Business Today: Chamber for Wednesday 14 January 2015

11.30am Prayers

Followed by

 QUESTIONS

Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

1Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East)
If he will make it his policy that responsibility for licensing shale gas extraction should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. (906918)

2Ann McKechin (Glasgow North)
What change there has been in the level of child poverty in Scotland since 2010; and if he will make a statement. (906919)

3Dame Angela Watkinson (Hornchurch and Upminster)
What assessment he has made of the potential effect on businesses in Scotland of the removal of the requirement for employers to pay National Insurance Contributions in respect of employees under the age of 21 and apprentices under the age of 25. (906920)

4Mr Mike Weir (Angus)
What steps the Government is taking to maintain existing Scottish rail services on and connected to the East Coast Mainline. (906921)

5Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute)
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural Scotland. (906922)

6Pamela Nash (Airdrie and Shotts)
What discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on job losses in Scotland resulting from City Link entering administration. (906923)

7Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble)
What the next steps are for implementation of the Smith Commission proposals. (906924)

8Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West)
What discussions he has had with the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries on how effectively the Government is protecting vulnerable consumers in Scotland from nuisance calls. (906925)

9John Mann (Bassetlaw)
What assessment he has made of the level of anti-Semitism in Scotland. (906926)

10John Robertson (Glasgow North West)
What estimate he has made of the effect on tax revenue from Scotland of the recent fall in the price of oil. (906927)

11Cathy Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
What discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on support for the oil and gas sector in Scotland. (906928)

12Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde)
What plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to devolve responsibility for the franchise in Scottish Parliament elections to the Scottish Parliament. (906929)

13Mr Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw)
What assessment he has made of the potential effect on jobs in Scotland of the fall in the price of oil. (906930)

14John Stevenson (Carlisle)
What assessment he has made of recent trends in the number of visitors to Scotland and their contribution to the economy in Scotland. (906931)

15Jim Sheridan (Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
What discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues and Ministers of the Scottish Government on the relationship between oil prices and travel costs for cross-border commuters. (906932)

At 12.00pm

Oral Questions to the Prime Minister

Q1Gregg McClymont (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 14 January. (906978)

Q2Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (906979)

Q3Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (906980)

Q4Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (906981)

Q5Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (906982)

Q6Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon) (906983)

Q7Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (906984)

Q8James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (906985)

Q9Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (906986)

Q10Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (906987)

Q11John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (906988)

Q12Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay) (906989)

Q13Robert Halfon (Harlow) (906990)

Q14David Rutley (Macclesfield) (906991)

Q15Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (906992)

 URGENT QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

12.30pm

Urgent Questions (if any)

Ministerial Statements (if any)

 BUSINESS OF THE DAY

1. VOTING (CIVIC OBLIGATION): TEN MINUTE RULE MOTION

Up to 20 minutes (Standing Order No. 23)

Mr David Winnick

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to provide for a civic obligation either to vote or to state an intention to abstain from voting; 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 (12TH ALLOTTED DAY)

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

Energy prices

Edward Miliband

Caroline Flint

Mr Chuka Umunna

Maria Eagle

Tom Greatrex

Ms Rosie Winterton

That this House notes the policy of the Opposition to freeze energy prices until 2017, ensuring that prices can fall but not rise; and calls on the Government to bring forward fast-track legislation immediately to put a statutory duty on the energy regulator for Great Britain to ensure that energy suppliers pass on price cuts to consumers when wholesale costs fall, if suppliers fail to act.

Amendment (a)

Caroline Lucas

Line 5, at end add ‘; further notes that the only way to bring down energy bills permanently is to make all homes super energy efficient; observes that, whilst politicians talk about the importance of making energy efficiency an infrastructure priority and tackling fuel poverty, current funding is insufficient; and calls on the Government to allocate immediately a substantial proportion of the national infrastructure budget to energy efficiency to create jobs, cut carbon, tackle high energy bills and end the scandal of excess winter deaths caused by fuel poverty.’.

