House of Commons Votes and Proceedings
Monday
23rd January 2012

No. 251

Monday 23 January 2012

The House met at 2.30 pm.

PRAYERS.

1 Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

2 Urgent Question: Executive pay (Secretary Vince Cable)

3 Opposition Day: Leader of the Opposition (Un-allotted day)

(1) Rising food prices and food poverty

Motion made and Question put, That this House notes that food prices rose by more than 4 per cent. over the last year and that an increasing number of families are relying on foodbanks; is dismayed at Government delays to the Groceries Code Adjudicator and that it has rejected recommendations by the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee to give it teeth; believes that the Adjudicator should have the power to fine retailers and that third party organisations should be able to report retailers for unfair practices; calls on the Government to bring forward proposals for the Groceries Code Adjudicator early in the next Parliament to ensure fairness across the food supply chain; and further calls on the Government to work with the retail sector to provide more responsible, transparent price promotions and clearer unit pricing to offer genuine value-for-money for consumers.-(Mary Creagh.)

The House divided.

Division No. 435.

Ayes: 223 (Tellers: Yvonne Fovargue, Nic Dakin).

Noes: 293 (Tellers: Greg Hands, Mark Hunter).

Question accordingly negatived.

(2) Youth unemployment and taxation of bank bonuses

Motion made and Question proposed, That this House notes with concern that unemployment has risen to its highest level for 17 years, youth unemployment has now reached a record level of 1.04 million and the number of young people claiming jobseeker’s allowance for over six months has more than doubled since January 2011; believes that cutting spending and raising taxes too far and too fast has choked off the recovery and pushed up unemployment and that it was a mistake for the Government to abolish the Future Jobs Fund; recognises that rising unemployment and the Government’s failing welfare to work programmes are leading to a higher benefits bill, which is contributing to the £158 billion of additional borrowing announced in the Autumn Statement; further notes reports that multi-million pound bank bonuses are set to be paid out this year, even in banks where the share price has almost halved; and in view of the most recent figures on unemployment, calls on the Government to take urgent action to kickstart the economy to promote jobs and growth and to reconsider its refusal to introduce a tax on bankers’ bonuses this year, in addition to the permanent bank levy, to fund 100,000 jobs for young people.-(Rachel Reeves.)

Mr Alan Campbell claimed to move the closure (Standing Order No. 36).

Question put, That the Question be now put.

Question agreed to.

Question accordingly put.

The House divided.

Division No. 436.

Ayes: 225 (Tellers: Graham Jones, Susan Elan Jones).

Noes: 302 (Tellers: Mr Philip Dunne, Mark Hunter).

Question accordingly negatived.

4 Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval

(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2011, which was laid before this House on 7 December, be approved.-(Stephen Crabb.)

Question agreed to.

(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft City of Birmingham (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012, which was laid before this House on 5 December, be approved.-(Stephen Crabb.)

The Speaker’s opinion as to the decision of the Question was challenged.

Division deferred until Wednesday 25 January (Standing Order No. 41A).

(3) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Local Better Regulation Office (Dissolution and Transfer of Functions, Etc.) Order 2012, which was laid before this House on 6 December, be approved.-(Stephen Crabb.)

Question agreed to.

5 Change to membership of select committees

(1) Ordered, That Angela Smith be discharged from the Administration Committee and Mark Tami be added.-(Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)

(2) Ordered, That Tom Blenkinsop and Cathy Jamieson be discharged from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and Iain McKenzie and Ms Margaret Ritchie be added.-(Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)

(3) Ordered, That Graeme Morrice be discharged from the Scottish Affairs Committee and Pamela Nash be added.-(Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)

6 Public Petitions

A Public Petition from residents of Tottenham relating to Closure of Downhills Primary School, Tottenham was presented and read by Mr David Lammy.

7 Adjournment

Subject: Gender balance at the BBC and in the broadcasting sector (Nadine Dorries).

