House of Commons Votes and Proceedings
Thursday
4th September 2014

No. 32

The House met at 9.30 am.

PRAYERS.

1 Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

2 Business Question (Leader of the House)

3 Backbench Business (4th allotted day (Standing Order No. 14))

(1) Regulation of the sale of puppies and kittens

Resolved, That this House has considered the e-petition relating to the sale of young puppies and kittens; notes that puppies produced at large-scale commercial breeding establishments, known as puppy farms, and irresponsibly-bred kittens are separated from their mothers too early and often transported long distances, and as a result often suffer serious life-threatening problems including impaired immune systems, poor socialisation, infectious diseases and shorter life spans; calls on the Government to review existing legislation to ensure that it is consistent with its own guidance that prospective owners should always see the puppy or kitten with its mother, and to ban the sale of puppies and kittens from retail centres such as pet shops, garden centres or puppy supermarkets; further notes the support of the Blue Cross, Dog Rescue Federation, Dogs Advisory Council, Dogs Trust, The Kennel Club, RSPCA and others for such a ban; and further calls on the Government and welfare organisations to work together to raise awareness among the public about choosing a dog responsibly from only ethical breeders or by adoption from legitimate rescue organisations, and to consider further steps to end the cruel practice of irresponsible and unethical breeding of puppies and kittens in the UK.-(Robert Flello.)

(2) Future of non-league football

Resolved, That this House has considered the future of non-league football.-(Jesse Norman.)

(3) Achievement gap in reading between poorer children and their better-off peers

Resolved, That this House has considered the achievement gap in reading between poorer children and their better-off peers.-(Annette Brooke.)

4 Adjournment

Subject: Closure of Wanstead Hospital (John Cryer).

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.-(Mel Stride.)

Adjourned at 5.25 pm until tomorrow.

________________

Other proceedings

General Committees: Reports

5 Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill Committee

Mr Adrian Sanders (Chair) reported:

(1) That the Committee had come to the following Resolution, That, subject to the discretion of the Chair, any written evidence received by the Committee shall be reported to the House for publication; and

(2) written evidence submitted to the Committee.

Written evidence to be published.

6 European Committee C in respect of European Union Documents No. 5489/14 and Addendum, a Commission Communication: For a European Industrial Renaissance, No. 13964/13 and Addenda 1 to 3, a Commission Staff Working Document: Member States’ Competitiveness Performance and Implementation of EU Industrial Policy, and No. 13966/13, a Commission Staff Working Document: European Competitiveness Report 2013: Towards knowledge driven reindustrialisation

Sir Roger Gale (Chair) reported the following Resolution:

That the Committee takes note of European Union Documents No. 5489/14 and Addendum, a Commission Communication: For a European Industrial Renaissance, No. 13964/13 and Addenda 1 to 3, a Commission Staff Working Document: Member States’ Competitiveness Performance and Implementation of EU Industrial Policy, and No. 13966/13, a Commission Staff Working Document: European Competitiveness Report 2013: Towards knowledge driven reindustrialisation; and supports the Government in pressing the Commission to develop a roadmap for industrial competitiveness that focuses on open markets, competition, trade, better regulation and innovation.

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 Childcare Payments Bill Committee

Members: George Hollingbery discharged and Andrew Jones nominated in substitution.

8 Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill Committee

Members: Mr David Burrowes, Nick Herbert and David Morris discharged and Neil Carmichael, Simon Hart and Robert Jenrick nominated in substitution.

9 First Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Political Parties, Elections and Referendum (Civil Sanctions) (Amendments) (No.2) Order 2014)

Members: John Hemming and Karl Turner discharged and Lorely Burt and Mark Tami nominated in substitution.

10 Second Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Road Safety (Financial Penalty Deposit) (Appropriate Amount) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2014)

Members: Mr David Heath discharged and Mr Michael Thornton nominated in substitution.

11 Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee (Draft Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2014)

Members: Diana Johnson and Phil Wilson discharged and Nic Dakin and Seema Malhotra nominated in substitution.

