Contents
Chamber business
The House met at 9.30 am.
Prayers
1Appointment of the Chair of the Electoral Commission (Answer to Address)
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household reported to the House, That the Address of 22 March, praying that Her Majesty will appoint John Pullinger CB as the Chair of the Electoral Commission with effect from 1 May 2021 for the period ending on 30 April 2025, was presented to Her Majesty, who was graciously pleased to comply with the request.
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 Batley and Spen in the room of Tracy Lynn Brabin, who since her election to the said Borough Constituency has been appointed to the Office of Steward and Bailiff of Her Majesty’s Three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham in the county of Buckingham.—(Sir Alan Campbell.)
3Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
4Urgent Questions: (1) Government’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak and his Department’s level of preparedness prior to the pandemic (Secretary Matt Hancock)
(2) UK’s proposed tariff offer to the Australian government on their agricultural exports (Greg Hands)
5Business Question (Leader of the House)
Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 150D), That this House:-
(1) takes note of the report of the Independent Expert Panel, The Conduct of Mr Rob Roberts MP, HC 245 and the recommendation, upheld on appeal, for sanction of a suspension of six weeks; and
(2) accordingly suspends Rob Roberts from the service of the House for a period of six weeks.—(Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg.)
Question agreed to.
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered Dementia Action Week.—(Helen Whately.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
8Implementing the 2020 Obesity Strategy
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the matter of implementing the 2020 Obesity Strategy.—(Jo Churchill.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put and agreed to.
Subject: Kirkella distant water trawler and distant fleet fishing (Emma Hardy)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(David Duguid.)
Adjourned at 5.29 pm until Monday 7 June (Resolution, 18 May).
Other Proceedings
Public petitions
A public petition from a resident of the United Kingdom relating to independent assessment in family courts was presented.
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 (That, from 1 November 2021-the Information Commissioner shall be paid a salary of £200,000 per annum and pension benefits in accordance with the standard award for the civil service pension scheme; (2) all previous resolutions relating to the salary and pension of the Information Commissioner shall cease to have effect)
Chair: Stewart Hosie
12Second Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021)
Chair: Dame Angela Eagle
13Third Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021)
Chair: Philip Davies
14Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2021 and draft Immigration (Collection, Use and Retention of Biometric Information and Related Amendments) Regulations 2021)
Chair: Mr Laurence Robertson
15Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Conformity Assessment (Mutual Recognition Agreements) and Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) (Amendment) Regulations 2021)
Chair: Mrs Sheryll Murray
General Committees: Reports
16Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill Committee
Steve McCabe (Chair) reported written evidence submitted to the Committee.
Written evidence to be published.
17Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee
Graham Stringer (Chair) reported Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021, No, 496)
Reports from Select Committees
18Backbench Business Committee
Determination of business to be taken on Thursday 10 June and Tuesday 15 June in Westminster Hall (Ian Mearns).
19Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
(1) Correspondence from the GKN Automotive relating to their Chester Road assembly plant: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Correspondence relating to Common Frameworks: Written evidence, to be published;
(3) Correspondence with the Secretaries of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and International Trade relating to the Trade Remedies Investigation Directorate: Written evidence, to be published;
(4) Decarbonising heat in homes: Written evidence, to be published (HC 110)
(Darren Jones).
20Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
(1) The Future of the Planning System: Eighth Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 38);
(2) Correspondence from the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government and the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets relating to the Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill: Written evidence, to be published
(Mr Clive Betts).
21International Development Committee
Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs relating to ICAI’s budget: Written evidence, to be published (Sarah Champion).
22International Trade Committee
(1) Correspondence from the Secretary of State relating to a free trade agreement between the UK and India: Written evidence, to be published;
(2) Inward Foreign Direct Investment: Written evidence, to be published (HC 124)
(Angus Brendan MacNeil).
Brain tumour and childhood cancer research: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 242) (Catherine McKinnell).
24Public Accounts (Committee of)
(1) COVID-19 Government Support for Charities: Fifth Report, to be printed, with formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 250);
(2) COVID-19 cost tracker update: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 173)
(Meg Hillier).
25Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
(1) The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office: First Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 67);
(2) COVID-19 vaccine certification: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 42)
(Mr William Wragg).
(1) Renewable energy in Scotland: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 51);
(2) Secretary of State for Scotland: Written evidence, to be published (HC 53)
(Pete Wishart).
(1) Lessons from Greensill Capital: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 151);
(2) Correspondence from the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man relating to the 61st Moneyval Plenary Council meeting: Written evidence, to be published
(Mel Stride).
One-off session on the Levelling-up and Community Renewal funds: Oral evidence, to be published (Stephen Crabb).
29Women and Equalities Committee
The report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 227) (Caroline Nokes).
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 1.30 pm
Business appointed by the Chairman of Ways and Means (Standing Order No. 10(6))
Resolved, That this House has considered World Press Freedom Day 2021.—(Damian Collins.)
The sitting was suspended between 2.43 pm and 3.18 pm (Orders, 25 February and 25 March).
2Future of the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme
Resolved, That this House has considered the future of the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme.—(Philip Dunne.)
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 4.34 pm until Monday 7 June (Resolution, 18 May).
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
1Exiting The European Union (Criminal Law)
Draft Criminal Justice (Electronic Commerce) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Act) (Secretary Robert Buckland)
Draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Christopher Pincher)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
Magistrates’ Courts (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 626), dated 24 May 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Robert Buckland)
National Health Service Pension Schemes and Injury Benefits (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 631), dated 26 May 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Helen Whately)
Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 641), dated 27 May 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary George Eustice)
Child Benefit (General) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 630), dated 26 May 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Steve Barclay)
Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI, 2021, No. 617), dated 25 May 2021 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Christopher Pincher)
Other papers
Report of the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (by Act) (Secretary Ben Wallace)
Two monthly report on the status of the non-devolved provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020 (by Act) (Secretary Matt Hancock)
10Government Resources and Accounts
(1) Report and Accounts of HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor for 2020–21, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 155) (Jesse Norman)
(2) Report and Accounts of the Government Legal Department for 2021–22, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act), to be printed (HC 210) (Attorney General)
Acceptance-in-Lieu Scheme: Statement to Parliament listing items accepted in lieu of inheritance tax during the financial year 2020-21 or in earlier years (by Act) (Caroline Dinenage)
12Statutory Instruments (Notification)
Notification to Parliament of a published draft instrument pursuant to Paragraph 14 of Schedule 8 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018: Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (by Command) (Secretary Grant Shapps)
Accounts of the Crown's Nominee for 2020–21 (by Act), to be printed (HC 207) (John Glen)
Air Transport Agreement, done at Washington on 10 November 2020 and at London on 17 November 2020, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America (by Command) (CP 442) (Secretary Dominic Raab)
SPEAKER'S CERTIFICATES
Voting by proxy
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 and 25 March 2021, 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 |
Steve Double |
28 May |
Christopher Pincher |
7 June |