House of Commons
Session 2019-21
Votes and Proceedings
Tuesday 25 February 2020
No. 29
The House met at 11.30 am.
Prayers
1Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice
2National Health Service Expenditure Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57)
Jamie Stone, supported by Stuart C McDonald, Nia Griffith, Munira Wilson, Wendy Chamberlain, Mark Garnier and Mr Stephen Morgan, presented a Bill to require expenditure on mental health services and on health services for veterans and members of the armed forces to be identified separately in National Health Service expenditure plans and outturns; and for connected purposes.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 26 June, and to be printed (Bill 91).
3Hong Kong: Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to place requirements on the Government relating to the Sino-British Joint Declaration 1984 and human rights in Hong Kong; to make provision about immigration for Hong Kong residents including granting rights to live in the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes;
That Mr Alistair Carmichael, Wendy Chamberlain, Wera Hobhouse, Jim Shannon, Alyn Smith, Andrew Rosindell, Bob Seely, Caroline Lucas, Liz Saville Roberts, Mr Virenda Sharma and Stephen Timms present the Bill.
Mr Alistair Carmichael accordingly presented the Bill.
Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 12 June, and to be printed (Bill 92).
4Opposition Day: Leader of the Opposition (4th allotted day (Standing Order No. 14))
(1) Tax avoidance and evasion
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House notes that the tax gap, the difference between the amount of tax that should be paid to HMRC and what is actually paid, has been estimated at between a minimum of £35 billion and £90 billion; believes that successive Conservative governments have failed to address tax avoidance and evasion while making savage cuts to public services and undermining the social security net; further notes that the Tax Justice Network has described the UK as backsliding on financial transparency; is concerned by reports of the Conservative Party’s links with individuals and companies that have engaged in tax avoidance; and calls for the proper funding of public services after a decade of austerity and for robust action to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.—(John McDonnell.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put.
The House divided.
Division No. 35
Ayes: 236 (Tellers: Jessica Morden, Jeff Smith)
Noes: 322 (Tellers: Iain Stewart, David Rutley)
Question accordingly negatived.
(2) Social care
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House notes that almost ten years of Government cuts to council budgets have resulted in a social care funding crisis which means 1.5 million older people have unmet social care needs; further notes the increasing funding gap for adult social care; believes proposals from the Government for access to additional funding for both adult and children’s social care will do nothing to ease the crisis or address the funding gap; and calls on the Government to bring forward as a matter of urgency plans to reform social care including plans for free personal care.—(Barbara Keeley.)
Amendment proposed, in line 1, to leave out from "House" to end and add “notes that the Government is committed to fixing the crisis in social care; and supports the Government’s commitment to find a long term solution for the growing need for care and commitment to an ambitious three point plan, including extra funding every year, seeking a cross party consensus and ensuring the prerequisite of any solution is a guarantee that no one needing care has to sell their home to pay for it.”.—(Secretary Matt Hancock.)
The Deputy Speaker announced a time limit on backbench speeches (Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
The House divided.
Division No. 36
Ayes: 181 (Tellers: Jessica Morden, Jeff Smith)
Noes: 315 (Tellers: David Rutley, Iain Stewart)
Question accordingly negatived.
Question put forthwith, That the proposed words be there added (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
Question agreed to.
The Speaker declared the Main Question, as amended, agreed to (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
Resolved, That this House notes that the Government is committed to fixing the crisis in social care; and supports the Government’s commitment to find a long term solution for the growing need for care and commitment to an ambitious three point plan, including extra funding every year, seeking a cross party consensus and ensuring the prerequisite of any solution is a guarantee that no one needing care has to sell their home to pay for it.
5Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(1) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Amendment) Order 2020, which was laid before this House on 14 January, be approved.—(Maria Caulfield.)
Question agreed to.
(2) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the Financing, Management and Monitoring of Direct Payments to Farmers (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I., 2020, No. 90), dated 30 January 2020, a copy of which was laid before this House on 31 January, be approved.—(Maria Caulfield.)
Question agreed to.
(3) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the Rules for Direct Payments to Farmers (Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I., 2020, No. 91), dated 30 January 2020, a copy of which was laid before this House on 31 January, be approved.—(Maria Caulfield.)
Question agreed to.
(4) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2020, which was laid before this House on 15 January, be approved.—(Maria Caulfield.)
Question agreed to.