The steel industry

Edward Miliband

Mr Chuka Umunna

Margaret Curran

Owen Smith

Mr Iain Wright

Ms Rosie Winterton

That this House recognises the importance of the UK steel industry including as a provider of highly-skilled jobs and research and development; values the steel supply chain which supports strategic industries such as automotive, aerospace and construction; notes with concern Tata’s proposed sale of its Long Products Division and the impact this could have on UK steel industry capacity; welcomes the efforts of UK steel producers to cut carbon emissions and expresses concern that losing trade to countries with less efficient processes could increase global carbon emissions; further notes with concern that some steel imports do not meet British standards; calls on the Government to recognise the importance of the steel industry and to work with it, the Scottish and Welsh Governments and trade unions to provide a co-ordinated plan for the industry’s future; urges the Government urgently to reconsider whether mitigating measures on energy prices, planned to start in April 2016, can be brought forward to support the competitiveness of UK steel producers, to press the European Commission to launch an inquiry into the CARES certification of imported steel products to ensure safety and traceability and to take action through the EU and World Trade Organisation to challenge the uncompetitive subsidisation of steel products; and further calls on the Government to introduce an active industrial policy for the metals industry, including strengthening supply chains, strategic approaches to public sector procurement, encouraging innovation, skills development and resource efficiency and providing support for steel exporters.

Notes:

The selection of the matters to be debated has been made by the Leader of the Opposition (Standing Order No. 14(2)).

3. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

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

Secretary Alistair Carmichael

That the draft Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 (Restrictions on Disclosure of Information in relation to National Security etc.) Order 2015, which was laid before this House on 18 November 2014, be approved.

Notes:

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

 PRESENTATION OF PUBLIC PETITIONS

No debate or decision (Standing Order No. 153)

Persecution of Christians in Pakistan: Andrew Stephenson

 ADJOURNMENT DEBATE

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

Horticultural industry skills and training: Sir Bob Russell

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

House of Lords reform: Pete Wishart

11.00am

National statistics: Sir Hugh Bayley

Notes:

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

2.30pm

Government support for businesses in the North of England: David Rutley

4.00pm

Maintenance and upgrading of Shrewsbury railway station: Daniel Kawczynski

4.30pm

Rohingya community in Burma: Jonathan Ashworth

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 Defence

1.Gifting of Equipment to Pakistan

2.War Pensions Scheme–Uprating 2015

Secretary of State for Transport

3.National Policy Statement for National Networks

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.

 Delegated Legislation Committees

Second Delegated Legislation Committee

To consider the draft Universal Credit (Work-Related Requirements) in Work Pilot Scheme and Amendment Regulations 2015

Room 9

8.55am (public)

 Select Committees

Health

Subject: Accident and emergency services

Witnesses: Professor Chris Ham CBE, Chief Executive, The King's Fund, and Dr Clifford Mann, President, College of Emergency Medicine; Sir Bruce Keogh KBE, Medical Director, NHS England, and Professor Keith Willett, National Director for Acute Episodes of Care, NHS England, Dale Bywater, Director of Delivery and Development (Midlands and East), NHS Trust Development Authority, Pauline Philip, Chief Executive, Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Jim Mackey, Chief Executive, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (at 10.15am)

Room 15

9.00am (private), 9.30am (public)

Science and Technology

Subject: The Legacy Report 2010-15

Witnesses: George Eustice MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Lord Bates, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and Alan Pratt, Director of Science, Engineering and Technology, Home Office (at 10.15am)

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

9.00am (private), 9.15am (public)

Education

Subject: Apprenticeships and traineeships for 16 to 19 year olds

Witnesses: Nick Boles MP, Minister for Skills and Equalities, Department for Education

Room 8

9.15am (private), 9.30am (public), 11.00am (private)

Work and Pensions

Room 6

9.15am (private)

High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill

Subject: High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill

Witnesses: Mark and Candida Evans; Roger Warren; Richard Saward; Paul Hunt; Avtar Singh and others; Joe and Grace Elliott; Dr Alexandra Daley; New Kingswood Farm Ltd; Kenneth and Shirley Baker; Mark and Naomi Tailby; Richard and Janette Kenyon; Otter and Co; and Kenilworth Golf Club

Room 5

9.30am (public)

International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact

Subject: ICAI's Report on the International Climate Fund

Witnesses: Graham Ward, Chief Commissioner, and Catherine Cameron, Team Leader, Independent Commission for Aid Impact; Nick Dyer, Director General Policy and Global Programmes, and Andrea Ledward, Head of Climate and Environment Department, Department for International Development, and Katrina Williams, Director, General International Science and Resilience, Department for Energy and Climate Change (at 10.30am)

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

9.45am (private), 10.00am (public)

