Appointment of Select Committee members: A series of motions on the Order Paper will see the first select committee members approved today, highlighting the significant turnover between this Parliament and the last. Most of the new members, especially from the Labour Party, were only elected in July. So far, Labour and Conservative members for 20 of the departmental select committees, as well as the Public Accounts and Backbench Business Committees, have been selected.

Each departmental select committee comprises 11 members, including the chair, while the Public Accounts Committee is larger, with 16 members in the previous Parliament. By convention, the composition of each committee, including the chair, should closely reflect the party balance in the House. However, it is up to the parties to negotiate how these spots are distributed. Once agreed, each parliamentary party then elects members to fill those places using their own internal election method.

The Liaison Committee recommended in a 2015 report that the party balance on each committee need not be identical, so long as the overall representation across all the select committees was proportionate. Labour’s allocation of seats on each select committee should proportionately be 6.95 and the Conservatives 2.05: when the party allocation of the chair of each committee is combined with the party allocation of members in the motions on the Order Paper then Labour has 7 MPs, and the Conservatives have 2 MPs on each committee. What then of the outstanding two members on most of the committees?

Proportionately, the Liberal Democrats share of the seats would be 1.22 per committee. It is therefore unlikely that they will be allocated both remaining seats on each committee. The allocation of these remaining seats is more complex than for the two main parties. Provision must be made for the smaller nationalist parties on the relevant select committees for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The sheer number of smaller parties also complicates negotiations: the Liberal Democrats have 72 MPs, but 45 members represent 10 other smaller parties and there are a further six independent Members.

It remains unclear when the Liberal Democrats and other smaller parties will confirm their committee members or what process they will use to decide. According to Standing Order No. 121, at least two sitting days’ notice must be given to the House before motions for nomination of members of select committees are formally considered. This means that, despite today’s motions, select committees won’t have their full membership and therefore won't be able to begin their work until later in the week at the earliest.

Presentation of Bills: Today, 78 Presentation Bills — a type of Private Member’s Bill (PMB) — are listed on the Order Paper. After the Private Members’ Ballot bills were introduced last week, any MP can now propose a bill of their choice (Standing Order No. 14(11)). These 78 bills are being brought forward by 48 MPs, 25 of whom were elected for the first time in July.

Presentation Bills are often not printed; printing is only required if the Bill is going to receive a Second Reading. They are used to draw attention to an issue and sometimes revisit issues which were previously introduced under a different PMB procedure. A notable example on today’s list is the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) Bill, presented by Gregory Stafford MP. In the last Parliament, a similar SLAPPs Bill was introduced by Wayne David MP, but it ran out of time when Parliament was dissolved for the general election.

Conservative MP Christopher Chope is presenting 30 bills today, far more than any other MP, with Liberal Democrat Helen Morgan being the only other MP presenting more than one (she has three bills). Chope regularly introduces dozens of bills each session, many of which have been introduced previously. His strategy stems from the fact that the MP presenting a Bill selects the Friday on which it shall receive its Second Reading. The MP can choose a non-sitting Friday if they wish. If Friday sitting days are subsequently extended or altered — something that may happen if the Government prolongs the session — bills already on the Order Paper will then take priority, giving MPs who introduced these bills a chance to secure parliamentary time. For some this amounts to a ‘gaming of the system’, for others it’s merely an adept use of parliamentary procedure.

In any event, Presentation Bills rarely become law: in the last Parliament 501 such bills were presented by MPs but just 10 made it onto the statute book.

Questions and statements: At 14:30, Home Office Ministers will answer questions from MPs. Ten of the 25 questions on the Order Paper are identical to at least one other, which often indicates coordination by party Whips or the Minister’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, as we’ve noted in previous Bulletins. These repeated questions focus on key topics, including neighbourhood policing, boosting public trust and confidence in policing, combating criminal gangs involved in small boat crossings, and banning zombie-style knives and ninja swords.

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow. The Prime Minister may make a statement following his meeting last Friday with the leaders of France, Germany and the United States of America.

Main business: Second Reading of the Employment Rights Bill, which introduces a range of new protections for workers. Key provisions in the Bill include new rights to flexible working, statutory sick pay, protections against dismissal for those on maternity or paternity leave, shorter probation periods, restrictions on ‘fire and rehire’ practices, and protections from unfair dismissal from day one of employment. The Bill will also repeal both the Trade Union Act 2016 and the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023. Spanning over 150 pages, the bill is primarily ‘framework’ or ‘skeleton’ legislation. Rather than providing detailed policies, it grants Ministers the powers to define and implement policies later through regulations. For instance, the specifics around guaranteed/fixed hours, unfair dismissal and probationary periods are left to be determined by regulations, in some cases following consultations.

