House of Commons Votes and Proceedings
Thursday
15th March 2012

No. 278

Thursday 15 March 2012

The House met at 10.30 am.

PRAYERS.

1 Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

2 Business Question (Leader of the House)

3 Speaker’s Statement: Division (Numbers incorrectly reported)

The Speaker reported to the House that in the Division on Wednesday 14 March relating to Amendment 2 to the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill the numbers voting Aye had been erroneously reported as 231 instead of 222; and that he had directed the Clerk to correct the number in the Journal accordingly: Ayes 222, Noes 300.

4 Backbench Business (Un-allotted day)

(1) Charging for access to Parliament

Motion made and Question proposed, That this House accepts the need to make financial savings, but considers that the fundamental principle that the House of Commons is a people’s Parliament should not be put at risk; and concludes that since British citizens pay for Parliament, they should be free to visit it without paying, including the Big Ben Clock Tower.-(Robert Halfon.)

Amendment moved, in line 3, to leave out from ‘risk’ to the end of the Question and add ‘and invites the Commission to reconsider its current proposal to charge for Clock Tower tours.’.-(John Thurso.)

Question, That the Amendment be made, put and agreed to.

Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.

Resolved, That this House accepts the need to make financial savings, but considers that the fundamental principle that the House of Commons is a people’s Parliament should not be put at risk and invites the Commission to reconsider its current proposal to charge for Clock Tower tours.

(2) Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

Resolved, That this House considers that the Common Fisheries Policy has failed to conserve fish stocks and failed fishermen and consumers; welcomes the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report, EU proposals for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy; and calls on the Government to use the current round of Common Fisheries Policy reform to argue for a reduction in micro-management from Brussels, greater devolution of fishing policy to Member States, the introduction of greater regional ecosystem-based management and more scientific research to underpin decision-making in order to secure the future of coastal communities and the health of the marine ecosystem.-(Miss Anne McIntosh.)

5 Adjournment

Subject: Effect of reductions to legal aid on legal aid providers (Karl Turner).

Motion made and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.-(Jeremy Wright.)

At 6.00 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 9(3)).

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.-(Jeremy Wright.)

Adjourned at 6.25 pm until Monday 19 March.

_________________

Other proceedings

General Committees: Reports

6 Financial Services Bill Committee

Mr Edward Leigh (Chair) reported written evidence submitted to the Committee.

Written evidence to be published.

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).

7 First Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Public Bodies (Abolition of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Order 2012)

Members: Martin Vickers discharged and Mr David Nuttall nominated in substitution.

8 Third Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 23) (Investment Companies) Regulations 2012)

Members: Mark Field discharged and George Hollingbery nominated in substitution.

9 Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Automatic Enrolment (Offshore Employment) Order 2012 and the draft Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Automatic Enrolment) (Amendment) Regulations 2012)

Members: Steve Baker discharged and Mr Marcus Jones nominated in substitution.

Reports from Select Committees

10 Political and Constitutional Reform Committee

Introducing a statutory register of lobbyists: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1809-iii) (Mr Graham Allen).

[WH, No. 186]

Sitting in Westminster Hall

The sitting began at 2.30 pm.

Adjournment

Backbench Business (Un-allotted half day)

Subject: Effectiveness of UK Trade and Investment.

Resolved, That the sitting be now adjourned.-(Mr Mark Prisk.)

Adjourned at 5.29 pm until Wednesday 21 March (Order, 23 February).

APPENDIX

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Negative Resolution:

1 Betting, Gaming and Lotteries

Gambling (Operating Licence and Single-Machine Permit Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 829), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Jeremy Hunt).

2 Building and Buildings

Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 809), dated 13 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Eric Pickles).

3 Copyright

Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) Order 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 799), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Vince Cable).

4 Environmental Protection

Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 811), dated 12 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Caroline Spelman).

5 Health and Safety

Identification and Traceability of Explosives (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2012 (S.R. (N.I.), 2012, No. 123), dated 14 March 2012 (by Statutory Instrument), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Owen Paterson).

6 Immigration

(1) Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 813), dated 13 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Theresa May); and

(2) Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command); to be printed (HC 1888) (Secretary Theresa May).

7 Income Tax

(1) Income Tax (Construction Industry Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 820), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (David Gauke); and

(2) Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 822), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (David Gauke).

8 Infrastructure Planning

Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 787), dated 12 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Eric Pickles).

9 Police

Ministry of Defence Police (Performance) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 808), dated 13 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Philip Hammond).

10 Social Security

(1) Child Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 818), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Chloe Smith);

(2) Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 821), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (David Gauke);

(3) Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Dependency) (Permitted Earnings Limits) Order 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 823), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith);

(4) Social Security (Suspension of Payment of Benefits amd Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 824), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith);

(5) Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 819), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith); and

(6) Workmen’s Compensation (Supplementation) (Amendment) Scheme 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 833), dated 14 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith).

11 Town and Country Planning

Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 767), dated 8 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Eric Pickles).

12 Universities of Oxford and Cambridge

(1) Statute, dated 13 December 2011, made by the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, revising the existing Statutes of the University (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Vince Cable); and

(2) Statute, dated 15 November 2011, made by the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, revising the existing Statutes of the University (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Vince Cable).

Other Papers:

13 Constitutional Reform and Governance

(1) Parliamentary Pensions (Consolidation and Amendment) Regulations 1993 (Ministers’ etc Pension Scheme) (Amendment) Scheme 2012 (by Act) (Francis Maude); and

(2) Parliamentary Pensions (Consolidation and Amendment) Regulations 1993 (Ministers’ etc Pension Scheme) (Amendment) Scheme 2012: Representations from the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund and Government Response (by Act) (Francis Maude).

14 Government Resources and Accounts (Audit of Non-profit-making Companies)

Report of the Directors and Financial Statements of Northwest Business Link for 1 April–27 November 2011, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Statutory Instrument); to be printed (HC 1880) (Secretary Vince Cable).

15 Police

Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions: Final Report (by Command) (Cm. 8325-I and -II) (Secretary Theresa May).

16 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums

(1) First Report from the Speaker’s Committee 2012, Work of the Committee in 2011 (by Act); to be printed (HC 1897) (The Speaker); and

(2) Second Report from the Speaker’s Committee 2012, Reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act); to be printed (HC 1898) (The Speaker).

17 Superannuation

Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC (by Act) (Francis Maude).

18 Treaty Series (No. 21, 2012)

Protocol, done at London on 22 September 2009, amending the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Malaysia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income signed at Kuala Lumpur on 10 December 1996 (by Command) (Cm. 8317) (Secretary William Hague).