Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 11.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to (1) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
(2) the Prime Minister
2Urgent Question: Backlog of serious criminal cases in the justice system (Chris Philp)
3Internet Access: Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to extend the universal service obligation for internet providers to include mobile internet access; to make requirements regarding internet access for children eligible for free school meals; to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on progress in reducing digital inequalities; and for connected purposes;
That Darren Jones, Karen Bradley, Jeremy Wright, Mr Ben Bradshaw, Daisy Cooper, Jamie Stone, Carol Monaghan, Ben Lake, Julie Elliott and Siobhain McDonagh present the Bill.
Darren Jones accordingly presented the Bill.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time tomorrow, and to be printed (Bill 241).
4National Security and Investment Bill (Report Stage): Consideration of the Bill, not amended in the Public Bill Committee
New Clause NC1—(Stewart Hosie)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question proposed, That the Clause be read a second time.
Clause, by leave, withdrawn.
New Clause NC4—(Tom Tugendhat)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question put, that the Clause be read a second time.
The House divided.
Division No. 208
Ayes: 269 (Tellers: Jeff Smith, Bambos Charalambous)
Noes: 351 (Tellers: Maria Caulfield, Tom Pursglove)
Question accordingly negatived.
New Clause NC6—(Chi Onwurah)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question put, that the Clause be read a second time.
The House divided.
Division No. 209
Ayes: 263 (Tellers: Jeff Smith, Bambos Charalambous)
Noes: 355 (Tellers: Maria Caulfield, Tom Pursglove)
Question accordingly negatived.
New Clause NC7—(Chi Onwurah)—brought up, and read the first time.
Question put, that the Clause be read a second time.
The House divided.
Division No. 210
Ayes: 265 (Tellers: Jeff Smith, Bambos Charalambous)
Noes: 355 (Tellers: Maria Caulfield, Tom Pursglove)
Question accordingly negatived.
5National Security and Investment Bill: Third Reading
Bill read the third time, and passed.
Resolved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that Her Majesty will appoint Alexander Attwood as an Electoral Commissioner with effect from 1 February 2021 for the period ending on 31 January 2024.—(Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg.)
7House of Commons Commission (External Members)
Resolved, That the appointment of Jane McCall to the House of Commons Commission be extended to 30 April 2021, in pursuance of section 1(2B) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978, as amended.—(Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg.)
8Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2020, which was laid before this House on 26 November, be approved.—(Maggie Throup.)
Question agreed to.
9Deputy Speaker’s Statement: Half-hour adjournment debate second speeches
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Maggie Throup.)
Adjourned at 7.16 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
General Committees: Reports
11Second Delegated Legislation Committee
Mr Philip Hollobone (Chair) reported the draft West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Election of Mayor and Functions) Order 2021.
12Third Delegated Legislation Committee
Sir David Amess (Chair) reported the Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1631) and the draft Plant Health (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.
13Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee
Mark Pritchard (Chair) reported the Operation of Air Services (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1632).
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).
14Registers of Births and Deaths Bill Committee
Members: Simon Baynes, Sara Britcliffe, Chris Bryant, Sarah Champion, Stella Creasy, Kevin Foster, Patrick Grady, Rebecca Harris, Paul Holmes, Chris Loder, Alison McGovern, Mr Andrew Mitchell, Gary Sambrook, John Spellar, Suzanne Webb, Munira Wilson and Mike Wood
15First Delegated Legislation Committee (Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1654))
Members: Stuart Andrew, Edward Argar, David T. C. Davies, Dehenna Davison, Steve Double, Colleen Fletcher, Mike Freer, Rebecca Harris, David Johnston, Justin Madders, James Morris, Kate Osamor, Christina Rees, Mr Virendra Sharma, Mr Barry Sheerman, Maggie Throup and Jon Trickett
16Second Delegated Legislation Committee (Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1658))
Members: Stuart Andrew, Jack Brereton, Felicity Buchan, David T. C. Davies, Mike Freer, Rebecca Harris, Barbara Keeley, Clive Lewis, Kerry McCarthy, John McDonnell, Rachel Maclean, Shabana Mahmood, Mr Gagan Mohindra, James Morris, Mark Tami, Owen Thompson and Maggie Throup
17Third Delegated Legislation Committee (Agricultural Products, Food and Drink (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1661) and the Organic Production (Organic Indications) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1669))
Members: Stuart Andrew, Ian Byrne, David T. C. Davies, Peter Dowd, Mike Freer, Gill Furniss, Ms Harriet Harman, Rebecca Harris, Sir Mark Hendrick, Jane Hunt, Fay Jones, James Morris, Joy Morrissey, Victoria Prentis, Owen Thompson, Maggie Throup and Daniel Zeichner
18Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee (Public Health (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction) (England) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 15))
Members: Ms Diane Abbott, Stuart Andrew, Mr Ben Bradshaw, Richard Burgon, Ruth Cadbury, Alex Chalk, Chris Clarkson, Rosie Cooper, David T. C. Davies, Mike Freer, Rebecca Harris, Mr David Lammy, James Morris, Angela Richardson, Gary Sambrook, Maggie Throup and Liz Twist
Reports from Select Committees
19Environmental Audit Committee
(1) Green jobs and the just transition: Written evidence, to be published (HC 903);
(2) Greening the post-COVID recovery: Written evidence, to be published (HC 347);
(3) Technological innovations and climate change: tidal power: Written evidence, to be published (HC 982)
(Philip Dunne).
