Order of Business Wednesday 5 September 2012

+ indicates Government business.
Timings are indicative only.

House of Commons

Order of Business

At 11.30 am Prayers

Afterwards

Notes:   indicates a question for oral answer.

[R] indicates that the Member has declared a relevant interest.

Questions for oral answer not reached receive a written answer

Supplementary questions will also be asked. Other Ministers may also answer.

Oral Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

 1 Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield): What recent discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on the lobbying white paper. (118531)

 2 John Howell (Henley): How much money was saved as a result of his Department's cross-Whitehall spending controls in 2012. (118532)

 3 Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton): What his policy is on the provision of trade union facility time across the Civil Service. (118533)

 4 Mr Mark Spencer (Sherwood): What recent progress his Department has made on its programme to abolish and reform non-departmental public bodies. (118534)

 5 Andrew Stephenson (Pendle): What recent assessment he has made of the second round of National Citizen Service pilots. (118535)

 6 Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside): What estimate he has made of the total reduction in funding to the voluntary sector in 2011-12. (118536)

 7 Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire): How many non-departmental public bodies his Department has abolished to date. (118537)

 8 Mr Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow): What plans he has for the (a) Ministerial and (b) Civil Service Code of Conduct. (118538)

 9 Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland): What estimate he has made of the total reduction in funding to the voluntary sector in 2011-12. (118540)

 10 Neil Carmichael (Stroud): What steps he is taking to increase the accountability of the Civil Service. (118541)

 11 Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes): What recent estimate he has made of the number of non-departmental public bodies. (118542)

 12 Gemma Doyle (West Dunbartonshire): What recent progress his Department has made on his efficiency and reform agenda. (118543)

 13 Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): What estimate he has made of the total reduction in funding to the voluntary sector in 2011-12. (118544)

 14 Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton): How much money was saved as a result of his Department's cross-Whitehall spending controls in 2012. (118545)

At 11.53 am

Topical Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Members listed below have been selected by ballot to ask a Topical Question.

 T1 Jenny Chapman (Darlington): If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities. (118546)

 T2 Toby Perkins (Chesterfield):  (118547)

 T3 Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston):  (118548)

 T4 Priti Patel (Witham):  (118549)

 T5 James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis):  (118550)

 T6 Stephen Mosley (City of Chester):  (118551)

 T7 Chi Onwurah (Newcastle Upon Tyne Central):  (118552)

 T8 Robert Halfon (Harlow):  (118553)

 T9 Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):  (118554)

 T10 Neil Carmichael (Stroud):  (118555)

At 12 noon

Oral Questions to the Prime Minister

Unless otherwise indicated the Members listed below will ask a Question without notice.

 Q1 Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover): If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 5 September. (118556)

 Q2 Mr Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West):  (118557)

 Q3 Nicola Blackwood (Oxford West and Abingdon):  (118558)

 Q4 Mel Stride (Central Devon):  (118559)

 Q5 Helen Jones (Warrington North):  (118560)

 Q6 Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire):  (118561)

 Q7 Stephen Timms (East Ham):  (118562)

 Q8 Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central):  (118563)

 Q9 Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest):  (118565)

 Q10 Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry):  (118567)

 Q11 Mr David Anderson (Blaydon):  (118568)

 Q12 Gavin Shuker (Luton South):  (118570)

At 12.30 pm Urgent Questions (if any)

Ministerial Statements (if any)

Preliminary Business

Ten minute rule Motion

1 PRE-PAID METERS (LEVEL OF DEBT) [Up to 20 minutes]

John Robertson

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the Secretary of State to raise the level of debt below which pre-paid meter customers may change their energy supplier; and for connected purposes.

The Member moving and a Member opposing this Motion may each speak for up to ten minutes (Standing Order No. 23).

Main Business

2 OPPOSITION DAY (5th allotted day) [Until 7.00 pm]

RAIL FARES

Edward Miliband

Maria Eagle

Ed Balls

Margaret Curran

Owen Smith

Ms Rosie Winterton

Lilian Greenwood

That this House believes that the rising cost of rail travel is adding to the financial pressures facing many households; and calls on the Government to restore the one per cent above inflation cap on annual fare rises for 2013 and 2014, and to ban train operators from increasing fares beyond that strict limit.

HOUSING

Edward Miliband

Hilary Benn

Jack Dromey

Chris Williamson

Ed Balls

Ms Rosie Winterton

That this House notes that England faces a housing crisis; further notes with concern that housing starts, including for affordable housing, are down, and that homelessness and rough sleeping have increased under this Government; further notes that the collapse in house building and contraction in construction are a major cause of the double-dip recession; believes that the Government needs to take urgent action to get the economy and house building going again; and calls on the Government to introduce a tax on bankers’ bonuses to fund the building of 25,000 additional affordable homes, to bring forward infrastructure investment, including for housing, and to cut VAT on home improvements, repairs and maintenance to five per cent for one year to help homeowners and create jobs.

