Questions and statements: At 14:30, Defence Ministers will respond to MPs’ questions, four of which focus on the Government’s efforts to establish an independent Armed Forces Commissioner, a topic tied to legislation set for debate later today (see below). Six of the 23 questions listed on the Order Paper are duplicates, hinting at potential coordination by party Whips or the Minister’s Parliamentary Private Secretary – an approach highlighted in previous Bulletins.

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Main business: The Armed Forces Commissioner Bill (Second Reading). Amid growing concerns over a recruitment crisis and declining morale within the armed forces, the Labour Party pledged in its general election manifesto – and reiterated in the King’s Speech – to establish an independent Armed Forces Commissioner. The proposed role aims to improve the welfare of service members and their families. This Bill seeks to amend the Armed Forces Act 2006 to formally create this Commissioner, empowering them to investigate welfare issues across the armed forces. Modelled after Germany’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, the UK’s Commissioner will report directly to Parliament and provide annual updates. According to the Bill’s Explanatory Notes, Ministers intend that the Commissioner will be subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. If the Bill passes its Second Reading, it will progress to a Public Bill Committee for further scrutiny, with the Committee stage set to conclude by 17 December.

Committee appointments: Recent changes in the Shadow Cabinet have prompted changes in select committee memberships. A motion is on the Order Paper to appoint Jesse Norman, the new Shadow Leader of the House, to the Modernisation Committee, replacing his predecessor, Chris Philp. Another motion proposes Judith Cummins, a newly appointed Deputy Speaker, as the chair of the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Programme Board. This Board, comprising members from both Houses and lay experts, has day-to day oversight of and makes strategic decisions and recommendations in relation to the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. Cummins replaces former MP and Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans.

Adjournment: The Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has the adjournment debate on the rollout of free breakfast clubs in primary schools.

Westminster Hall: There is one Westminster Hall debate, on an e-petition relating to indefinite leave to remain for healthcare workers. The petition, submitted in the last Parliament, calls on the Government to offer healthcare workers on Skilled Worker Visas indefinite leave to remain after two years’ service rather than the current five-year requirement. The e-petition secured nearly 53,000 signatures.

At the start of the day, businesswoman Poppy Gustafsson (now Baroness Gustafsson) will be introduced to the House, following her recent appointment as Minister for Investment. This peerage enables her to serve in the Government, bringing extensive experience from the cybersecurity sector to her new role.

Peers will then consider several Statutory Instruments, including the Radio Equipment (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024 which, as discussed in a recent edition of the Bulletin, implements a new EU directive requiring USB-C chargers to be used for all portable electronic devices in Northern Ireland.

Main business: Peers will debate two bills:

• Crown Estate Bill (Third Reading): This legislation proposes to expand the investment powers of the Crown Estate to encourage more rapid development of wind power projects. If agreed, the Bill will be sent to the House of Commons.

• Great British Energy Bill (Second Reading): This will establish a new government-owned body that will own, manage and invest in renewable energy projects.

Highlights include:

• Foreign AffairsCommittee (13:30): The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Permanent Secretary – alongside other senior officials – will give evidence on the work of the FCDO. This evidence session will be Emily Thornberry’s first public hearing as the newly elected Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

• Public Accounts Committee (15:30): Senior officials from the Department for Education – including the Permanent Secretary – will be questioned about support for children and young people with special educational needs. This inquiry is one of 18 initiated by the Public Accounts Committee.

• House of Lords International Agreements Committee (16:00): Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is giving evidence alongside his Department’s Director General for Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations.

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Questions and statements: At 11:30, Ministers from the Department for Health and Social Care will face questions from MPs. Questions concern access to primary care, NHS dentists and social care. Eleven of the 23 questions on the Order Paper are duplicates of at least one other. Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Ten-Minute Rule Motion: The Labour MP Daniel Francis will present a Ten-Minute Rule Bill titled the Aviation (Accessibility) Bill. The Bill would seek to improve the accessibility of air travel for disabled passengers. Francis has previously raised the ‘Rights on Flights’ campaign in the House. See our Hansard Society guide for more information about the parliamentary procedure for Ten Minute Rule Bills.