Adjournment: The Labour MP Chris Vince has the adjournment debate on the impact of the Deregulation Act 2015 on taxi licensing, a contentious issue in his Harlow constituency.

House of Lords: The main business is Committee Stage of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, which proposes bringing railway operators into public ownership as their franchises expire. The Bill has already passed through the House of Commons. So far, 50 amendments have been tabled, primarily by Conservative Peers Lord Moylan and Lord Young of Cookham, along with Green Party Peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb. Some of these amendments could significantly reshape the Bill, including one from Lord Moylan that would give the Secretary of State the power to renew contracts with private sector rail operators if they are providing a satisfactory service.

Following this, Peers will debate the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024, which MPs will debate later in the week. Baroness Brinton has tabled a ‘regret’ motion expressing concern that “close family members and carers affected by the infected blood scandal are not included in the Regulations, as recommended by the Inquiry.” ‘Regret’ motions, which allow Peers to express dissatisfaction with a Statutory Instrument without rejecting it or altering the Instrument itself, are a procedural tool available only in the Lords—there is no equivalent mechanism in the House of Commons.

The draft Pensions Regulator’s Defined Benefit Funding Code of Practice 2024, and sanctions regulations relating to Russia and Iran, will be debated off the floor of the Chamber, in Grand Committee.

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Questions and statements: At 11:30, Foreign Office Ministers will face questions from MPs. Eleven of the 25 questions on the Order Paper are duplicates of at least one other, with seven focusing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Main business: Second Reading of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill. This Bill would enable the Government to treat the CPA and ICRC similarly to an international organisation of which the UK is a member. The Bill originally started as a Private Member’s Bill in the previous Parliament but it was lost during the legislative ‘wash-up’ before the general election and has now been adopted by the Government.

Adjournment: Conservative MP Simon Hoare has the adjournment debate on postal voting at general elections. For nine months prior to the general election Hoare was a junior minister in the Levelling Up Department with responsibility for elections policy.

Westminster Hall: There are five Westminster Hall debates today, on support for pubs and the hospitality sector); development of renewable energy in Cornwall; protections for whistleblowing; the potential merits of providing traditional speciality guaranteed status to pie and mash; and large-scale energy projects and food security.

House of Lords: Peers will debate four items of legislation today.

The Support for Infants and Parents etc (Information) Bill is scheduled for Committee Stage today. It is a Private Member’s Bill that would introduce a legal obligation for local authorities to publish details about support services available for infants, parents or carers of infants, including maternity, health, and mental health services. A near identical bill was introduced by Sally-Ann Hart MP in the previous Session and supported by the Government, but it fell during the legislative ‘wash-up’ at the general election, having received only a Second Reading.

However, the Peer in charge of the Bill has given notice of a motion to discharge the committee. This is likely because no amendments have been set down and no Peers have indicated they wish to speak. If any Peer objects, the House will need to resolve itself into a Committee to consider the Bill.

The second debate is the Third Reading of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill. As explained in a previous edition of the Bulletin, this Bill would prioritise the appointment of female bishops to the House of Lords when vacancies arise among the Lords Spiritual (the Church of England bishops with a right to sit in the House of Lords). If the Bill passes Third Reading, it will proceed to the House of Commons.

The third debate continues the Committee Stage of the Crown Estate Bill, which seeks to expand the borrowing and investment powers of the Crown Estate. The aim is to encourage the faster development of wind power projects on Crown land.

The final debate is the Second Reading of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill. This Bill would abolish the Institute and transfer its functions to the Secretary of State. The legislation is necessary to support the Government’s plan to establish Skills England, a body that will consolidate existing statutory functions, including those held by the Institute, into one organisation.

In addition, six Statutory Instruments will be debated in Grand Committee (off the floor of the House). One of these – the draft Human Medicines (Amendments relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024 – will allow a broader range of professionals and organisations, such as homelessness services, to obtain and administer naloxone, a drug used to counteract opioid overdoses in emergencies. The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has drawn this SI to the special attention of the House.

Questions and statements: At 11:30, Northern Ireland Office Ministers will face questions from MPs. Five of the 15 questions on the Order Paper are duplicates, focusing on the Northern Ireland Executive’s Budget Sustainability Plan and the UK internal market (unusually two of these duplicate questions have been tabled by Conservative MPs rather than Labour).

