Business Today: Chamber for Wednesday 13 April 2016

11.30am Prayers

Followed by

 QUESTIONS

Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

1Julian Sturdy (York Outer)
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps taken to rebalance the economy in Wales. (904360)

2Simon Hoare (North Dorset)
What assessment he has made of the potential effect on people in Wales of the Government's decision to reduce tolls on the Severn River Crossings. (904361)

3Mark Pawsey (Rugby)
What recent assessment he has made of employment trends in Wales. (904362)

4Tom Pursglove (Corby)
What assessment he has made of risks to the future of the steel industry in Wales. (904363)

5Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon)
What steps the Government is taking to support the steel industry in Wales. (904364)

6Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe)
What assessment he has made of the economic effect on Wales of UK membership of the EU. (904365)

7Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth)
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of support into employment for disabled people in Wales. (904366)

8Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
What assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to universal credit on families in Wales. (904367)

9Andrew Rosindell (Romford)
What assessment he has made of the potential effect on Wales of measures announced in the Budget 2016. (904368)

10Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on strengthening and extending the remit of the Children's Commissioner for Wales. (904369)

11Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)
What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on promotion of the exhibition of the Prince of Wales' regalia in Wales; and if he will make a statement. (904370)

12Peter Grant (Glenrothes)
What representations he has received from the Welsh Government on the fuel duty rebate scheme. (904371)

13David T. C. Davies (Monmouth)
What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on plans for tolling on the Severn Bridge when the current concession expires. (904372)

14Bob Blackman (Harrow East)
What assessment he has made of the potential effect of measures announced in the Budget 2016 on employment in Wales. (904373)

15Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire)
What assessment he has made of the financial accountability of government in Wales. (904374)

At 12 noon

Oral Questions to the Prime Minister

Q1Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills)
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 13 April. (904325)

Q2Mr Douglas Carswell (Clacton) (904326)

Q3Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (904327)

Q4Stephen Timms (East Ham) (904328)

Q5Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (904329)

Q6Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (904330)

Q7Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (904331)

Q8Jesse Norman (Hereford and South Herefordshire) (904332)

Q9Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central) (904333)

Q10Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (904334)

Q11Chris Green (Bolton West) (904335)

Q12Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (904336)

Q13Steven Paterson (Stirling) (904337)

Q14Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green) (904338)

Q15Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (904339)

 URGENT QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

12.30pm

Urgent Questions (if any)

Ministerial Statements (if any)

 BUSINESS OF THE DAY

1. IMPROVEMENT OF RAIL PASSENGER SERVICES (USE OF DISRUPTION PAYMENTS): TEN MINUTE RULE MOTION

Up to 20 minutes (Standing Order No. 23)

Joan Ryan

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require Schedule 8 disruption payments between Network Rail and train operating companies to be allocated to specified projects aimed at increasing the quality, value for money or reliability of passengers’ experience of railway travel and associated services; 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 (UNALLOTTED DAY)

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

Tax avoidance and evasion

Jeremy Corbyn

Tom Watson

John McDonnell

Seema Malhotra

Rob Marris

Dame Rosie Winterton

That this House notes with concern the revelations contained within the Panama Papers and recognises the widespread public view that individuals and companies should pay their fair share of tax; and calls upon the Government to implement Labour’s Tax Transparency Enforcement Programme which includes: an immediate public inquiry into the revelations in the Panama Papers, HMRC being properly resourced to investigate tax avoidance and evasion, greater public sector transparency to ensure foreign companies wanting to tender for public sector contracts publicly list their beneficial owners, consultation on proposals for foreign companies wanting to own UK property to have their beneficial owners listed publicly, working with banks to provide further information over beneficial ownership for all companies and whom they work for, the swift implementation of full public country-by-country reporting with a fair turnover threshold as well as ensuring robust protection for whistle blowers in this area, ensuring stricter minimum standards of transparency of company and trust ownership for Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, consideration of the development of the Ramsey Principle by courts, implementation of an immediate review into the registry of trusts, and the strengthening and extension of the General Anti-Avoidance Rule to cover offshore abuses.

Schools White Paper

Jeremy Corbyn

Tom Watson

Lucy Powell

Nic Dakin

Mrs Sharon Hodgson

Dame Rosie Winterton

Caroline Lucas

That this House believes that every child deserves an excellent education; notes that the Government is proposing to force all primary and secondary schools in England to become academies as part of multi-academy trusts or chains by 2022 at the latest; further notes that the vast majority of schools affected by this policy will be primary schools, over 80 per cent of which are already rated good and outstanding; notes that there are outstanding academies and excellent community schools but also poor examples of both types of such school; further notes the Fourth Report from the Education Committee, Academies and free schools, Session 2014-15, HC 258, which highlights that there is no evidence that academisation in and of itself leads to school improvement; notes that the Schools White Paper proposes the removal of parent governors from school governing bodies which will reduce the genuine involvement of parents and communities in local schools; and calls on the Government to put these proposals on hold as there is insufficient evidence that they will raise standards.