Main business

• Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill (Commons Consideration of Lords Amendments (CCLA)). If MPs pass the related programme motion, they will have up to two hours to review three amendments made to this Bill during its passage through the House of Lords. The Government opposed two of the amendments in the Lords, concerning a purpose clause and a performance ranking requirement, and the Government now intends to move motions to convey their disagreement in the Commons. The third amendment – clarifying that publicly owned train companies will be subject to a public sector equality duty – was supported by Ministers in the Lords and will be again in the Commons. Once the House has decided on the amendments the Bill may go back to the Lords; if Peers insist on their amendments the Bill may return to the Commons later in the day for further consideration.

• General debate on the Infected Blood Inquiry: The final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry was published on 20 May 2024. In a written answer last week to Seamus Morgan MP, the Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said that the Government would update Parliament about the progress being made in responding to the Inquiry’s recommendations by the end of the year.

Adjournment: The Labour MP Tim Roca has the adjournment debate on the detention of Ryan Cornelius, a British citizen and property developed held in the United Arab Emirates since 2008. Roca is the vice-chair of the newly established All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs.

Westminster Hall: There are five Westminster Hall debates: on the use of foodbanks; the Windsor Framework; the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; tourism in Bedfordshire; and tourism in Northumberland.

Main business: Data (Use and Access) Bill (Second Reading). This Bill builds on many of the provisions in the previous Government’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (which was lost in the legislative wash-up before the general election), including proposals to replace the regulator, the Office of the Information Commissioner, with a more modern governance structure; plans to put on a statutory footing the national underground asset register, which provides a digital map of underground pipes and cables; and many provisions relating to the retention, sharing or destruction of data by social media companies and public bodies. However, proposals in the previous version of the Bill that would have made it easier for political parties to process and use personal data, have been removed from the Bill. A detailed analysis of the Bill, including a summary of the changes, is contained in a House of Lords Library briefing.

Highlights include:

• Education Committee (10:00): The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza will give evidence in relation to her role as an independent advocate for the rights and interests of children in England. Expect questions about her recent report on special educational needs (SEND) and the growing number of vulnerable children subject to Deprivation of Liberty Orders.

• Treasury Committee (10:15): The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, and three members of the Monetary Policy Committee will give evidence in relation to the Bank’s most recent Monetary Policy Report. The Bank publishes these reports on a quarterly basis and the Treasury Committee holds a hearing with the Governor after the publication of each report.

• Business and Trade Committee (14:30): Having heard from victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal two weeks ago, the Committee will now question the Ministers and authorities responsible for administering the compensation schemes.

• Justice Committee (14:30): Lord Timpson, Prisons Minister and former chair of the Timpson Group and the Prison Reform Trust, and officials will be questioned about policy in respect of prisons, probation and reoffending. The Committee is likely to ask about the Government’s early release scheme and the prison building programme.

• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (14:30): Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and junior Northern Ireland Minister Fleur Anderson, will be questioned about the work of the Northern Ireland Office. Expect questions about the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Consent Vote (we explain the Consent Vote on a recent episode of our Parliament Matters podcast).

• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (14:30): Secretary of State Steve Reed and DEFRA officials will face scrutiny about the work of the Department.

A summary of Wednesday's business continues below!

Questions and statements: At 11:30, Ministers from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will face questions from MPs. In a rare occurrence, none of the 15 questions on the Order Paper duplicate exactly the wording of another question. Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Prime Minister’s Questions: At 12:00, Sir Keir Starmer will face the Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, at PMQs.

Ten-Minute Rule Motion: Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh will present a Ten-Minute Rule Bill titled the Terminal Illness (Relief of Pain) Bill. The Bill would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance about the application of criminal law concerning the administration of pain relief by healthcare professionals to terminally ill people. The aim is to clarify the legal boundaries for healthcare professionals so that they can administer pain relief without fear of legal repercussions. In previous debates on this matter (see 29 April 2024 and 4 July 2022) Sir Edward has drawn a distinction between assisted suicide on the one hand and the administration of pain relief that may inadvertently hasten death. He has highlighted the principle of “double effect”, where administering medication to alleviate pain is permissible even if it may unintentionally shorten life, provided the primary intent is not to cause death.

