Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 11.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2Speaker’s Statement: Visit to Ukraine
3Questions to the Prime Minister
4Urgent Questions: (1) British Indian Ocean Territory negotiations (Stephen Doughty)
(2) Gaza: Israeli military operations (Hamish Falconer)
5Statement: School-Based Nursery Capital Grant outcomes (Secretary Bridget Phillipson)
6Groceries Labelling (Size Reduction) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
Blair McDougall presented a Bill to make provision about labelling requirements for certain groceries products where the manufacturer has reduced the size of the product; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 11 July, and to be printed (Bill 218).
7Co-operative housing tenure: Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision that occupiers of dwellings owned by certain forms of co-operatives shall occupy those dwellings by virtue of their membership of the co-operative and not as tenants or under any other type of property interest; to make provision for co-operative tenure and for the rights and obligations of the co-operative and its members; and for connected purposes;
That Andrew Pakes, Helena Dollimore, Dame Meg Hillier, Paul Waugh, Preet Kaur Gill, Ms Stella Creasy, Alice Macdonald, Gareth Snell, Florence Eshalomi, Sarah Hall, Alex Sobel and Rachel Blake present the Bill.
Andrew Pakes accordingly presented the Bill.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 13 June, and to be printed (Bill 219).
Motion made and Question proposed, That the draft Infrastructure Planning (Onshore Wind and Solar Generation) Order 2025, which was laid before this House on 10 March, be approved.—(Michael Shanks).
The Deputy Speaker announced the results of the Division which had been deferred to this day (Standing Order No. 41A).
Energy Conservation
That the draft Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 4 March, be approved.
Division No. 168
Ayes: 349
Noes: 14
Question agreed to.
10Infrastructure Planning (resumed)
The House resumed the debate.
Question put.
The House divided.
Division No. 169
Ayes: 307 (Tellers: Keir Mather, Gerald Jones)
Noes: 100 (Tellers: James Wild, Ben Obese-Jecty)
Question agreed to.
Resolved, That the draft Infrastructure Planning (Onshore Wind and Solar Generation) Order 2025, which was laid before this House on 10 March, be approved.
Motion made and Question put, That the draft Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 14 March, be approved.—(Mike Kane.)
The House divided.
Division No. 170
Ayes: 304 (Tellers: Gerald Jones, Keir Mather)
Noes: 101 (Tellers: Ben Obese-Jecty, Jerome Mayhew)
Question agreed to.
Resolved, That the draft Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 20 March, be approved.—(Sir Nicholas Dakin.)
13Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Cornwall Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 24 February, be approved.—(Gerald Jones.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft East Midlands Combined County Authority (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2025, which were laid before this House on 24 February, be approved.—(Gerald Jones.)
Question agreed to.
(3) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2025, which was laid before this House on 24 February, be approved.—(Gerald Jones.)
Question agreed to.
(1) A public petition from residents of the United Kingdom relating to the protection of the ceremonial county of Rutland was presented and read by Alicia Kearns.
(2) A public petition from residents of the constituency of Rother Valley relating to retrospective charges by Yorkshire Water was presented and read by Jake Richards.
(3) A public petition from residents of the constituency of Torbay relating to Paignton Post Office was presented and read by Steve Darling.
Subject: Impact of Clonoe Inquest findings on Government policy (David Davis)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Gerald Jones.)
Adjourned at 6.15 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Lords Messages
16Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill
The Lords do not insist on their Amendments to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill to which the Commons have disagreed.
Changes to Notices Given
17Battery Energy Storage Systems (Fire Safety) Bill
Order for Second Reading on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be read a second time on Friday 11 July.
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).
18Planning and Infrastructure Bill Committee
Members: Mr Gideon Amos, Nesil Caliskan, Ellie Chowns, Lewis Cocking, Jim Dickson, Mark Ferguson, Olly Glover, John Grady, Paul Holmes, Gen Kitchen, Amanda Martin, Luke Murphy, Matthew Pennycook, Lee Pitcher, Michael Shanks, David Simmonds and Rachel Taylor
19First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations 2025)
Members: Mr Bayo Alaba, Ms Polly Billington, Aphra Brandreth, Mr Jonathan Brash, John Cooper, Sarah Dyke, Tim Farron, Catherine Fookes, Sir Ashley Fox, Dr Neil Hudson, Uma Kumaran, Laura Kyrke-Smith, Ms Marie Rimmer, Dave Robertson, Jeff Smith, Peter Swallow and Daniel Zeichner
20Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Domestic Abuse) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025)
Members: Jess Asato, Josh Babarinde, David Baines, Dan Carden, Sir Geoffrey Cox, Neil Coyle, Kate Dearden, Kirith Entwistle, Sonia Kumar, Alex McIntyre, Dr Kieran Mullan, Jack Rankin, Sarah Sackman, Naz Shah, Josh Simons, Lisa Smart and Mike Wood
21Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Medical Devices (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025)
Members: Dr Zubir Ahmed, Jess Brown-Fuller, Ashley Dalton, Alison Griffiths, Lloyd Hatton, Dr Caroline Johnson, Douglas McAllister, Alice Macdonald, Alex Mayer, Helen Morgan, Taiwo Owatemi, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Nick Smith, Gregory Stafford, Kirsteen Sullivan, Paul Waugh and Mohammad Yasin
Select Committees: Reports
22Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
Bill Esterson reported:
(1) That the Committee had agreed that the negative procedure should apply, as proposed, to the instrument titled:
The Energy (Euratom Decisions and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2025;
(2) Unlocking community energy at scale: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 394);
(3) Correspondence form the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Written evidence, to be published.