Relevant Documents:

Fourth Report from the Education Committee, Academies and free schools, Session 2014–15, HC 258

E-petition, entitled Hold a public inquiry and a referendum over turning all schools into academies (124747)

E-petition, entitled Scrap plans to force state schools to become academies (124702)

Amendment (a)

The Prime Minister

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

Secretary Nicky Morgan

Secretary Sajid Javid

Secretary Greg Clark

Nick Gibb

Line 1, leave out from 'education;' to end and add 'welcomes the transformation in England’s schools since 2010 where 1.4 million more children are now taught in good or outstanding schools; notes that the academies programme has been at the heart of that transformation because it trusts school leaders to run schools and empowers them with the freedom to innovate and drive up standards; further notes that there remain too many areas of underperformance and that more needs to be done to ensure that standards in England match those of its best international competitors; and therefore welcomes the Government’s proposals in its White Paper to further improve teacher quality, ensure funding is fairly distributed, tackle areas of chronic educational failure and devolve more power to heads and school leaders to ensure both they and parents have more of a voice in the running of their schools; and welcomes the commitment to achieve educational excellence everywhere.'.

Notes:

The selection of the matters to be debated has been made by the Leader of the Opposition.

3. INSURANCE

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

Secretary Michael Gove

That the draft Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Regulations 2016, which were laid before this House on 25 February, be approved.

Notes:

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

4. INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY

No debate after 7.00pm (Standing Order No. 9(6))

Chris Grayling

That the Motion in the name of Chris Grayling relating to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority shall be treated as if it related to an instrument subject to the provisions of Standing Order No. 118 (Delegated Legislation Committees) in respect of which notice has been given that the instrument be approved.

 PRESENTATION OF PUBLIC PETITIONS

No debate or decision (Standing Order No. 153)

Post office closures in Long Lawford and Bulkington: Mark Pawsey

 ADJOURNMENT DEBATE

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

Value of golf to the economy: Karl McCartney

 DEFERRED DIVISIONS

 DEFERRED DIVISIONS TO BE HELD TODAY

EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES, ETC.

Nick Boles

That the draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2016, which were laid before this House on 25 February, be approved.

Notes:

The division on this Question was deferred from Monday 11 April (Standing Order No. 41A).

Deferred Divisions will take place in the ‘No’ Lobby between 11.30am and 2.00pm.

 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 three hours (Standing Order No. 10(1)).

9.30am

That this House has considered the procedure for debating and voting on Private Members' Bills: Jeff Smith

11.00am

That this House has considered the future of gliding and the Air Cadet Organisation: Dame Angela Watkinson

Relevant Documents:

E-petition, entitled Save UK Air Cadet Gliding (124333)

Notes:

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

2.30pm

That this House has considered the report from the independent mental health taskforce to the NHS in England: James Morris

4.00pm

That this House has considered the procedure on applications and appeals for personal independence payments: Ian C. Lucas

4.30pm

That this House has considered the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: Ben Howlett

The second part of the sitting will be suspended and time added if divisions take place in the main Chamber (Standing Order No. 10(3)).

The debate at 4.30pm will last for up to an hour.

 WRITTEN STATEMENTS

 Statements to be made today

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1.Financial Services

2.Publication of the government’s response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s reports on Northern connectivity, London transport and energy infrastructure

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

3.Future Funding for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy

4.Ministerial correction

Notes:

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

 COMMITTEES MEETING TODAY

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

 Select Committees

Education

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

9.00am (private)

Work and Pensions

Subject: (i) Pensions automatic enrolment; (ii) Intergenerational fairness

Witnesses: (i) Michael Johnson, Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies; (ii) Michael Johnson, Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies (at 10.00am)

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

9.15am (private), 9.30am (public), 10.30am (private)

Northern Ireland Affairs

Room 15

9.30am (private)

Defence

Subject: UK military operations in Syria and Iraq

Witnesses: Richard Atwood, Director of Multilateral Affairs and Head of New York Office, and Claudia Gazzini, Senior Analyst, International Crisis Group

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

10.00am (private), 10.15am (public)

European Scrutiny

Room 19

1.45pm (private)

Culture, Media and Sport

Subject: Establishing world-class connectivity throughout the UK

Witnesses: Edward Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Room 15

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Subject: Future flood prevention

Witnesses: Lord Krebs, Chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee, and Daniel Johns, Head of Adaptation, Committee on Climate Change, Professor Dame Julia Slingo, Chief Scientist, and Paul Davies, Chief Meteorologist, Met Office; Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive, and John Curtin, Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency, Alan Law, Chief Officer, Strategy Reform, and Rob Cooke, Director, Terrestrial Biodiversity, Natural England (at 2.45pm)

