+ indicates Government business.
Timings are indicative only.
| Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development |
| *1 |
Andrew George (St Ives): What recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Laos.
|
|
|
(
190355
) |
| *2 |
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): If he will make a statement on his Department's activities in Liberia.
|
|
|
(
190356
) |
| *3 |
Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South): What assessment he has made of the Department's strategy of working with non-governmental organisations to support the development of civil society in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
|
|
|
(
190357
) |
| *4 |
The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South): What recent discussions he has had on the effects of trade on development.
|
|
|
(
190358
) |
| *5 |
Mr John MacDougall (Central Fife): If he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur province in Sudan.
|
|
|
(
190359
) |
| *6 |
Mr David Heath (Somerton & Frome): If he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Grenada.
|
|
|
(
190360
) |
| *7 |
Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton): What effects instability in Iraq is having on his Department's work on reconstruction.
|
|
|
(
190361
) |
| *8 |
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): What assistance his Department is giving to Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.
|
|
|
(
190362
) |
| *9 |
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): What assistance his Department has given to British dependencies and Commonwealth countries in (a) the Caribbean and (b) Central America affected by extreme weather conditions in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
|
|
|
(
190363
) |
| *10 |
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham): What recent assessment he has made of co-operation between his Department and the EU on aid projects.
|
|
|
(
190384
) |
| *11 |
Brian White (North East Milton Keynes): If he will make a statement on the outcome of his recent visit to Nigeria.
|
|
|
(
190385
) |
| *12 |
Sue Doughty (Guildford): If he will make a statement on his Department's agriculture strategy.
|
|
|
(
190387
) |
| *13 |
Bob Spink (Castle Point): If he will make a statement on the effectiveness of aid given (a) through the EU and (b) bilaterally in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
|
|
|
(
190388
) |
Main Business |
| 2 | OPPOSITION DAY [18th allotted day]
[Until 7.00 p.m.]
|
| | PENSIONS AND WELFARE REFORM
|
| Mr Michael Howard
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr George Osborne
Mr David Willetts
Mr Nigel Waterson
David Maclean
|
| That this House condemns the Government's continued failure to bring forward proposals to strengthen pensions and savings or to reform the welfare state; takes note of the deeply worrying interim findings of the Turner Commission and of the contrast between the Commission's detailed analysis and the Prime Minister's empty and inadequate rhetoric on pensions and welfare reform; further notes with concern the high levels of economic inactivity; condemns the lack of incentive to make private pension provision and the failure to help 1.7 million people, including many of the poorest pensioners, who are entitled to the Pension Credit but do not receive it; regrets the failure of the Government to address the crisis in state, personal and company pensions; observes that the Pensions Bill is still widely regarded as poorly drafted and that the Pension Protection Fund does not provide the `guarantee' claimed for it by Ministers; and urges the Government to join the growing consensus of organisations representing pensioners, pension providers, employers and trade unions that the basic state pension needs to be significantly improved and that the spread of means-testing should be reversed so that older people can be assured of dignity and security in retirement.
|
| As amendments to Mr Michael Howard's proposed Motion (Pensions and welfare reform):
|
| The Prime Minister
Mr Secretary Prescott
Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer
Mr Secretary Blunkett
Secretary Patricia Hewitt
Mr Secretary Johnson
|
| | Malcolm Wicks |
| Line 1, leave out from `House' to end and add `welcomes the Pensions Report commissioned by the Government; notes that it reinforces the conclusions of the 2002 Green Paper identifying the need for all to work longer or save more; commends the Government's commitment to face the challenges of an ageing society and to tackle inactivity by helping those who want to work; welcomes Pension Credit, benefiting over 3.1 million people, and the state second pension, helping millions build decent second pensions; further welcomes new tax credits making a huge difference to saving incentives for 3 million lower earners; commends steps to restore confidence in pensions through the Pension Protection Fund and the £400 million Financial Assistance Scheme; notes the Government's commitment to tackling age discrimination, and to rewarding those continuing to work after state pension age; believes both main Opposition parties' policies are unaffordable and do nothing for the very poorest; notes that Conservative policies would create a £500 million deficit within four years and be unsustainable in the longer term; commends proposals building on the Government's historic success in tackling pensioner poverty, which will continue to build a pension system with the basic state pension at its core, while still helping the poorest and offering saving incentives for hard-working families.'.
|
| Mr Charles Kennedy
Sir Menzies Campbell
Steve Webb
Paul Holmes
Sandra Gidley
Mr Andrew Stunell
|
| Line 16, at end add `notes the consistent failure of the Government and the Conservative opposition to recognise the urgent pensions problems facing women; welcomes the assessment of these problems in the Pensions Commission report; and commends Liberal Democrat proposals for a Citizen's Pension which would boost the pension by £25 a week for older pensioners as a first step towards providing it for all, would immediately lift one million pensioners out of means-testing, and would right many injustices currently faced by women in retirement.'.
|
| 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 p.m.
|
| At the end of the sitting
|
| 3 | ADJOURNMENT
|
| Proposed subject: Parcel delivery charges to UK islands (Mr Alistair Carmichael).
|
| Debate may continue until 7.30 p.m. or for half an hour, whichever is later (Standing Order No.
