Business Today: Chamber for Thursday 10 October 2013

9.30am Prayers

Followed by

 QUESTIONS

Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

1 Alex Cunningham (Stockton North)
What recent assessment he has made of the provision of food aid in the UK. (900339)

2 Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)
When he expects bovine tuberculosis in England to have been eradicated. (900341)

3 Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields)
What timetable he has set for the completion of the England Coastal Path. (900342)

4 Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury)
How many cattle were slaughtered in Britain as a result of bovine tuberculosis in the last 10 years; and at what cost. (900345)

5 Mr David Amess (Southend West)
What steps he is taking to encourage responsible dog ownership. (900346)

6 Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree)
What recent assessment he has made of the provision of food aid in the UK. (900347)

7 Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central)
What plans he has to protect consumers from excessive rises in water bills. (900348)

8 Andrew Stephenson (Pendle)
What steps he is taking to encourage responsible dog ownership. (900349)

9 Simon Wright (Norwich South)
What steps he is taking to encourage responsible dog ownership. (900350)

10 Robert Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst)
How many fires there have been at waste sites in England regulated by the Environment Agency in the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the environmental and health effects of those fires. (900351)

11 Christopher Pincher (Tamworth)
What steps he is taking to encourage responsible dog ownership. (900352)

12 Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood)
How many extra properties will be protected from flooding following the 2013 spending round. (900353)

13 David T. C. Davies (Monmouth)
How much grant funding his Department provided to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the last financial year. (900355)

14 Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon)
How many cattle were slaughtered in Britain as a result of bovine tuberculosis in the last 10 years; and at what cost. (900356)

15 Mark Menzies (Fylde)
What assessment he has made of the importance of broadband to the future of the rural economy. (900357)

At 10.05 am

Topical Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

T1 Grahame M. Morris (Easington)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities. (900398)

T2 Stephen Timms (East Ham) (900399)

T3 Graeme Morrice (Livingston) (900400)

T4 Simon Wright (Norwich South) (900401)

T5 Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (900402)

T6 Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (900403)

T7 Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (900404)

T8 Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (900405)

T9 Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (900406)

At 10.15am

Oral Questions to the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners

1 Mr David Nuttall (Bury North)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what lessons the Church of England has learned from the increasing size of congregations attending services at cathedrals. (900313)

2 Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church of England is having with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding the protection of religious minorities in Syria and Egypt. (900315)

3 Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what work the Church of England is undertaking to support food banks in local communities; and if he will make a statement. (900316)

4 Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)
To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, what steps the Public Accounts Commission is taking to encourage improvements in the quality and standard of training in the accountancy and audit professions. (900317)

5 Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions he has had with Natural England on bats in churches; and if he will make a statement. (900318)

6 Fiona Bruce (Congleton)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what progress the Church Commissioners have made on plans for a credit union. (900319)

7 Mr Kevan Jones (North Durham)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what support the Church Commissioners are giving to the centenary commemorations of the outbreak of the First World War. (900321)

8 Andrew Stephenson (Pendle)
To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church Commissioners are taking to publicise introduction of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act on 1 October 2013; and what steps churches are taking to protect themselves from lead theft. (900322)

 

 URGENT QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

10.30am

Urgent Questions (if any)

Business Question to the Leader of the House

Ministerial Statements (if any)

 PRESENTATION OF BILLS

Presentation of Bills: no debate (Standing Order No. 57 )

Immigration

Secretary Theresa May

Bill to make provision about immigration law; to limit, or otherwise make provision about, access to services, facilities and employment by reference to immigration status; to make provision about marriage and civil partnership involving certain foreign nationals; and for connected purposes.

 BUSINESS OF THE DAY

1. BACKBENCH BUSINESS

Until 5.00pm (Standing Order N o. 9(3))

Improving levels of adult literacy and numeracy

Caroline Dinenage

Gordon Birtwistle

Mr Barry Sheerman

That this House believes that, with one in six adults functionally illiterate, the UK’s skills gap is preventing the country from fully realising its economic potential; understands that improved literacy rates not only have economic benefits but also have positive effects on an individual’s self-confidence, aspirations and emotional health and wellbeing; notes that literacy rates for school leavers have shown little change in spite of initiatives introduced by successive governments over recent decades; understands that the social stigma attached to illiteracy and innumeracy often prevents adults from seeking the help they need, which means that signposting illiterate and innumerate adults to Further Education Colleges is not always the most effective course of action; recognises that literacy and numeracy programmes must be made easily accessible to the most hard-to-reach functionally illiterate and innumerate adults if valued progress is to be made; and calls on the Government to renew efforts to provide imaginative, targeted and accessible support to illiterate and innumerate adults.

Funding for local authorities

Neil Parish

Sir Nick Harvey

Mr Robin Walker

That this House has considered funding for local authorities.

Notes:

The subjects for both debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee.

 ADJOURNMENT DEBATE

Until 5.30pm or for half an hour (whichever is later) (Standing Order No. 9(7))

Disabled access at Kidsgrove Railway Station: Joan Walley

 

 

BUSINESS TODAY: WESTMINSTER HALL

 ORDER OF BUSINESS

The sitting will last for three hours (Standing Order N o. 10(1)(c))

1.30pm

Wildlife Crime, Third Report from the Environmental Audit Committee, Session 2012-13, HC 140, and the Government response, Session 2012-13, HC 1061

Can the Work Programme work for all user groups?, First Report from the Work and Pensions Committee, HC 162, and the Government response, HC 627

Notes:

The subjects for these debates were determined by the Liaison Committee.