Reports from Select Committees

12 High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill Select Committee

High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill: Evidence and written evidence, to be published (HC 338) (Mr Robert Syms).

13 Political and Constitutional Reform Committee

Voter engagement in the UK: Evidence and written evidence, to be published (HC 232) (Mr Graham Allen).

John Bercow

Speaker

The Speaker will take the Chair at 9.30 am.

Sitting in Westminster Hall

The sitting began at 1.30 pm.

Adjournment

Backbench Business (5th allotted day: First half (Standing Order No. 14))

Subject: Stamp duty and the housing market .

Resolved, That the sitting be now adjourned.-(Harriett Baldwin.)

Adjourned at 3.01 pm until Monday 8 September.

Lindsay Hoyle

Deputy Speaker

APPENDIX

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Negative Resolution:

1 Pensions

Armed Forces Early Departure Payments Scheme Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2328), dated 31 August 2014 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Michael Fallon).

2 Public Service Pensions

Armed Forces Pension Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2336), dated 31 August 2014 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Michael Fallon).

3 Social Security

Social Security (Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance) (Waiting Days) Amendment Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2309), dated 1 September 2014 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith).

Other Papers:

4 Constitution

Government Response to the Second Report from the House of Lords Constitution Committee, Session 2014–15, on Criminal Justice and Courts Bill (by Command) (Cm. 8927) (Secretary Chris Grayling).

5 Human Rights

(1) Government Response to the First Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Session 2014–15, on Legal Aid: children and the residence test (by Command) (Cm. 8936) (Secretary Chris Grayling); and

(2) Government Response to the Fourteenth Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Session 2013–14, on Legislative Scrutiny: Criminal Justice and Courts Bill (by Command) (Cm. 8928) (Secretary Chris Grayling).

6 National Audit

(1) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Cabinet Office: Transforming government’s contract management (by Act); to be printed (HC 269) (Clerk of the House); and

(2) Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Home Office and Ministry of Justice: Transforming contract management (by Act); to be printed (HC 268) (Clerk of the House).

7 Police

Report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner to the Prime Minister and to Scottish Ministers for 2013–14 (by Act); to be printed (HC 343) (The Prime Minister).

8 Social Security Administration

Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 174(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and statement by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in accordance with section 174(2) of that Act relating to the Social Security (Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance) (Waiting Days) Regulations 2014 (S.I., 2014, No. 2309) (by Act) (Secretary Iain Duncan Smith).

9 Statutory Instruments (Notification)

Communication declaring that the undermentioned Statutory Instrument had come into operation before copies were laid before Parliament, and explaining why such copies had not been so laid before the Instrument came into operation: Control of Explosives Precursors Etc. Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. (N.I.) 2014, No. 224) (by Standing Order) (The Speaker).

10 Treaty Series No. 19 (2014)

Exchange of Letters, done at Paris on 20 April 2011, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the French Republic relating to Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (by Command) (Cm. 8931) (Secretary Philip Hammond).

11 Treaty Series No. 20 (2014)

Exchange of Notes, done at The Hague on 19 April and 3 July 2013, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands amending the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands relating to the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf under the North Sea between the Two Countries, done at London on 6 October 1965, as amended by the Protocol of 25 November 1971 and the Exchange of Notes of January and June 2004 (by Command) (Cm. 8932) (Secretary Philip Hammond).

12 Treaty Series No. 21 (2014)

Agreement, done at Dublin on 28 March 2013, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland establishing a Single Maritime Boundary between the Exclusive Economic Zones of the two countries and parts of their Continental Shelves (by Command) (Cm. 8933) (Secretary Philip Hammond).

13 Treaty Series No. 22 (2014)

Protocol, done at London on 25 April 2012, to the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on the one hand, and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark together with the Home Government of the Faroe Islands, on the other hand, relating to the Maritime Delimitation in the area between the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom, Done at Tórshavn on 18 May 1999 ("The Agreement") (by Command) (Cm. 8934) (Secretary Philip Hammond).