The House met at half-past Ten o'clock.

1    Housing and Regeneration Bill,—Mr Joe Benton reported certain Memoranda from the Housing and Regeneration Bill Committee.

Memoranda to lie upon the Table and to be published.

2    Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee,—David Taylor reported from the Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee the draft Immigration (Employment of Adults Subject to Immigration Control) (Maximum Penalty) Order 2007.

Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.

3    Royal Assent,—The Deputy Speaker notified the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, That Her Majesty had signified her Royal Assent to the following Act, agreed upon by both Houses:

Consolidated Fund Act 2007.

4    Availability of Financial Services for Low Income Families (Topical Debate),—A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House has considered the matter of availability of financial services for low income families—(Kitty Ussher);

And it being one and half hours after the commencement of proceedings, the Motion lapsed without Question put, pursuant to Temporary Standing Order (Topical debates).

5    Crossrail Bill,—The House, according to Order, proceeded to consider the Crossrail Bill, as amended in the Public Bill Committee.

A Clause (NC1) (Financial provisions (disclosure of information))—(Stephen Hammond)—brought up, and read the first time.

Question put, That the Clause be read a second time.

Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Brooks Newmark, Mr Richard Benyon: 133.

Tellers for the Noes, Steve McCabe, Mr Alan Campbell: 236.

An Amendment (No. 2) proposed to the Bill, in page 5, line 6, at the end, to insert the words—

'( ) An easement or other right over land acquired under subsection (5) shall expire no later than the day on which the railway mentioned in section 1(1)(a) is first used by Crossrail passenger services'.—(Stephen Hammond.)

Question proposed, That the Amendment be made:—Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Another Amendment (No. 4) proposed to the Bill, in page 15, line 2, after '(6)', to insert the words ', but no later than 9 months after the day on which the railway mentioned in section 1(1)(a) is first used by Crossrail passenger services,'.—(Stephen Hammond.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Brooks Newmark, Michael Fabricant: 117.

Tellers for the Noes, Steve McCabe, Mr Tom Watson: 248.

Another Amendment (No. 5) proposed to the Bill, in page 17, line 19, after the word 'State', to insert the words 'and such other persons (if any) as it considers appropriate'.—(Stephen Hammond.)

Question proposed, That the Amendment be made:—Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Another Amendment (No. 1) made to the Bill.

Another Amendment (No. 7) proposed to the Bill, in page 34, line 30, to leave out from the word 'applies' to the word 'in' in line 31 and insert the words 'shall apply the provisions of this Act', instead thereof.—(Stephen Hammond.)

Question proposed, That the Amendment be made:—Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

A Motion being made, That the Bill be now read the third time;

Secretary Ruth Kelly, by Her Majesty's Command, acquainted the House, That Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Bill, gives her Consent, as far as Her Majesty's interest is concerned, That the House may do therein as it shall think fit.

And the Question being put:—It was agreed to.

The Bill was accordingly read the third time and passed.

6    Housing,—Ordered, That the Housing Act 2004 (Commencement No. 10) (England and Wales) Order 2007 (S.I., 2007, No. 3308), dated 23rd November 2007, be referred to a Delegated Legislation Committee.—(Alison Seabeck.)

7    Public Petition,—A Public Petition from Mr Desmond Swayne, a Member of this House, and other customers of Bramshaw Post Office in the New Forest relating to Post Office closures (New Forest) on the Table and to be printed.

8    Adjournment.

Subject: Operation of the UK-Pakistan Judicial Protocol on Children Matters: the Akhtar family (Paul Rowen).

Adjournment,—A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House do now adjourn—(Alison Seabeck);

And it being Six o'clock, the Motion for the adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put.

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Liz Blackman.)

And accordingly, the House, having continued to sit till twenty-one minutes past Six o'clock, adjourned till Monday 17th December.

Michael J. Martin

Speaker

Mr Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock on Monday next.

