House of Commons

House of Commons Votes and Proceedings
Tuesday
27th March 2012

No. 285

Tuesday 27 March 2012

The House met at 11.30 am.

PRAYERS.

1 Private Bills [Lords]: Transport for London (Supplemental Toll Provisions) Bill [Lords]: Second Reading

Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Tuesday 17 April.

2 Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

3 Statement: National Planning Policy Framework (Greg Clark)

4 Small Business Administration: Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)

Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to establish a Small Business Administration with the remit of acting as an ombudsman and advocate within government for small businesses, promoting a regulatory environment appropriate for small businesses, providing advice to those wishing to set up small businesses, improving access to finance for small businesses, developing and monitoring small business-friendly procurement policies and working with small firms to assist their export potential; and for connected purposes;

That Roger Williams, Lorely Burt, Ms Anne Marie Morris, Gordon Banks, Mr Mark Williams, Stephen Lloyd, Mark Durkan, Brandon Lewis, Stephen Williams, Annette Brooke, Caroline Lucas and Julian Smith present the Bill.

Roger Williams accordingly presented the Bill.

Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 27 April, and to be printed (Bill 326).

5 Backbench Business (Un-allotted day)

Assisted suicide

Motion made and Question proposed, That this House welcomes the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Policy to Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide, published in February 2010.-(Richard Ottaway.)

6 Royal Assent

The Deputy Speaker reported that the Queen had signified Royal Assent to the following Acts under the Royal Assent Act 1967:

Health and Social Care Act 2012

London Local Authorities Act 2012.

7 Backbench Business (Un-allotted day) (resumed)

The House resumed the debate.

Amendment (a) moved, in line 3, at the end of the Question, to add ‘and invites the Government to consult as to whether to put the guidance on a statutory basis.’.-(Dame Joan Ruddock.)

Question, That the Amendment be made, put and negatived.

Amendment (b) moved, in line 3, at the end of the Question, to add ‘and encourages further development of specialist palliative care and hospice provision.’.-(Fiona Bruce.)

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

Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.

Resolved, That this House welcomes the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Policy to Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide, published in February 2010, and encourages further development of specialist palliative care and hospice provision.

8 Business of the House (Finance (No. 4) Bill)

Ordered, That, in respect of the Finance (No. 4) Bill, notices of Amendments, new Clauses and new Schedules to be moved in Committee may be accepted by the Clerks at the Table before the Bill has been read a second time.-(Mr Brooks Newmark.)

9 Public Petitions

A Public Petition from residents of Bedfordshire relating to South West Bedfordshire Constituency was presented and read by Andrew Selous.

A Public Petition from residents of Scunthorpe relating to Health and Social Care Bill was presented and read by Nic Dakin.

10 Adjournment

Subject: Foreign secret intelligence and state secrets privilege (Mr David Davis).

Motion made and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.-(Mr Brooks Newmark.)

At 7.00 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 9(3)).

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.-(Mr Brooks Newmark.)

Adjourned at 7.22 pm until Monday 16 April (Order, 21 February).

_________________

Other proceedings

Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members

11 Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct together with the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members to be printed (HC 1885).

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).

12 European Committee B in respect of European Union Documents No. 17308/11 and Addenda 1 and 2, relating to a Draft Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No. 1060/2009 on credit rating agencies (CRAs) and No. 17329/11 and Addenda 1 and 2, relating to a Draft Directive amending Directive 2009/65/EC on the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings of collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) and Directive 2011/61/EU on Alternative Investment Fund Managers in respect of the excessive reliance on credit ratings

Members: Stephen Williams discharged and John Hemming nominated in substitution.

Reports from Select Committees

13 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee

Apprenticeships:

(1) Evidence, to be printed (HC 1843-iv);

(2) Written evidence, to be published

(Mr Adrian Bailey).

14 Culture, Media and Sport Committee

(1) Gambling: Written evidence, to be published;

(2) London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Written evidence, to be published

(Mr John Whittingdale).

15 Energy and Climate Change Committee

(1) Consumption-Based Emissions Reporting: Twelfth Report, with written evidence, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report and written evidence reported and ordered to be published on 15 November 2011 and 6 March (HC 1646);

(2) Impact of potential Scottish independence on energy and climate change: Written evidence, to be published;

(3) Consumer engagement with energy markets: Written evidence, to be published

(Mr Tim Yeo).

16 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

(1) The Water White Paper: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1852-iv);

(2) Natural Environment White Paper: Written evidence, to be published

(Miss Anne McIntosh).

17 European Scrutiny Committee

(1) Sixty-first Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 428-lvi);

(2) Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance: impact on the eurozone and the rule of law: Sixty-second Report, with written evidence, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report and written evidence reported and ordered to be published on 18 and 25 January and 1, 7 and 8 February (HC 1817);

(3) Ministerial Correspondence: Written evidence, to be published

(Mr William Cash).

18 Foreign Affairs Committee

The role and future of the Commonwealth: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1810-ii) (Richard Ottaway).

19 Home Affairs Committee

(1) The US-UK Extradition Treaty:

(i) Twentieth Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 644);

(ii) Written evidence, to be published;

(2) The work of the UK Border Agency (August–December 2011):

(i) Twenty-first Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 1722);

(ii) Written evidence, to be published

(Keith Vaz).

