Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 11.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
2Urgent Question: Impact of EU tariffs on the USA on the economy of Northern Ireland (Secretary Hilary Benn)
3Statements: (1) Tackling child sexual abuse (Jess Phillips)
(2) Horizon redress and the Post Office (Gareth Thomas)
4Select Committee Statement (Standing Order No. 22D): Publication of the Fourth Report from the Defence Committee, The Armed Forces Covenant, HC 572 (Mr Calvin Bailey)
5Energy (social tariff): Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require energy companies to provide social tariffs for low income customers; and for connected purposes;
That Ms Polly Billington, Yuan Yang, Torcuil Crichton, Andrew Pakes, Pippa Heylings, Luke Murphy, Wera Hobhouse and Mike Reader present the Bill.
Ms Polly Billington accordingly presented the Bill.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 25 April, and to be printed (Bill 220).
(1) Potential merits of awarding a posthumous Victoria Cross to Blair Mayne
Resolved, That this House has considered the potential merits of awarding a posthumous Victoria Cross to Blair Mayne.—(Jim Shannon.)
(2) Matters to be raised before the forthcoming adjournment
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered matters to be raised before the forthcoming adjournment.—(Bob Blackman.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
Subject: Hospice funding (Joy Morrissey)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Keir Mather.)
Adjourned at 7.29 pm until Tuesday 22 April (Order, 3 February).
Other Proceedings
Private Business
8Examination of Bills brought from the House of Lords (Standing Order 74)
Report from one of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills laid upon the Table by the Speaker, That, in the case of the following Bill, originating in the Lords and referred after the First Reading, no Standing Order not previously inquired into is applicable:
Royal Albert Hall Bill [Lords]
Bill to be read a second time.
Changes to Notices Given
9Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
Order for Consideration on Friday 25 April, read and discharged.
Bill to be considered on Friday 16 May.
General Committees: Reports
10Crime and Policing Bill Committee
Emma Lewell (Chair) reported written evidence submitted to the Committee.
Written evidence to be published.
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).
11First Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations 2025)
Members: Mr Bayo Alaba and John Cooper discharged and Charlie Dewhirst and Will Stone nominated in substitution.
12Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Domestic Abuse) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025)
Members: Dr Kieran Mullan discharged and Mr Andrew Snowden nominated in substitution.
Select Committees: Reports
Record of the Committee’s discussions at its meeting on Tuesday 8 April, to be published (Nick Smith).
(1) Higher education and funding: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 807);
(2) Children’s social care: Written evidence, to be published (HC 430);
(3) Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions relating to the Child Poverty Strategy: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Further education and skills: Written evidence, to be published (HC 666)
(Helen Hayes).
15Health and Social Care Committee
(1) The work of NHS England: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 563);
(2) Adult social care reform: The cost of inaction: Written evidence, to be published (HC 368);
(3) Community mental health services: Written evidence, to be published (HC 566)
(Layla Moran).
(1) Correspondence with the Home Secretary relating to child sexual abuse: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Correspondence with the Minister for Migration and Citizenship relating to changes to the good character requirement guidance for British citizenship: Written evidence, to be published
(Dame Karen Bradley).
17Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
(1) The funding and sustainability of local government finance: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 514);
(2) Correspondence from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning relating to the next Chair of Homes England: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution relating to Tees Valley Combined Authority: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Delivering 1.5 million new homes: Land value capture: Written evidence, to be published (HC 672);
(5) Electoral policy and reform: Written evidence, to be published (HC 673)
(Florence Eshalomi).
18International Development Committee
Correspondence with the Minister for the Indo-Pacific relating to the Spending Review submission: Written evidence, to be published (Sarah Champion).
(1) Correspondence from the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Correspondence from the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Sir Nicholas Dakin) relating to Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Alex Davies-Jones): Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Rehabilitation and resettlement: Ending the cycle of reoffending: Written evidence, to be published (HC 469);
(5) Work of the County Court: Written evidence, to be published (HC 677)
(Andy Slaughter).
Work of the Prime Minister: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 848) (Dame Meg Hillier).
Record of the Committee’s decisions relating to e-petitions, to be published (Irene Campbell).
22Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
(1) Pre-appointment hearing for the Executive Chair of Innovate UK:
(i) First Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 834);
(ii) Oral evidence, to be published (HC 834);
(2) Innovation showcase: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 523);
(3) Correspondence relating to copyright consultation: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence with the Department: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms: Written evidence, to be published (HC 441)
(Chi Onwurah).
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))
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the matter of the persecution of Christians.—(Ruth Jones.)
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 matter of the persecution of Christians.
2Impact of congenital hyperinsulinism on patients and their families
Resolved, That this House has considered the impact of congenital hyperinsulinism on patients and their families.—(Sarah Hall.)
The sitting was suspended between 11.19 am and 2.30 pm (Standing Order No. 10(1)(b)).
3Impact of fly-tipping on communities in the West Midlands
Resolved, That this House has considered the impact of fly-tipping on communities in the West Midlands.—(Wendy Morton.)
The sitting was suspended between 3.46 pm and 4 pm.
4Government preparations for the radio teleswitch service switch-off in Scotland
Resolved, That this House has considered Government preparations for the radio teleswitch service switch-off in Scotland.—(Mr Alistair Carmichael.)
The sitting was suspended between 4.23 pm and 4.28 pm.
Resolved, That this House has considered court waiting times in Kent.—(Tristan Osborne.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 5.12 pm until Tuesday 22 April (Order, 3 February)
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Other papers
Government Response to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Review: 2022 and 2023 consultations (by Command) (CP 1292) (Secretary Shabana Mahmood)
2Political Parties, Elections and Referendums
Corporate Plan of the Electoral Commission for 2025–29 (by Act), to be printed (HC 794) (The Speaker)
Trade Agreement, done at Bern on 11 February 2019, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation (by Command) (CP 1301) (Secretary David Lammy)