, Dr Allison Gardner, Preet Kaur Gill, Lincoln Jopp, Kanishka Narayan, Taiwo Owatemi and Chris Vince
19First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026 and draft Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Calculation of Non-Domestic Rating High-Value Multiplier) (England) Regulations 2026)
Members: Dame Karen Bradley discharged and Jack Rankin nominated in substitution.
20Second Delegated Legislation Committee (The draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026)
Members: Navendu Mishra discharged and Mr Connor Rand nominated in substitution.
21Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Energy-Intensive Industry Electricity Support Payments and Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2026)
Members: Bambos Charalambous and Afzal Khan discharged and Sam Carling and Sarah Smith nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports relating to orders for printing made during the adjournment under Standing Order No. 137
Friday 30 January
22Business and Trade Committee
Correspondence relating to the Prime Minister's visit to China: Written evidence, to be published (Clerk of the House).
Farming in Wales in 2025: Challenges and Opportunities: Government Response: First Special Report, to be printed (HC 1620) (Clerk of the House).
Select Committees: Reports made on Monday 2 February
24Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) Environmental regulation: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 1687);
(2) Civil service pensions: Written evidence, to be published (HC 888);
(3) Government’s use of external consultants: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1521);
(4) HMRC Customer Service and Accounts 2023–24: Written evidence, to be published (HC 347);
(5) Tackling fraud and error in benefit expenditure 2024–25: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1231);
(6) Water sector regulation: Written evidence, to be published (HC 824)
(Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown).
Promoting Wales for inward investment: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 444) (Ruth Jones).
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))
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered e-petitions 727372 and 746363 relating to indefinite leave to remain.—(Tony Vaughan.)
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)).
The sitting was suspended between 7.05 pm and 7.12 pm for a division in the House (called off) (Standing Order No. 10(3)).
Resolved, That this House has considered e-petitions 727372 and 746363 relating to indefinite leave to remain.
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 7.35 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 30 January under Standing Orders No. 158 and No. 159
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
1Financial Services and Markets
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Providing Targeted Support) (Amendment) Order 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 74), dated 28 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Lucy Rigby)
2Harbours, Docks, Piers and Ferries
Lyme Regis, Bridport (West Bay) and Weymouth Harbour Revision Order 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 62), dated 26 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Heidi Alexander)
Other papers
3Science, Innovation and Technology
Government Response to the Report from the House of Lords UK Engagement with Space Committee (by Command) (CP 1478) (Kanishka Narayan)
Papers presented or laid upon the Table on Monday 2 February
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Jo Stevens)
Draft Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Ian Murray)
(1) Draft Electricity Supplier Payments (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Michael Shanks)
(2) Draft Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Michael Shanks)
(3) Draft Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Ed Miliband)
Draft Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Andrew Western)
8Terms and Conditions of Employment
Draft National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Peter Kyle)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Draft Modifications to the Standard Conditions of Electricity Supply Licences granted or treated as granted under Section 6(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 1989, (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Ed Miliband)
Sham Marriage and Civil Partnership (Referral of Proposed Marriages and Civil Partnerships) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 85), dated 29 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Pension Protection Fund and Occupational Pension Schemes (Levy Ceiling) Order 2026 (SI, 2026, No. 83), dated 30 January 2026 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Torsten Bell)
Other papers
National Minimum Wage: Low Pay Commission Report for 2025 (by Command) (CP 1491) (Secretary Peter Kyle)
13Government Resources and Accounts (Audit of Non-profit-making Companies)
* This item has been corrected since publication. See the Votes and Proceedings relating to Wednesday 13 May 2026.
Report and Accounts of the College of Policing Limited for 2024–25, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Statutory Instrument), to be printed (HC 1641) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
Estimates for which a Vote on Account is required for the National Audit Office for 2026–27 (by Act), to be printed (HC 1609) (Clerk of the House)
SPEAKER’S CERTIFICATE
VOTING BY PROXY (STANDING ORDER NO. 39A)
(Variations to existing arrangements appear in bold.)
|
Member |
From |
To |
Proxy |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Alison Hume |
30 January |
13 March |
Sir Nicholas Dakin |