APPENDIX I

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1    Financial Services and Markets,—Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2007 (S.I., 2007, No. 3510), dated 13th December 2007 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum and Impact Assessment [by Command] [Kitty Ussher].

2    Road Traffic,—Draft Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Representations and Appeals) (Wales) Regulations 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Mr Secretary Hain].

Papers subject to Negative Resolution:

3    Capital Gains Tax,—Recovery of Duties and Taxes Etc. Due in Other Member States (Corresponding UK Claims, Procedure and Supplementary) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I., 2007, No. 3508), dated 12th December 2007 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Jane Kennedy].

4     Education,—Education (Provision of Information About Young Children) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I., 2007, No. 3436), dated 6th December 2007 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Secretary Ed Balls].

5    Income Tax,—Income Tax Act 2007 (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2007 (S.I., 2007, No. 3506), dated 12th December 2007 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Jane Kennedy].

6    Recovery of Taxes,—Recovery of Foreign Taxes Regulations 2007 (S.I., 2007, No. 3507), dated 12th December 2007 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Jane Kennedy].

Other Papers:

7    Broadcasting,—Papers, entitled—

(1) BBC Procurement: Review by the Comptroller and Auditor General presented to the BBC Trust's Finance and Strategy Committee; and

(2) The BBC's Efficient and Effective use of Spectrum: Review by Deloitte & Touche LLP commissioned by the BBC Trust's Finance and Strategy Committee [by Command] [Secretary James Purnell].

8    Government Resources and Accounts,—Report and Accounts of Sir John Soane's Museum for 2006-07, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 74] [Secretary James Purnell].

9    Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery,—Report and Accounts of the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund for 2006-07, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 159] [Secretary James Purnell].

10    Merseyside Museums and Galleries.—Report and Accounts of the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside for 2006-07, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Statutory Instrument]; to be printed [No. 146] [Secretary James Purnell].

11    National Lottery,—(1) Report and Accounts of the National Lottery Distribution Fund for 2006-07, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 158] [Secretary James Purnell]; and

(2) Report of the Arts Council of Wales for 2006-07 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Hain].

12    Northern Ireland,—(1) Northern Ireland Office: Autumn Performance Report for 2007 [by Command] [Cm. 7285]; and

(2) Report and Accounts of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for 2006-07, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 141]

[Mr Secretary Woodward].

13    Parliamentary Commissioner,—First Report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, Session 2007-08: The introduction of the ban on swill feeding [by Act]; to be printed [No. 165] [Clerk of the House].

14    Registration Service,—Birth Statistics: Review of the Registrar General on births and patterns of family building in England and Wales for 2006 [by Act] [Angela Eagle].

15    Work and Pensions,—Paper, entitled Ready for Work: Full employment in our generation [by Command] [Cm. 7290] [Mr Secretary Hain].

APPENDIX II

General Committees

APPENDIX III

1    Health,—Modernising Medical Careers: Minutes of Evidence taken before the Health Committee; to be printed [No. 25-iii] [Mr Kevin Barron].

2    International Development,—(1) DFID and the World Bank:

(i) Minutes of Evidence taken before the International Development Committee; to be printed [No. 67-ii]; and

(ii) Memoranda laid before the Committee; to be published; and

(2) Maternal Health: Memoranda laid before the Committee; to be published

[Malcolm Bruce].

3    Liaison,—The Prime Minister: Minutes of Evidence taken before the Liaison Committee; to be printed [No. 192-i] [Mr Alan Williams].

[W.H., No. 12]

Minutes of Proceedings of the Sitting in Westminster Hall

The sitting began at half-past Two o'clock.

Subject: Treatment of Asylum Seekers—Tenth Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Session 2006-07.

Resolved, That the sitting be now adjourned.—(Alison Seabeck.)

And accordingly the sitting was adjourned till Tuesday 18th December.

Sir Alan Haselhurst

Deputy Speaker