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.-(Stephen Crabb.)

Adjourned at 10.44 pm until tomorrow.

_________________

Other proceedings

General Committees: Reports

8 Eighth Delegated Legislation Committee

Mr James Gray (Chair) reported the draft City of Bradford (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012.

9 Ninth Delegated Legislation Committee

Mrs Linda Riordan (Chair) reported the Policing Protocol Order 2011 (S.I., 2011, No. 2744).

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).

10 First Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012)

Members: Mr Ben Bradshaw, Jack Dromey, Mr David Nuttall and Mr Robin Walker discharged and Hilary Benn, Simon Hart, Chris Kelly and Mr John Spellar nominated in substitution.

11 Second Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Daventry (Electoral Changes) Order 2012)

Members: Jim Dowd and Mr Shaun Woodward discharged and Mark Lazarowicz and Austin Mitchell nominated in substitution.

12 Third Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Bristol (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Stephen Crabb and Eric Ollerenshaw discharged and James Duddridge and Chris Skidmore nominated in substitution.

13 Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Manchester (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Stephen Crabb and Chris Kelly discharged and Michael Fabricant and Mr David Nuttall nominated in substitution.

14 Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Leeds (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Stephen Crabb, Jack Dromey and Mrs Helen Grant discharged and Mike Weatherley, Chris Williamson and Jeremy Wright nominated in substitution.

15 Seventh Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Nottingham (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Helen Jones discharged and Chris Williamson nominated in substitution.

16 Eleventh Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Liverpool (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Helen Jones discharged and Roberta Blackman-Woods nominated in substitution.

17 Twelfth Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Sheffield (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Helen Jones discharged and Jack Dromey nominated in substitution.

18 Thirteenth Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft City of Newcastle-upon Tyne (Mayoral Referendum) Order 2012)

Members: Mr David Anderson and Helen Jones discharged and Roberta Blackman-Woods and Mr Nicholas Brown nominated in substitution.

Reports from Select Committees

19 Administration Committee

(1) Visitor Access and Facilities in the House of Commons: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1556-v);

(2) Record of the Committee’s discussions at its meeting on 23 January, to be published

(Sir Alan Haselhurst).

20 Draft House of Lords Reform Bill (Joint Committee on)

Draft House of Lords Reform Bill:

(1) Evidence, to be printed (HC 1313-xiv);

(2) Written evidence, to be published

(Mr Tom Clarke).

21 Privacy and Injunctions (Joint Committee on)

Privacy and Injunctions: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1443-xiii) (Mr John Whittingdale).

22 Public Accounts (Committee of)

(1) Flood Risk Management: Sixty-fourth Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 1659);

(2) DfID: Transferring cash and assets to the poor: Sixty-fifth Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 1695);

(3) Ministry of Justice Financial Management: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1778-i)

(Margaret Hodge).

APPENDIX

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1 Social Security

(1) Draft Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith); and

(2) draft Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith).

Other Papers:

2 European Union

Second Report to Parliament on the Application of Protocols 19 and 21 to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in Relation to EU Justice and Home Affairs Matters, for 1 December 2010–30 November 2011 (by Command) (Cm. 8265) (Secretary Kenneth Clarke).

3 Exchequer and Audit Departments

Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on HM Revenue and Customs: Renewed Alcohol Strategy: A Progress Report (by Act); to be printed (HC 1702) (Clerk of the House).

4 National Audit

Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department for Work and Pensions: The introduction of the Work Programme (by Act); to be printed (HC 1701) (Clerk of the House).

5 Sea Fisheries (Shellfish)

Report to Parliament under section 6 of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967 of the applications to, and proceedings of, the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Act in the year ended 31 December 2011 (by Act) (Secretary Caroline Spelman).

6 Trunk Road Charging Schemes

Account of Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Charging Scheme for 2010–11 (by Statutory Instrument); to be printed (HC 1734) (Secretary Justine Greening).