Business Today: Chamber for Tuesday 11 February 2014

11.30am Prayers

Followed by

 QUESTIONS

Oral Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

1Richard Fuller (Bedford)
What steps the Government is taking with local enterprise partnerships to promote entrepreneurship in towns and communities across the UK. (902503)

2Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon)
What assessment he has made of how City Deals are working. (902504)

3Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South)
What discussions he had with human rights organisations, trades unions and opposition movements during his recent visit to Colombia; and if he will make a statement. (902505)

4Fiona Bruce (Congleton)
What support the Government is giving to business growth opportunities in Cheshire East through the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. (902506)

5Clive Efford (Eltham)
What steps the Government plans to take to improve the accuracy and completeness of the electoral register. (902507)

6Ben Gummer (Ipswich)
What discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the role of decentralisation in the implementation of the Heseltine Review. (902509)

7Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal)
What progress he has made on the implementation of the second wave of City Deals. (902510)

8Mark Pawsey (Rugby)
What progress he has made on the implementation of the second wave of City Deals. (902511)

9Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde)
What his policy is on votes for 16 year olds. (902512)

10Stephen Barclay (North East Cambridgeshire)
What recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on devolution and decentralisation. (902513)

11Mr David Ward (Bradford East)
What steps he is taking to increase the number of young people registering to vote when individual electoral registration is introduced. (902514)

12Fiona Mactaggart (Slough)
What role he plays in making public appointments across Government; and if he will make a statement. (902517)

At 11.50am

Topical Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

T1Roger Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities. (902518)

T2Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham) (902519)

T3Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (902522)

T4Karen Lumley (Redditch) (902523)

T5Mr Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) (902524)

T6Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (902525)

T7Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (902526)

T8Sir Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (902527)

T9Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (902528)

T10Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (902529)

T11Dan Byles (North Warwickshire) (902530)

T12Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South) (902531)

T13Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (902532)

At 12.10pm

Oral Questions to the Attorney General

1Mr David Hanson (Delyn)
How many local authorities have signed up to the information-sharing protocol for cases of child abuse launched in November 2013 by the Director of Public Prosecutions. (902533)

2Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen)
What recent discussions he has had with the Treasury Solicitor on the development of a shared legal service. [R] (902534)

3Mark Menzies (Fylde)
What steps the Government is taking to ensure the repatriation of stolen assets to emerging democracies in the Middle East and North Africa. (902535)

4Priti Patel (Witham)
What recent discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service on the use of diminished responsibility defences in domestic homicide cases. (902536)

5Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside)
How many local authorities have signed up to the information-sharing protocol for cases of child abuse launched in November 2013 by the Director of Public Prosecutions. (902538)

6David Wright (Telford)
What recent steps he has taken to promote awareness among prosecutors of the tools available to secure the removal from the UK of low-level foreign offenders. (902539)

7Mr Simon Burns (Chelmsford)
What assessment he has made of the effects of increased digital working by the Crown Prosecution Service; and what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse as a result of that increase. (902540)

8Clive Efford (Eltham)
In what ways the Serious Fraud Office co-operates with prosecutors overseas; and if he will make a statement. (902541)

9James Wharton (Stockton South)
What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on reform of the law of contempt. (902542)

 URGENT QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

12.30pm

Urgent Questions (if any)

Ministerial Statements (if any)

 BUSINESS OF THE DAY

1. Additional Charges for Utility Bills not Paid by Direct Debit (Limits): TEN MINUTE RULE MOTION

Up to 20 minutes (Standing Order No. 23)

Robert Halfon

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to limit levels of additional amounts charged by utility companies on bills not paid by direct debit; and for connected purposes.

Notes:

The Member moving and a Member opposing this Motion may each speak for up to 10 minutes.

2. OPPOSITION DAY (20th ALLOTTED DAY)

Until 7.00pm (Standing Order No. 9(3))

Fairness and inequality

Angus Robertson

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Caroline Lucas

Dr Eilidh Whiteford

Jonathan Edwards

Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil

That this House notes that the United Kingdom is one of the most unequal states in the OECD, ranked 28 out of 34 countries for income inequality and the fourth most unequal country in the developed world according to some analyses; further notes that low and middle income families have borne the brunt of the Government’s austerity measures; further notes that the Government has plans to cut a further £60 billion in public spending over the next four years; further notes that successive governments of all political hues have presided over an underlying trend of rising income inequality since the early 1980s; recognises that men have consistently higher employment rates than women and that women are more likely to work in lower paid, low-skilled occupations; further notes the growing numbers of workers on minimum wage and zero-hours contracts, and that there are more people now in working poverty than out of work poverty; further notes with concern the sharp rise in the number of people relying on foodbanks across the UK, including significant numbers of people in work; and calls on the Government to halt its further spending and welfare cuts and to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the impact of the Government’s austerity measures on the incidence of poverty and inequality.

Amendment (a)

Edward Miliband

Margaret Curran

Owen Smith

Rachel Reeves

Cathy Jamieson

Ms Rosie Winterton

Line 1, leave out from ‘House’ to end and add ‘notes the Resolution of the House of 13 January 2014 to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the impact of the Government’s welfare reforms on the incidence of poverty; further notes that the Government has not yet implemented this inquiry; and calls on the Government to do so.’.