Main business: Financial Assistance to Ukraine Bill (Second Reading): On 14 June 2024 it was announced at the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, that $50 billion of loans and other financial assistance would be made available to Ukraine. This short two-clause Bill makes provision for the UK’s share of that sum, namely $3 billion (or £2.26 billion), to support Ukraine. It is intended that the money will be recouped over time from the profits raised on immobilised Russian assets held in Europe.

Adjournment: The Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester, Dr Danny Chambers, has the adjournment debate on the future of healthcare in Hampshire.

Westminster Hall: There are five Westminster Hall debates: on employment support for blind and partially sighted people; the Global Plastics Treaty; apprenticeships and T Levels; government and democracy education in schools; and flood preparedness in Norfolk.

Main business: Water (Special Measures) Bill (Report Stage): this legislation proposes significant regulatory changes for water companies (see this previous edition of the Bulletin for more information).

Grand Committee: The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill has its first Committee Stage session. It is a ‘skeleton’ bill which has been criticised by the House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee for containing very little policy detail, with broad delegated powers given to Ministers to make regulations relating to product safety, environmental protection, alignment with EU law, and metrology (measurement). Thirty-eight pages of amendments have been tabled to date. Any member of the Lords may attend Grand Committee. As there is no selection process for members, no formal divisions can take place. Amendments can be made only by unanimous agreement, which in practice usually means that only uncontentious Government amendments are agreed.

• Clause 7(2) of the Bill permits UK product regulations to align with existing EU requirements, effectively facilitating regulatory alignment in those areas. Several amendments focus on this provision, including those from former UK Brexit negotiator Lord Frost, who proposes allowing UK product regulations to be defined in relation to territories other than the European Union, such as the United States or Australia. He has also proposed an amendment to remove a separate power to align the UK with EU environmental regulations.

• Lord Russell of Liverpool has proposed an amendment requiring UK regulations to align with EU regulations by default, with any decision to diverge being subject to a new parliamentary scrutiny and approval process. This approach was recently supported by Stella Creasy MP, Chair of Labour Movement for Europe, in a recent article for The Guardian.

• Former Green Party leader Baroness (Natalie) Bennett of Manor Castle has tabled several amendments that would amend the scope of the Bill. These include proposals to bring chemical regulations in line with EU chemical safety laws, and to empower Ministers to introduce product regulations to reduce the environmental impact of products, promote sustainability, and advance ‘circular economy’ principles.

KEEP UP WITH LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CHANGES Our Hansard Society Statutory Instrument Tracker® is a powerful online tool that delivers daily updates on Statutory Instruments (SIs), including consultations and every stage of an SIs journey through Parliament. With the SI Tracker®, you can customise alerts to fit your specific policy interests and compliance priorities.Subscribing to our SI Tracker® app helps you save time and reduce risk, keeping you fully informed about the latest legislative developments so you can respond swiftly to new statutory requirements and policy changes.

Highlights include:

• Health and Social Care Committee (9:30): Lord Darzi of Denham will give evidence about his Independent Investigation of the NHS in England, which reported in September. The report concluded that the NHS was in a ‘critical condition’, with surging waiting lists, worsening health, insufficient funding, poor patient and staff engagement, and inadequate management and governance structures.

• Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (10:00): Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of Housing and Planning, will be questioned about the Government’s plans to deliver on its commitment to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.

• Lords Constitution Committee (10:15): The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, and the Minister for the Constitution, Nick Thomas-Symonds, will be questioned about executive oversight and responsibility for the UK constitution.

• Scottish Affairs Committee (9:30): Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray and junior Minister Kirsty McNeill will be questioned about the work of the Scotland Office and the future of intergovernmental relations between the UK and Scottish Governments. They will be joined by officials, including a first appearance before the Committee by the new Advocate General for Scotland Baroness Smith of Cluny KC.

• Women and Equalities Committee (14:20): Academics, representatives from the police force, and Government Ministers Jess Phillips and Alex Davies-Jones will give evidence about tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse.