Environmental Audit

Subject: Environmental risks of fracking

Witnesses: E3G, Professor Paul Stevens, and Tyndall Centre Manchester

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

10.10am (private), 10.15am (public)

Public Administration

Subject: Work of the Chief Executive of the Civil Service

Witnesses: John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service

Room 16

10.15am (private), 10.30am (public)

European Scrutiny

Subject: (i) Scrutiny Inquiry: follow up; (ii) Scrutiny Inquiry: follow up

Witnesses: (i) Rt Hon David Lidington MP, Minister for Europe, and Jill Morris, Europe Director, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Ivan Rogers, Her Britannic Majesty's Permanent Representative to the European Union; (ii) Rona Fairhead CBE, Chairman and Richard Ayre, Chairman of the Editorial Standards Committee, BBC Trust (at 2.30pm)

Room 15

12.40pm (private), 12.50pm (public), 2.00pm (private), 2.30pm (public)

Defence

Subject: Decision-making in Defence Policy

Witnesses: Rt Hon Lord West of Spithead, former First Sea Lord; Sir Nick Harvey MP, former Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence (at 3.30pm)

Room 8

2.00pm (private), 2.30pm (public)

Environmental Audit

Subject: Environmental risks of fracking

Witnesses: Environment Agency, and National Physical Laboratory; Lord Smith, Chair of Task Force on Shale Gas, and UK Onshore Oil & Gas (at 3.05pm)

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Finance and Services

Room 13

2.00pm (private)

High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill

Subject: High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill

Witnesses: As for morning session, unless already heard

Room 5

2.00pm (public)

Public Accounts

Subject: The effective management of tax reliefs

Witnesses: Lin Homer, Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary, and Jim Harra, Director General, Business Tax, HM Revenue and Customs, and Indra Morris, Director General, Tax and Welfare, HM Treasury

Room 16

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Scottish Affairs

Subject: The Smith Commission: Proposals for Further Devolution to Scotland

Witnesses: David Philips, Senior Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Professor John McLaren, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow

Room 6

2.00pm (private), 2.30pm (public)

Transport

Subject: Railway network disruption over Christmas

Witnesses: Mark Carne, Chief Executive, and Robin Gisby, Managing Director, Network Operations, Network Rail; Richard Price, Chief Executive, and Joanna Whittington, Director, Railway Markets and Economics, Office of Rail Regulation (at 2.50pm)

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (private), 2.05pm (public)

Treasury

Subject: Bank of England December 2014 Financial Stability Report

Witnesses: Dr Mark Carney, Governor, Sir Jon Cunliffe, Deputy Governor, Financial Stability, Dame Clara Furse, and Martin Taylor, External Members, Financial Policy Committee, Bank of England

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Room 17

2.30pm (private)

Procedure

Room 20

3.00pm (private)

Selection

Room 13

4.45pm (private)

Liaison

The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House

6.00pm (private)

 Joint Committees

Human Rights

Room 3A

9.30am (private)

Statutory Instruments

Room 7

3.45pm (private)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Forthcoming End of Day Adjournment Debates

Tuesday 20 January to Monday 26 January

Applications should be made in writing to the Table Office by 7pm or rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on Wednesday 14 January. The Ballot will take place on Thursday 15 January.

 Future Departments Answering in Westminster Hall

Week beginning 26 January

Attorney General; Business, Innovation and Skills; Cabinet Office; Deputy Prime Minister; Education; Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Home Office; International Development; Justice; Leader of the House; Transport; Wales.

Week beginning 2 February

Culture, Media and Sport; Defence; Communities and Local Government; Energy and Climate Change; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Health; Northern Ireland; Scotland; Treasury; Women and Equalities; Work and Pensions.

 Determination of Business by the Backbench BUSINESS Committee

Tuesday 27 January in the Chamber

Debate on a motion relating to accommodation for young people in care: Mr Graham Stuart, Bill Esterson, Craig Whittaker

Thursday 29 January in the Chamber

Debate on a motion relating to the Iraq Inquiry: Mr David Davis, Norman Baker, Fabian Hamilton

General debate on financial support for restoration of opencast coal sites: Mrs Madeleine Moon

Appointment of a debate in Westminster Hall by the Chairman of Ways and Means following a recommendation by the Backbench Business Committee

Tuesday 20 January at 9.30am: Holocaust Memorial Day: James Clappison