(5) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Legal Services Act 2007 (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) (Appeals from Licensing Authority Decisions) Order 2020, which was laid before this House on 15 January, be approved.—(Maria Caulfield.)
Question agreed to.
A public petition from residents of Linlithgow and East Falkirk relating to Universal Credit bonus payments was presented and read by Martyn Day.
Subject: Future of East Leake Health Centre (Ruth Edwards)
Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Maria Caulfield.)
Adjourned at 7.41 pm until tomorrow.
Other Proceedings
Lords Messages
8High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill
The Lords communicate that they have come to the following Resolution:
That if a Bill in the same terms as those in which the High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill stood when it was brought to this House in the 2019 session is brought to this House from the House of Commons in this session—
(a) the Bill shall be deemed to have been read a first and second time,
(b) the Bill shall stand committed to a Select Committee,
(c) any petition deposited against the Bill in the 2019 session (if not withdrawn) shall be taken to have been deposited against the Bill in this session and shall stand referred to the Select Committee on the Bill, and
(d) the Standing Orders of the House applicable to the Bill, so far as complied with or dispensed with in the 2019 session, shall be deemed to have been complied with or (as the case may be) dispensed with in this session.
General Committees: Reports
Sir David Amess (Chair) reported written evidence submitted to the Committee.
Written evidence to be published.
10Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee
James Gray (Chair) reported the draft Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 and the draft Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
11Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee
Siobhain McDonagh (Chair) reported the draft Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Gibraltar) Order 2020.
12Seventh Delegated Legislation Committee
Mr Laurence Robertson (Chair) reported the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure (HC 299).
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).
13Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee (draft Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Gibraltar) Order 2020)
Members: Mr Robert Goodwill and David Rutley discharged and Chris Green and Mr Marcus Jones nominated in substitution.
Reports from Select Committees
14European Statutory Instruments Committee
Andrew Jones reported:
(1) That he had been chosen as Chair of the Committee;
(2) First Report, to be printed, with the formal minutes relating to the Report (HC 112); and
(3) Ministerial correspondence: Written evidence, to be published.
Westminster Hall
The sitting began at 9.30 am.
Business appointed by the Chairman of Ways and Means (Standing Order No. 10(6))
Resolved, That this House has considered the UK oil and gas industry.—(Andrew Bowie.)
2Special educational needs on the Isle of Wight
Resolved, That this House has considered the matter of special educational needs on the Isle of Wight.—(Bob Seely.)
The sitting was suspended between 11.28 am and 2.30 pm (Standing Order No. 10(1)(b)).
3Equality of funding for post-16 education
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered equality of funding for post-16 education.—(Lloyd Russell-Moyle.)
The Chair announced a time limit on backbench speeches (under the authority of the Chairman of Ways and Means and Standing Order No. 47(1)).
Resolved, That this House has considered equality of funding for post-16 education.
4Odour emanating from landfill sites
The sitting was suspended between 4.00 pm and 4.15 pm for a division in the House (Standing Order No. 10(3)).
Resolved, That this House has considered the matter of odour emanating from landfill sites.—(Aaron Bell.)
5Wales’s contribution to UK armed forces
Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered Wales’s contribution to UK armed forces.—(Fay Jones.)
At 5.45 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No 10(14)).
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).
Adjourned at 5.45 pm until tomorrow.
Eleanor Laing
Chairman of Ways and Means
Papers Laid
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution
Draft Human Tissue (Permitted Material: Exceptions) (England) Regulations 2020 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Helen Whately)
Papers subject to Negative Resolution
(1) Draft Code of Practice A: Guiding principles and the fundamental principle of consent, revised 2020 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Matt Hancock)
(2) Draft Code of Practice F: Donation of solid organs and tissue for transplantation, revised 2020 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Matt Hancock)
Other papers
Government Response to the Consultation on the draft Human Tissue (Permitted Material: Exceptions) (England) Regulations 2020 (by Command) (CP 224) (Secretary Matt Hancock)
Explanatory Memorandum to the Merchant Shipping (Technical Requirements for Inland Waterway Vessels) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 58) (laid 29 January) (by Command) (Secretary Grant Shapps)
5Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions
Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions (Hong Kong Locally Engaged Ratings' Service Pensions Increase) Order, dated 12 February 2020 (by Act) (Secretary Ben Wallace)
Withdrawn papers
Explanatory Memorandum to the Merchant Shipping (Technical Requirements for Inland Waterway Vessels) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI, 2020, No. 58) (laid 29 January)