• Energy Security and Net Zero Committee (15:00): The chairs of Great British Nuclear (GBN) and the planned new Government investment body Great British Energy (GBE) are to give evidence about their new roles and responsibilities. The Committee has indicated it plans to ask the industrialist Professor Juergen Maier, the former Chief Executive of Siemens UK who is the new Chair of GBE, why he is the best person for the role.

Questions and statements: At 11:30am, Transport Ministers will face questions from MPs. Topics include financial support for Transport for London, aviation accessibility for disabled people, train and bus services, transport infrastructure improvement and the condition of roads. Six out of the 22 questions on the Order Paper are duplicates of at least one other question.

Any Urgent Questions will follow.

The Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, will then give her weekly Business Statement, setting out the business in the House for the coming week. Any other Ministerial Statements will follow.

Backbench Business:

• Strategic lawsuits against public participation and freedom of speech (SLAPPs): The issue of ‘lawfare’ – where typically wealthy individuals use the threat of legal action to suppress discussion of their activities – has garnered cross-party support for reform to protect free speech in the public interest. Currently, this practice can only be halted when it relates to economic crime, leaving other areas unaddressed. A Private Member’s Bill introduced by then-MP Sir Wayne David sought to tackle this issue but ran out of time at the end of the last Parliament when the general election was called. (Wayne discussed his Bill in detail on our Parliament Matters podcast earlier this year). In his application to the Backbench Business committee for this debate, Labour MP Lloyd Hatton said that it would be “an excellent use of Back-Bench time in the Commons” and an opportunity for MPs to expose suppressed stories under the protection of Parliamentary privilege (this gives members of both Houses certain rights and immunities, including freedom of speech, so they can speak freely in the Chamber and in committees, uninhibited by possible legal claims, for example for defamation). “This is a way that we can circumvent these individuals and start to play them at their own game, quite frankly, and look at what legislation we can use to fix this problem,” he argued.

• International Men’s Day: This debate was requested by Sam Rushworth for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Boys and Men, which he co-chairs alongside Conservative frontbencher Mims Davies. Outlining his request for a debate on this topic to the Backbench Business Committee, Rushworth highlighted the worrying trends around young male suicide, educational underachievement, health disparities and male victims of crime and abuse. His bid for a debate was supported by 21 other MPs from five parties.

Adjournment: The Conservative MP Richard Fuller has the adjournment debate on the impact of the Cleat Hill heat pump incident on residents.

The House will debate three select committee reports today.

• A report from the Lords Liaison Committee titled A Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee. The Committee has recommended that a new House of Lords Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee be set up to scrutinise the implementation of the Windsor Framework, UK legislation and policy with implications for Northern Ireland, and any EU legislation that applies to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol/Windsor Framework. We discussed this proposal on a recent “Urgent Questions" edition of our Parliament Matters podcast, having received a question from a listener about it.

• A report from the European Affairs Committee titled The Ukraine Effect: The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the UK-EU relationship.

• A report from the Communications and Digital Committee titled Large language models and generative AI.

Peers will also participate in a short one-hour debate on what steps the Government is taking to ensure the continuity of farming families. The debate is likely to focus on the announcement in the Budget that agricultural property relief from inheritance tax will be reduced.

Highlights include:

• Public Accounts Committee (10:00): The Permanent Secretary and senior officials at the Department for Transport will be scrutinised about the state of local roads in England.

• Defence Committee (10:30): The Defence Secretary, John Healey, will appear alongside the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Defence and two Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff to give evidence about the work of their department. Expect questions about the proposed Armed Forces Commissioner, the Strategic Defence Review, armed forces readiness and support for Ukraine.

The House of Commons will not be sitting.

Peers will debate the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which published its final report in September. The report has been the subject of an oral statement from the Prime Minister and from the Leader of the House of Lords. MPs also discussed the Inquiry report and the issues it raises as part of a general debate in September on building safety and resilience.

The Hansard Society is a charity. If you find this Parliament Matters Bulletin useful, especially for your work, please consider donating the price of a cup of coffee to help cover the research and production costs. Your small, regular donation will fuel our ability to keep you and others up-to-date on the issues that matter in our Parliament.