23Environmental Audit Committee
Governing the marine environment: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 551) (Mr Toby Perkins).
24Health and Social Care Committee
(1) Gambling related harms: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 804);
(2) Adult social care reform: the cost of inaction: Written evidence, to be published (HC 368);
(3) Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health relating to IEP evaluation on patient safety: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence from the Secretary of State: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) The work of NHS England: Written evidence, to be published (HC 563)
(Layla Moran).
25Human Rights (Joint Committee on)
(1) Attorney General: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 817);
(2) Correspondence with the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice relating to the Sentencing Guidelines Bill: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade relating to Clause 20 of the Employment Rights Bill: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Forced labour in UK supply chains: Written evidence, to be published (HC 633)
(Sir Desmond Swayne).
26Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Correspondence with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations relating to the cancellation of the campaign to appoint a new Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments: Written evidence, to be published (Simon Hoare).
(1) GB Energy and the net zero transition: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 459);
(2) Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility: Written evidence, to be published (HC 630);
(3) Scotland’s space sector follow-up: launch: Written evidence, to be published (HC 671)
(Patricia Ferguson).
Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 570) (The Speaker).
29Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee on)
Twentieth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 291-xx) (Sir Bernard Jenkin).
Heathrow Airport power outage: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 810) (Ruth Cadbury).
Spring Statement 2025: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 813) (Dame Meg Hillier).
The environmental and economic legacy of Wales’ industrial past: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 560) (Ruth Jones).
33Women and Equalities Committee
(1) Female entrepreneurship: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 711);
(2) Equality at work: paternity and shared parental leave: Written evidence, to be published (HC 502);
(3) Female genital mutilation: Written evidence, to be published (HC 714);
(4) Misogyny in music: follow up: Written evidence, to be published (HC 573);
(5) Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse: Written evidence, to be published (HC 336)
(Sarah Owen).
(1) Correspondence from the Minister for Pensions relating to non-indexation of pre-1997 rights: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Pensioner poverty: Challenges and mitigations: Written evidence, to be published (HC 465)
(Debbie Abrahams).
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 9.30 am.
Business appointed by the Chairman of Ways and Means (Standing Order No. 10(6))
1Government policy on the use of non-disclosure agreements in civil harassment, discrimination and abuse cases
Resolved, That this House has considered Government policy on the use of non-disclosure agreements in civil harassment, discrimination and abuse cases.—(Louise Haigh.)
2Impact of the switch to digital landlines on rural communities
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the impact of the switch to digital landlines on rural communities.—(Damian Hinds.)
At 11.30 am, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)).
The sitting was suspended between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm (Standing Order No. 10(1)(b)).
3Impact of university finances on jobs in higher education
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the impact of university finances on jobs in higher education.—(Mohammad Yasin.)
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 the impact of university finances on jobs in higher education.
4125th anniversary of the Irish Guards
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the 125th anniversary of the Irish Guards.—(Gavin Robinson.)
The sitting was suspended between 4.18 pm and 4.30 pm for a division in the House (Standing Order No. 10(3)).
Resolved, That this House has considered the 125th anniversary of the Irish Guards.
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the Green Book review.—(Sarah Russell.)
The sitting was suspended between 4.51 pm and 4.59 pm for a division in the House (Standing Order No. 10(3)).
Resolved, That this House has considered the Green Book review.
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 5.42 pm until tomorrow.
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Contracts for Difference (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Ed Miliband)
Draft Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Relevant Public Authorities and Designated Senior Officers) Regulations 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Yvette Cooper)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Customs (Tariff and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025 (SI, 2025, No. 417), dated 31 March 2025 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (James Murray)
Withdrawn papers
Draft Contracts for Difference (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, and Explanatory Memorandum (laid 11 March).
SPEAKER'S CERTIFICATE
VOTING BY PROXY (STANDING ORDER NO. 39A)
(Variations to existing arrangements appear in bold.)
|
Member |
From |
To |
Proxy |
|
David Chadwick |
3 March |
8 April |
Mr Will Forster |
CORRECTION
Tuesday 1 April 2025
The following item should have appeared after Papers Laid:
SPEAKER'S CERTIFICATE
VOTING BY PROXY (STANDING ORDER NO. 39A)
(Variations to existing arrangements appear in bold.)
|
Member |
From |
To |
Proxy |
|
Andrew Gwynne |
1 April |
28 April |
Chris Elmore |