As an Amendment to Edward Miliband’s proposed Motion (Housing):

The Prime Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

Secretary Eric Pickles

Secretary Iain Duncan Smith

Mark Prisk

(a)

Line 1, leave out from ‘House’ to end and add ‘welcomes the first Opposition Day debate on housing in this Parliament; notes that house building under the previous administration fell to its lowest peacetime level since the 1920s; further notes that house building starts in England were 29 per cent higher in 2011 compared with 2009; believes there is still more to do to get Britain building; further notes that housing is the most affordable for first-time buyers for a decade and mortgage payments are the lowest since 1997 as a direct consequence of the decisive action to tackle the deficit brought about by the previous administration; notes that the Coalition Government’s affordable housing programme will deliver 170,000 affordable homes by 2015 and leverage £19.5 billion of investment; and welcomes the steps being taken to increase house building and unlock stalled sites and the comprehensive programme to get empty homes back into productive use.’.

The selection of the matters to be debated this day has been made by the Leader of the Opposition (Standing Order No. 14(2)).

Debate may continue until 7.00 pm.

† indicates Government Business

† 3 COMPANIES [No debate]

Secretary Vince Cable

That the draft Community Interest Company (Amendment) Regulations 2012, which were laid before this House on 14 June, be approved.

To be decided without debate (Standing Order No. 118(6)).

† 4 EQUALITY [No debate]

Secretary Theresa May

That the draft Equality Act 2010 (Age Exceptions) Order 2012, which was laid before this House on 21 June, be approved.

To be decided without debate (Standing Order No. 118(6)).

† 5 CO-OPERATION WITH SOUTH EAST ASIA [No debate]

Mr David Lidington

That this House takes note of European Union Document No. 6677/12, relating to the joint draft Council Decision on the Accession of the European Union to the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in South East Asia; notes the European Union’s accession to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Co-operation; and supports the Government’s policy of increasing United Kingdom and European Union engagement with the countries of ASEAN to promote British and European prosperity, security and values.

To be decided without debate (Standing Order No. 119(11)).

† 6 SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE (18 SEPTEMBER) [No debate after 7.00 pm]

Mr Andrew Lansley

That, on Tuesday 18 September, the House shall meet at 11.30 am and references to specific times in the Standing Orders of this House shall apply as if that day were a Wednesday.

If opposed, this item cannot be taken after 7.00 pm.

At the end of the sitting:

7 PRESENTATION OF PUBLIC PETITION [No debate]

Post Offices (Clifton, Bristol) (Stephen Williams).

Presentation of petitions: no debate or decision (Standing Order No. 153).

8 ADJOURNMENT

Proposed subject: Burial space and the treatment of death (Mr David Amess).

Debate may continue until 7.30 pm or for half an hour, whichever is later (Standing Order No. 9).

COMMITTEES

PUBLIC BILL COMMITTEE

To consider the Bill.

DELEGATED LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

To consider the draft National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

SELECT COMMITTEES

Subject: Support for Home Education.

Witnesses: Shena Deuchars, Trustee, Education Otherwise, Jane Lowe, Trustee, Home Education Advisory Service, Anne Brown, Administrator, A Little Bit of Structure, Fiona Nicholson, Independent home education consultant, and Alison Sauer, Education consultant; Julie Barker, Co-ordinator, Fareham and Gosport Home Education Group, Paul Flowers, Co-ordinator, Carshalton Home Education Group, Zena Hodgson, Trustee, Home Education Centre, Somerset, and Jayne Richardson, Local contact for home educators, Cumbria (at 10.30 am).

Subject: Bridging the "Valley of Death": Improving the commercialisation of research.

Witnesses: CBI and SME Innovation Alliance; Fergus Harradence, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Iain Gray, Research Councils UK (at 10.00 am).

Subject: Universal Credit.

Witnesses: Local Government Association, Chartered Institute of Housing, and Unison; Institute for Fiscal Studies, Inclusion, and Women's Budget Group (at 10.30 am).

Subject: Pre-appointment Hearing for the Chair of the Charity Commission.

Witness: William Shawcross CVO, Government’s preferred candidate.

Subject: Outcomes of the UN Rio +20 Earth Summit.

Witnesses: Derek Osborn, President, Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future, Tom Bigg, Head of Partnerships, International Institute for Environment and Development, Adam Matthews, Secretary General, The Global Legislators Organisation, Owen Gibbons, WWF-UK, Mark Edwards, Hard Rain Project, and Dr Steve Waygood, The Prince’s Accountability for Sustainability Project.

Subject: Referendum on Separation for Scotland: Nationality, immigration and passports.

Witnesses: Professor Bernard Ryan, University of Kent Law School and Professor Jo Shaw, University of Edinburgh Law School.

Subject: Money Advice Service.

Witnesses: Gillian Guy, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice Bureau.

Subject: Fuel Laundering and Smuggling in Northern Ireland.

Witnesses: Mike Norgrove, Excise, Customs, Stamps and Money, Sarah Harlen, Environmental and Transport Taxes, John Whiting, Criminal Investigation, and Pat Curtis, Specialist Investigations, HMRC.

Subject: Dog Control and Welfare.

Witnesses: Angela McGlynn and Luciana Berger MP; Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, National Farmers’ Union, and Communication Workers Union (at 3.45 pm).

Subject: Transforming the UK Border Agency and Border Force.

Witnesses: Dame Helen Ghosh DCB, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive, UKBA, and Brian Moore, Head of the Border Force.

JOINT COMMITTEE

Subject: Draft Communications Data Bill.

Witnesses: Nicholas Lansman, Internet Services Providers’ Association, Malcolm Hutty, London Internet Exchange (LINX), and Jimmy Wales.

[The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded without notice.]

Written Ministerial Statements to be made today

1Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: Arms Trade Treaty.

2Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Personal independence payment.