Notes:

The selection of the matter to be debated this day has been made by the Leaders of Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party (Standing Order No. 14(2)).

3. community infrastructure levy

No debate (Standing Order No. 118(6))

Secretary Eric Pickles

That the draft Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2014, which were laid before this House on 20 January, be approved.

Notes:

If this item is opposed after 7.00pm the division will be deferred.

4. public bodies

No debate (Standing Order No. 118(6))

Secretary Vince Cable

That the draft Public Bodies (Abolition of the National Consumer Council and Transfer of the Office of Fair Trading’s Functions in relation to Estate Agents etc) Order 2014, which was laid before this House on 5 December 2013, be approved.

Notes:

If this item is opposed after 7.00pm the division will be deferred.

5. the county court

No debate (Standing Order No. 118(6))

Secretary Chris Grayling

That the draft County Court Jurisdiction Order 2014, which was laid before this House on 18 December 2013, be approved.

Notes:

If this item is opposed after 7.00pm the division will be deferred.

 ADJOURNMENT DEBATE

Until 7.30pm or for half an hour (whichever is later) (Standing Order No. 9(7))

UK policy towards Nagorno–Karabakh and Azerbaijan: Stephen Pound

BUSINESS TODAY: WESTMINSTER HALL

 ORDER OF BUSINESS

The first part of the sitting will last for two hours. The second part of the sitting will last for two and a half hours (Standing Order No. 10(1)).

9.30am

VAT and the tourism sector: Ms Margaret Ritchie

Notes:

The Chairman of Ways and Means appointed this debate on the recommendation of the Backbench Business Committee.

11.00am

Confidentiality of patient medical records: Mr George Mudie

Notes:

The sitting will be suspended from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

2.30pm

Fuel poverty and cold homes: Roger Williams

4.00pm

Future plans for welfare reform: Charlie Elphicke

4.30pm

Home Office powers to remove UK citizenship: Ms Diane Abbott

The debate will arise on a motion for the adjournment, to be moved by a Minister.

The second part of the sitting will be suspended and time added if divisions take place in the main Chamber (Standing Order No. 10(1)).

WRITTEN STATEMENTS

 Statements to be made today

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

1.Notification to Parliament of a contingent liability: Indemnification to Elexon Ltd for electricity market reform settlement system set–up

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

2.Hong Kong (Sino/British Joint Declaration)

Secretary of State for Home Department

3.Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill

Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA

4.IPSA’s supplementary estimate 2013–14

Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

5.Local Government Boundary Commission for England supplementary estimate 2013–14

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

Consumer Rights Bill

Subject: To consider the Bill

Witnesses: Which? and Citizens’ Advice (until no later than 9.45am); Law Commission of England and Scottish Law Commission (until no later than 10.15am); Confederation of British Industry, British Retail Consortium and Federation of Small Businesses (until no later than 10.55am); Local Government Association (until no later than 11.25am)

The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House

8.55am (public)

Consumer Rights Bill

Subject: To consider the Bill

Witnesses: Trading Standards Institute, Office of Fair Trading and Advertising Standards Authority (until no later than 3.00pm); Martin Lewis, MoneySavingExpert.com (until no later than 3.30pm); UK Interactive Entertainment (until no later than 4.00pm); Jenny Willott MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (until no later than 4.45pm)

The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (public)

 European Committees

European Committee A

To consider European Union Document No. 18153/13, a draft Council Directive on the placing on the market of food from animal clones

Room 9

2.30pm (public)

 Select Committees

Business, Innovation and Skills

Subject: Adult Literacy and Numeracy

Witnesses: David Hughes, Chief Executive Office, National Institute of Adults Continuing Education, Helen Casey, Executive Director, National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy, and Judith Norrington, Director of Policy, Research and Regulation, City and Guilds; Libby Coleman, author, Yes We Can Read, Tom Wilson, Unionlearn, and Linda Curtis, volunteer for Read and Grow initiative (at 10.15am); Di Lloyd, Principal, St Vincent College, Jez Langhorn, Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer, McDonald’s, and Neil Couling, Director, Benefit Strategy, and Operations Director, Jobcentre Plus, Department for Work and Pensions (at 11.00am)

Room 16

9.00am (private), 9.30am (public)

Energy and Climate Change

Subject: IPCC 5th Assessment Review

Witnesses: Sir Peter Williams, Royal Society, and Dr Emily Shuckburgh, Royal Meteorological Society; Guy Newey, Policy Exchange, Jonathan Grant, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and James Painter, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford (at 10.30am)

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

9.15am (private), 9.30am (public)

Welsh Affairs

Room 17

9.15am (private)

International Development

Room 5

9.30am (private)

Treasury

Subject: Project Verde

Witnesses: Andrew Bailey, Deputy Governor, Prudential Regulation, and Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

9.45am (private), 10.00am (public)