The sitting will last for three hours. The sitting will be suspended and time added if divisions take place in the main Chamber (Standing Order No. 10(1)).

Subjects proposed to be raised on a Motion for the Adjournment, moved by a Minister.

 

WRITTEN STATEMENTS

 Statements to be made today

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

1. Competition and Markets Authority Contingencies Fund advance

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

2 . Money services businesses

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

3 . Local planning and renewable energy developments

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

4 . Triennial Review of the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Board

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

5 . European Environment Council, October 2013

Secretary of State for Health

6 . Government response to the Second Report from the Health Committee, on Urgent Emergency Services, HC171

Secretary of State for Justice

7 . International prisoner transfer

Secretary of State for Transport

8 . Appointment of the new Chairman of HS2 Ltd

9 . Bus Funding Initiative

10 . Providing DSA tests only in national languages–Response to consultation

Notes:

Texts of Written Statements are available from the Vote Office and on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-written-statements/.

 

COMMITTEES MEETING TODAY

The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be changed without notice.

 Public Bill Committees

Defence Reform Bill

Further to consider the Bill

Room 9

11.30am (public), 2.00pm (public)

 Select Committees

Public Accounts

Subject: Severance payments: follow-up

Witnesses: Sharon White, Director General, Public Spending, HM Treasury, Jon Thompson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Sir Jonathan Stephens, former Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Sir Bob Kerslake, Head, Home Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government

Room 15

9.30am (private), 9.45am (public)

European Scrutiny

Subject: UK’s block opt-out of pre-Lisbon criminal law and policing measures

Witnesses: Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Home Secretary, and Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

9.45am (private), 10.00am (public)

Political and Constitutional Reform

Subject: Coalition Government’s Programme of Political and Constitutional Reform

Witnesses: Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister, and Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister for Cities and Constitution, Cabinet Office

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

9.45am (private), 10.00am (public)

Culture, Media and Sport

Subject: Regulation of the press

Witness : Rt Hon Sir Brian Leveson

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

10.00am (private), 10.30am (public)

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS PUBLISHED TODAY

 public accounts

23rd Report: HM Revenue and Customs: Progress in tackling tobacco smuggling, HC 297

Time of publication: 00.01 am

 ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

5th Special Report: Energy Prices, Profits and Poverty: Government and Ofgem Responses to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2013-14, HC 717

Time of publication: 10.00 am

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 FUTURE DEPARTMENTS ANSWERING IN WESTMINSTER HALL

Week beginning Monday 21 October

Applications for General or Short Debates should be made in writing to the Table Office by 7.00pm or the rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on Tuesday 15 October. The Ballot will take place on Wednesday 16 October. Members may submit applications to the Table Office in person or send a signed application through the post.

The following Departments will answer:

Attorney General; Cabinet Office; Culture, Media and Sport; Deputy Prime Minister; Education; Energy and Climate Change; Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Home Office; Northern Ireland; Women and Equalities; Work and Pensions

Week beginning Monday 28 October

The following Departments will answer:

Business, Innovation and Skills; Communities and Local Government; Defence; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Health; International Development; Justice; Leader of the House; Scotland; Transport; Treasury; Wales

 ELECTION OF A DEPUTY SPEAKER

Nominations

Nominations must be received in writing in the Lower Table Office between 10am and 5pm on Tuesday 15 October 2013 (the day before the ballot).

In accordance with Standing Order No. 2A(5)(e)(ii), only members of a party represented in Her Majesty’s Government may be candidates in this election.

Each nomination shall consist of a brief signed statement made by the candidate declaring their willingness to stand for election, accompanied by the signatures of not fewer than 6, nor more than 10 Members. No Member may sign more than one such statement; if any Member does so, their signature shall no longer be valid.

As soon as possible after the close of nominations, the list of candidates and their sponsors will be placed in the Vote Office in the Members’ Lobby and published on the Intranet.

Ballot

If there is more than one candidate, the ballot will take place between 11.30am and 2.00pm on Wednesday 16 October 2013 in the Aye Lobby.

Members each have one vote, which is transferable. They place candidates in the preferred order using the figures ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, etc. The figure’1’ represents the vote and is mandatory. The rest are contingency markings and are optional but allow the elector to influence the final result. Members should express preferences until they are unable, or do not wish, to differentiate between any of the remaining candidates.

The Count

The ballot will be counted under the Single Transferrable Vote system, in accordance with Standing Order No. 2A(5)(e).

As soon as practicable after the votes have been counted the Speaker will announce to the House the results of the ballot.

For further details, please see the Briefing Note available in the Vote Office and online at www.parliament.uk/documents/deputy-speakers-election-guidance.pdf.

 Determination of Business by the Backbench business Committee

Thursday 10 October in the Chamber

Motion relating to improving levels of adult literacy and numeracy: Caroline Dinenage, Gordon Birtwistle and Mr Barry Sheerman

Thursday 17 October in the Chamber

Motion relating to defence reforms: Mr John Baron, Mr Jim Cunningham, Jim Dobbin, Mrs Mary Glindon and Mr David Nuttall

Motion relating to funding support for deaf children and young people: Sir Malcolm Bruce and Stephen Lloyd

Notes:

The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee; it replaces the previously scheduled debate on free school meals, which has been cancelled.