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Environmental Audit

Subject: Flooding: Cooperation across Government

Witnesses: Rory Stewart MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Public Accounts

Subject: Personal budgets in social care

Witnesses: Nadra Ahmed OBE, Executive Chair, National Care Association, Elliot Dunster, Group Head, Public Affairs, Policy and Research, Scope, David Pearson, Director of Adult Social Care, Nottinghamshire County Council, and Richard Lyle, Programme Director, Community and Partnerships, Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group; Tamara Finkelstein, Chief Operating Officer and Director General for Group Operations, and Jon Rouse, Director General, Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships, Department of Health, and Graham Duncan, Deputy Director, Care and Reform, Department for Communities and Local Government (at 3.00pm)

Room 16

2.00pm (private), 2.30pm (public)

Scottish Affairs

Subject: Renewable Energy Sector in Scotland

Witnesses: Gareth Williams, Head of Policy, Scottish Council for Development and Industry; Dr John Constable, Director, Renewable Energy Foundation, Professor Iain McLeod, Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland and the Scientific Alliance Scotland, and Linda Holt, Scotland Against Spin (at 3.00pm)

Room 6

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Treasury

Subject: Budget 2016

Witnesses: Professor John Muellbauer, Professor of Economics, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Ed Stansfield, Chief Property Economist, Capital Economics, and Professor Christian Hilber, Associate Professor of Economic Geography, London School of Economics; Professor Andrew Gamble, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Queen’s College, University of Cambridge, and Torsten Bell, Director, Resolution Foundation (at 3.15pm)

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

2.00pm (private), 2.15pm (public)

Committees on Arms Export Controls

Subject: Use of UK-manufactured arms in Yemen

Witnesses: Professor Philippe Sands QC, Matrix Chambers; Paul Everitt, Chief Executive Officer, ADS (at 4.00pm)

Room 8

2.30pm (private), 3.00pm (public)

Procedure

Room 13

2.30pm (private)

Statutory Instruments

Room 7

As soon as convenient after 3.45pm (private)

Selection

Room 13

4.30pm (private)

 Joint Committees

Human Rights

Room 1

3.00pm (private)

Statutory Instruments

Room 7

3.45pm (private)

 ANNOUNCEMENTS

 FORTHCOMING END OF DAY ADJOURNMENT DEBATES

Tuesday 19 April to Monday 25 April (deadline 13 April)

Applications should be made in writing to the Table Office by 7.00pm or rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on Wednesday 13 April. The ballot will take place on Thursday 14 April.

Tuesday 26 April to Thursday 28 April (deadline 20 April)

Applications should be made in writing to the Table Office by 7.00pm or rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on Wednesday 20 April. The ballot will take place on Thursday 21 April.

 FORTHCOMING WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATES

Applications for 90, 60 and 30-minute debates should be made to the Table Office by 10.00pm or rise of the House, whichever is the earlier, on the deadline dates listed below. Members may submit applications to the Table Office in person, or from their own email account, or send a signed application through the post. Application forms are available from the Table Office or through the intranet at http://intranet.parliament.uk/tableoffice/.

The ballot takes place on the day following the deadline. Members will be informed of the outcome by the Speaker’s Office.

Tuesday 26 April and Wednesday 27 April (deadline 18 April)

The following Departments will answer:

Communities and Local Government; Culture, Media and Sport; Defence; Energy and Climate Change; Health; International Development; Leader of the House; Northern Ireland; Scotland; Treasury; Work and Pensions.

 BALLOT FOR PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS

Ballot for Private Members' Bills, 2016-17

Notes:

Arrangements made according to Standing Order No. 14(10) and (11).

 Determination of Business by the Backbench BUSINESS Committee

Wednesday 20 April in the Chamber

Debate on a motion on Recognition of genocide by Daesh against Yazidis, Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities: Fiona Bruce

Thursday 21 April in Westminster Hall

General debate on Clean water and sanitation in Africa: Jim Shannon

Monday 25 April in the Chamber

Debate on a motion on Education funding in London: Robert Neill

Thursday 28 April in the Chamber

Debate on a motion on World Autism Awareness Week: Mrs Cheryl Gillan

Debate on a motion on HMRC’s Building our Future plan: Chris Stephens

 FURTHER INFORMATION

 Business of the Day

Documents and reports relating to the business being held in the Chamber are available on the Commons Business Briefings webpage

 Written Statements

Text of today’s Written Statements

 Select committees

Select Committees Webpage

Recent Select Committee Reports

 Standing Orders Relating to Public Business

Text of Standing Orders relating to public business