(1) Thirty-fourth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 229-xxx);
(2) Ministerial correspondence: Written evidence, to be published (HC 229)
(Sir William Cash).
(1) Online harms: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 342);
(2) Channel crossings, migration and asylum-seeking routes through the EU: Written evidence, to be published (HC 705);
(3) Correspondence from the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets relating to support for victims of domestic abuse: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) The Windrush Compensation Scheme: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1013)
(Yvette Cooper).
22International Trade Committee
(1) UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report: Second Special Report, to be printed (HC 1163);
(2) UK Export Finance: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 700)
(Angus Brendan MacNeil).
23Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Work of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 264) (Simon Hoare).
24Science and Technology Committee
UK science, research and technology capability and influence in global disease outbreaks: Written evidence, to be published (HC 136) (Greg Clark).
25Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee on)
Thirty-seventh Report, to be printed (HC 75-xxxvii) (Jessica Morden).
26Statutory Instruments (Select Committee on)
Thirtieth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 73-xxx) (Jessica Morden).
Reforming public transport after the pandemic: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 676) (Huw Merriman).
(1) Economic impact of coronavirus: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 882);
(2) Correspondence from Chief Executive, National Savings and Investments (NS&I): Written evidence, to be published
(Mel Stride).
Broadband and mobile connectivity in Wales: Written evidence, to be published (HC 1005) (Stephen Crabb).
(1) Disability employment gap: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 957);
(2) Correspondence from the Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion relating to the review of the default fund charge cap: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence from the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets relating to support for victims of domestic abuse: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Correspondence from the Permanent Secretary relating to debt management: Written evidence, to be published;
(5) Protecting pension savers—five years on from the pension freedoms: pension scams: Written evidence, to be published (HC 648)
(Stephen Timms).
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Automatic Enrolment (Earnings Trigger and Qualifying Earnings Band) Order 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Guy Opperman)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Agreement, done at London on 9 December and Berne on 15 December 2020, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation on Police Cooperation (by Command) (CP 369), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Dominic Raab)
Other papers
Accounts of the Insolvency Services and the Insolvency Services Investment Account for 2019–20, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 1164) (Clerk of the House)
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on HM Revenue and Customs: Administration of Welsh Income Tax 2019–20 (by Act), to be printed (HC 1073) (Clerk of the House)
Explanatory Memorandum to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 3) and (All Tiers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 8) (laid 5 January) (by Command) (Secretary Matt Hancock)
Withdrawn papers
Explanatory Memorandum to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 3) and (All Tiers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 8) (laid 5 January)
SPEAKER'S CERTIFICATE
Voting by proxy
1. New pandemic proxy voting arrangements
The Speaker has certified, under the terms of Standing Order No. 39A (Voting by proxy), as amended by the temporary Orders of 23 September 2020 (Proxy voting during the pandemic) and 3 November 2020 (Proxy voting during the pandemic (No. 2)) and extended by the Order of 22 October 2020, that the Members listed in the table below are eligible to have a proxy vote cast on their behalf by the nominated proxies listed in the table below, starting on the dates specified below and ending on Tuesday 30 March 2021, unless the arrangement is ended or the House otherwise orders.
Member |
From |
Proxy |
Sarah Olney |
20 January |
Ben Lake |
Harriett Baldwin |
21 January |
Mr Marcus Jones |
Ms Nusrat Ghani |
21 January |
Mr Marcus Jones |
Bob Seely |
21 January |
Mr Marcus Jones |
2. Variation of existing pandemic proxy voting arrangements
The Speaker has certified, under the terms of Standing Order No. 39A (Voting by proxy), as amended by the temporary Orders of 23 September 2020 (Proxy voting during the pandemic) and 3 November 2020 (Proxy voting during the pandemic (No. 2)) and extended by the Order of 22 October 2020, that the following Members have given notice that they wish to amend their proxy voting arrangement:
From 20 January the nominated proxy for the following will be Ben Lake instead of Sarah Olney: Wendy Chamberlain, Ed Davey, Munira Wilson, Daisy Cooper, Layla Moran, Wera Hobhouse, Alistair Carmichael, Jamie Stone, Christine Jardine, Tim Farron, Stephen Farry.
From 21 January the nominated proxy for the following will be Sarah Olney instead of Ben Lake: Wendy Chamberlain, Ed Davey, Munira Wilson, Daisy Cooper, Layla Moran, Wera Hobhouse, Alistair Carmichael, Jamie Stone, Christine Jardine, Tim Farron, Stephen Farry.
From 25 January the nominated proxy for Mr Gregory Campbell and Gavin Robinson will be Ian Paisley instead of Sammy Wilson.
3. Ending pandemic proxy voting arrangements
The Speaker has certified, under the terms of Standing Order No. 39A (Voting by proxy), as amended by the temporary Orders of 23 September 2020 (Proxy voting during the pandemic) and 3 November 2020 (Proxy voting during the pandemic (No. 2)) and extended by the Order of 22 October 2020, that the following Members have given notice that they wish to end their proxy voting arrangement with effect from when the Speaker takes the Chair on the dates specified below:
Member |
From |
Sarah Olney |
21 January |
Colleen Fletcher |
25 January |
Ian Paisley |
25 January |
Liz Twist |
25 January |
CORRECTION
Wednesday 6 January 2021
Item 3 (below) in Papers Laid (Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution) should have appeared below item 12 in Papers Laid (Other papers):
Wildlife
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 1668), dated 31 December 2020 (by Act), with Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary George Eustice)