9 and Order of 29th October 2002).
|
COMMITTEES |
|
| 1 | European Standing Committee C | 2.00 p.m. | Room 10 (public) |
| To consider the EU Document No. 8875/04 relating to Industrial Policy for an Enlarged Europe. |
| 2 | First Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation | 2.30 p.m. | Room 9 (public) |
| To consider the draft Roads (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004. |
| 3 | Fifth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation | 2.30 p.m. | Room 12 (public) |
| To consider the draft Legal Services Ombudsman (Extension of Remit) Regulations 2004. |
|
| 4 | Science and Technology | 9.00 a.m.
10.15 a.m. | Room 8 (private)
(public) |
| Subject: Human Reproductive Technologies and the law. |
| Witnesses: Professor Julian Savulescu, Uehiro Professor of Practical Ethics, Professor Alastair Campbell, Professor of Ethics in Medicine, Professor John Harris, David Alliance, Professor of Bioethics, and Professor Robin Gill, Ramsey Professor of Modern Theology. |
| 5 | Work and Pensions | 9.30 a.m.
9.45 a.m. | The Grimond Room, Portcullis House (private)
(public) |
| Subject: Child Support Agency. |
| Witnesses: Father's Direct, One Parent Families and National Association for Child Support Action. |
| 6 | Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Development and Trade and Industry Committees | 10.00 a.m. | Room 16 (private) |
| 7 | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 2.00 p.m. | The Wilson Room, Portcullis House (private) |
| 8 | Treasury Sub-Committee | 2.15 p.m.
2.30 p.m. | Room 15 (private)
(public) |
| Subject: Merger of Customs & Excise and the Inland Revenue. |
| Witnesses: Mr David Varney, Chairman, Mr Paul Gray, Deputy Chairman, and Ann Chant CB, Director General, Change Management Centre, HM Customs & Excise and the Inland Revenue. |
| 9 | Accommodation and Works | 2.30 p.m. | The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House (private) |
| 10 | Defence | 2.30 p.m.
3.00 p.m. | Room 8 (private)
(public) |
| Subject: Duty of Care. |
| Witnesses: Mr Dennis O'Connor CBE, formerly Chief Constable, and Surrey Police. |
| 11 | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sub-Committee on the draft Animal Welfare Bill | 2.30 p.m. | The Wilson Room, Portcullis House (public) |
| Subject: The draft Animal Welfare Bill. |
| Witnesses: Country Land and Business Association and Countryside Alliance; Advocates for Animals and League Against Cruel Sports (at approximately |
| 12 | European Scrutiny | 2.30 p.m. | Room 19 (private) |
| 13 | Transport | 2.30 p.m. | Room 6 (private) |
| 14 | Welsh Affairs | 2.30 p.m. | Room 17 (private) |
| 15 | Environmental Audit | 3.00 p.m.
3.40 p.m. | Room 20 (private)
(public) |
| Subject: Sustainable Housing. |
| Witnesses: The Countryside Agency; The Royal Town Planning Institute (at approximately 4.25 p.m.). |
| 16 | Northern Ireland Affairs Sub-Committee | 3.30 p.m.
3.45 p.m. | The Grimond Room, Portcullis House (private)
(public) |
| Subject: Waste Management Strategy in Northern Ireland. |
| Witness: The Waste Management Advisory Board. |
| 17 | Public Accounts | 3.30 p.m. | Room 16 (public) |
| Subject: Helping Farm Businesses in England. |
| Witnesses: Sir Brian Bender KCB, Permanent Secretary, Mr Peter Cleasby, Head of Skills and Rural Enterprise Division, and Mr Martin Nesbit, Head of Rural Development Division, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. |
| 18 | Selection | 4.45 p.m. | Room 13 (private) |
JOINT COMMITTEE |
| 19 | Draft Mental Health Bill | 9.30 a.m. | The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House (private) |
[The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded without notice.] |