20 Human Rights (Joint Committee on)

(1) The Justice and Security Green Paper:

(i) Twenty-fourth Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 1777);

(ii) Written evidence, to be published;

(2) Universal Periodic Review: Written evidence, to be published;

(3) Recording and Reporting of the Use of Force in Schools: Written evidence, to be published

(Dr Hywel Francis).

21 International Development Committee

(1) South Sudan: Prospects for Peace and Development: Fifteenth Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report and written evidence reported and ordered to be published on 30 November 2011 and 27 March (HC 1570);

(2) Private Foundations: Government Response to the Committee’s Thirteenth Report of Session 2010–12: Twelfth Special Report, to be printed (HC 1916);

(3) Department for International Development Supplementary Estimate 2011–12: Written evidence, to be published;

(4) Zambia: Written evidence, to be published

(Malcolm Bruce).

22 Justice Committee

Post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

(1) Evidence, to be printed (HC 1849-iv);

(2) Written evidence, to be published

(Sir Alan Beith).

23 Scottish Affairs Committee

The Referendum on Separation for Scotland: Written evidence, to be published

(Mr Ian Davidson).

24 Treasury Committee

Budget 2012: Evidence, to be printed (HC 1910-ii and -iii) (Mr Andrew Tyrie).

[WH, No. 189]

Sitting in Westminster Hall

The sitting began at 9.30 am.

Adjournment

Subjects:

Illegal sales of alcohol and tobacco (Jesse Norman).

16–18 mathematics education (Elizabeth Truss).

Israel and the peace process (John Woodcock).

Transposition into UK law of the EU Directive on Animal Experimentation (Nic Dakin).

British expatriates and criminal justice in Punjab (Mr Dominic Raab).

Resolved, That the sitting be now adjourned.-(Angela Watkinson.)

Adjourned at 4.59 pm until Tuesday 17 April (Order, 21 February).

APPENDIX

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1 Criminal Law

Draft Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Amendment) Order 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Kenneth Clarke).

2 Landfill Tax

Landfill Tax (Qualifying Material) (Amendment) Order 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 940), dated 26 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Chloe Smith).

3 National Health Service

Draft Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Mr Secretary Lansley).

4 Police

Draft Police (Collaboration: Specified Function) Order 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Theresa May).

Papers subject to Negative Resolution:

5 Children and Young Persons

(1) Childcare (Early Years Register) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 939), dated 26 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Michael Gove);

(2) Early Years Foundation Stage (Learning and Development Requirements) (Amendment) Order 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 937), dated 26 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Michael Gove); and

(3) Early Years Foundation Stage (Welfare Requirements) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 938), dated 26 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Michael Gove).

6 Climate Change Levy

Climate Change Levy (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 943), dated 27 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Chloe Smith).

7 National Health Service

(1) Care Quality Commission (Registration) and (Additional Functions) and Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 921), dated 22 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Mr Secretary Lansley);

(2) National Health Service Trust Development Authority (Establishment and Constitution) Order 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 901), dated 22 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Mr Secretary Lansley); and

(3) National Health Service Trust Development Authority Regulations 2012 (S.I., 2012, No. 922), dated 22 March 2012 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Mr Secretary Lansley).

Other Papers:

8 Climate Change

Company reporting of greenhouse gas emissions (by Act) (Secretary Caroline Spelman).

9 Communities and Local Government

Government Response to the Eighth Report from the Communities and Local Government Committee, Session 2010–12, on the National Planning Policy Framework (by Command) (Cm. 8322) (Secretary Eric Pickles).

10 Constitutional Reform and Governance

Report by the Government Actuary on the Valuation of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund as at 1 April 2011 (by Act); to be printed (HC 1907) (Clerk of the House).

11 Energy

Business Plan of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for 2012–15 (by Act) (Secretary Edward Davey).

12 Equality

Strategic Plan of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for 2012–15 (by Act) (Secretary Theresa May).

13 Justice

(1) Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences (by Command) (Cm. 8334) (Secretary Kenneth Clarke); and

(2) Punishment and Reform: Effective Probation Services (by Command) (Cm. 8333) (Secretary Kenneth Clarke).

14 Law Commission

Report of the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission on Consumer Redress for Misleading and Aggressive Practices (by Command) (Cm. 8323) (Secretary Kenneth Clarke).

15 National Audit

Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Department for Transport: The completion and sale of High Speed 1 (by Act); to be printed (HC 1834) (Clerk of the House).

16 Public Bodies

Scheme to Transfer the Property, Rights and Liabilities of NESTA 2012 (by Act) (Secretary Vince Cable).

17 Science and Technology

Report and Accounts of Technology Strategy Board for 2009–10, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act); to be printed (HC 1909) (Secretary Vince Cable).

18 Statistics and Registration Service

Statement under section 16(3) of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 that the Minister for Housing and Local Government intends to make a request under section 12(1) of that Act in relation to official statistics produced by the Home and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority (by Act) (Secretary Eric Pickles).

19 Work and Pensions

Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee on Universal Credit: the impact on passported benefits, and the Government’s response (by Command) (Cm. 8332) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith).

Prepared 3rd February 2015