Culture, Media and Sport

Subject: Future of the BBC

Witnesses: Gavyn Davies OBE and Greg Dyke; Lord Birt and Lord Grade of Yarmouth (at 11.30am)

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

10.00am (private), 10.30am (public)

Health

Subject: Complaints and Raising Concerns

Witnesses: Rt Hon Ann Clwyd MP; Anna Bradley, Chair, Healthwatch, and Robert Francis QC, Chair, and Jenny Treanor, Project Manager, Speaking Up Project, Patients’ Association (at 3.00pm)

Room 8

1.00pm (private), 2.30pm (public)

Foreign Affairs

Subject: (i) UK policy towards Iran; (ii) The future of the BBC World Service

Witnesses: (i) Professor Alan Johnson, Senior Research Fellow, Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, and Oren Kessler, Middle East Research Fellow, The Henry Jackson Society; (ii) Peter Horrocks, Director, and Richard Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, BBC World Service (at 3.30pm)

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

1.45pm (private), 2.30pm (public)

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Room 15

2.30pm (private)

Home Affairs

Subject: (i) Counter-terrorism; (ii) Private Investigators: follow-up

Witnesses: (i) Dr Thomas Hegghammer, Director of terrorism research, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment; Professor Sir David Omand GCB, former Head, GCHQ (at 3.30pm); Sir Anthony May, Interception of Communications Commissioner, and Joanna Cavan, Chief Inspector, Interception of Communications Commissioner’s Office (at 4.15pm); (ii) Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner (at 5.00pm)

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

2.30pm (private), 2.45pm (public)

Backbench Business

Subject: Proposals for backbench debates

Witnesses: Members of Parliament to apply for debates including on: The future of non-league football; Security situation for Afghan women

Room 16

2.55pm (private), 3.00pm (public)

 Joint Committees

Consolidation &c. Bills (Joint Committee)

Subject: Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Bill [HL]

Witnesses: Edward Stell and Luke Norbury, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, and Martin Joubert, HM Treasury

Room 3

9.30am (private), 9.35am (public)

Draft Modern Slavery Bill

Subject: Draft Modern Slavery Bill

Witnesses: Professor Lucia Zedner and Professor Liora Lazarus, Faculty of Law, Oxford University; Liberty (at 10.45am); Magistrates’ Association (at 11.15am)

Room 2A

10.00am (private), 10.15am (public)

Draft Modern Slavery Bill

Room 5

3.30pm (private)

COMMITTEE REPORTS PUBLISHED TODAY

 PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

43rd Report: Progress at Sellafield, HC 708

Time of publication: 00.01am

45th Report: Excess Votes 2012–13, HC 1068

Time of publication: 11.00am

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Forthcoming End of Day Adjournment Debates

Monday 24 February to Monday 3 March

Applications should be made in writing to the Table Office by 7pm or rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on Wednesday 12 February. The Ballot will take place on Thursday 13 February.

 Future Departments Answering in Westminster Hall

Week beginning 24 February

Applications for General or Short Debates should be made in writing to the Table Office by 7pm or rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on Tuesday 11 February. The Ballot will take place on Wednesday 12 February.

Attorney General; Business, Innovation and Skills; Cabinet Office; Communities and Local Government; Culture, Media and Sport; Deputy Prime Minister; Education; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Foreign and Commonwealth Office; International Development; Wales; Women and Equalities.

Week beginning 3 March

Defence; Energy and Climate Change; Health; Home Office; Justice; Leader of the House; Northern Ireland; Scotland; Transport; Treasury; Work and Pensions.

 February Adjournment 2014

Members wishing to table questions in person may do so in the usual way through the Table Office until 5.30pm or the rising of the House, whichever is earlier, on Thursday 13 February. Thereafter, Members may table questions for oral and written answer electronically or by post. Questions for written answer received after 13 February and before 4.30pm on Friday 21 February will be treated as having been tabled on 21 February.

Questions for oral answer

Under Standing Order No. 22(6), the Speaker has made the following arrangements for tabling Questions for oral answer when the House returns:

The results of the shuffles on 13 February will be published on 14 February. They will be available from the Vote Office and on the internet at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmfutoral/futoral.pdf

For further details of last tabling days for other departments and answering bodies, see the Order of Questions rota available from the Vote Office and on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-table-office/order-of-oral-questions1.pdf

Notes:

* The latest time for tabling is 12.30pm on each of these days.

** First sitting day after adjournment.

Questions for written answer

The latest time for tabling a Question for written answer on a named day before the February Adjournment is 10.30pm or the rise of the House (whichever is earlier), on Monday 10 February (for answer on Thursday 13 February). For Questions tabled between this time and the rise of the House on Thursday 13 February, the earliest named day for a Question for written answer is Monday 24 February.

After the House has adjourned on Thursday 13 February, Questions tabled for written answer up to 4.30pm on Friday 21 February will be treated as having been tabled on 21 February. Questions for ordinary written answer will be for answer on Tuesday 25 February. Questions for named day written answer will be for answer not earlier than Wednesday 26 February; each Member may table five such questions during this period.