At 12:00, the Prime Minister will face his weekly session of Prime Minister’s Questions.

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Main business: The first of two 90-minute debates will focus on the approval of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024. These Regulations establish eligibility for the first tranche of payments to those directly infected by contaminated blood. Further regulations to extend compensation to others affected by the infected blood scandal, such as family members and carers, are planned for a later stage.

The second debate is on the Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, which expand trade sanctions. The Regulations target strategically important goods and technologies that Iran is using in the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles.

Independent Expert Panel: The House will also debate a motion to appoint four new members to the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which was established in June 2020 to handle complaints of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment against MPs under the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme. The Panel operates independently, without any involvement from MPs. In 2022, its remit was expanded to include appeals against decisions made by the Committee on Standards concerning breaches of the MPs’ Code of Conduct.

Following a recruitment process, the House of Commons Commission has recommended the appointment of the Rt Hon Sir Adrian Fulford – a former Lord Justice of Appeal – as the new Chair of the Panel. Additionally, Lyndsey de Mestre KC, Andrew Hoyle, and Wendy Williams CBE are proposed as new members. Each will serve a six-year term, beginning in November.

Adjournment: The Labour MP Calvin Bailey has the adjournment debate on anti-social behaviour in the Leyton and Wanstead constituency.

Westminster Hall There are five Westminster Hall debates today: tackling rough sleeping; regulation of holiday and second homes in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; regulation and financial stability of water companies; the future of fusion energy; and paternity leave and pay.

House of Lords: The House is expected to continue with and conclude the Committee Stage of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

Following this, there will be a debate on Baroness Hoey’s ‘prayer motion’ opposing the Windsor Framework (Retail Movement Scheme: Plant and Animal Health) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2024. These regulations align the entry requirements for certain plant and animal products entering Great Britain with EU-derived entry requirements that apply when goods enter Northern Ireland. The aim is to ensure smoother movement of goods within the UK’s internal market.

The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has drawn special attention to the Statutory Instrument, on the grounds that “that it is politically or legally important and gives rise to issues of public policy likely to be of interest to the House”. Jim Allister, from the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), wrote to the Committee, arguing that the regulations impose EU standards on Great Britain and fail to eliminate the Irish Sea border. Similarly, Baroness Hoey objects to the regulations on the grounds that they implement EU rules into UK law.

A prayer motion is a parliamentary mechanism used by MPs or Peers to reject a Statutory Instrument (SI) that is subject to the ‘made negative’ scrutiny procedure. If approved, Baroness Hoey’s motion would annul the Regulations; which is why such motions in the House of Lords are often referred to as ‘fatal motions’. However, it is very rare for the House of Lords to pass such motions: in fact, it has only supported the rejection of a ‘made negative’ SI once since 1950 (when it voted down the Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2000).

In Grand Committee, the former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, chair of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee, will lead a debate on two agreements to which his Committee has drawn the special attention of the House: one concerns a UK-US agreement for Co-operation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence Purpose; the other concerns a tripartite agreement with the US and Australia (AUKUS) regarding Co-operation related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion.

Questions and statements: At 9:30, Cabinet Office Ministers will answer questions from MPs. Nearly two-thirds of the questions on the Order Paper – 16 out of 25 – are duplicates of at least one other question. These repeated questions focus on strengthening national resilience; implementing the Government’s five missions; establishing the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme; and reforming public procurement. Additionally, four of the duplicate questions have been tabled by Liberal Democrat MPs, focusing on plans to strengthen the Union and reform of the electoral system.

Any Urgent Questions will follow.

Barring any Urgent Questions, the Leader of the House will make her weekly Business Statement in the Chamber at 10:30. The statement will set out the forthcoming business for the following week.

Any other Ministerial Statements will follow.

Main business: The main business is a General Debate on Black History Month.

Adjournment: The Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde has the adjournment debate on provision of and funding for temporary accommodation.

Westminster Hall: There are two Westminster Hall debates today on: Government support for the horse racing industry; and the secondary ticketing market.

House of Lords: There are three debates in the House of Lords today on the impact of the Government’s climate agenda on jobs, growth and prosperity; plans to review how the state funds hospices; and the contribution that special-needs schools and specialist education colleges make to the education sector.

House of Commons: The House of Commons will not be sitting.

House of Lords: The whole day is devoted to a debate on the situation in Ukraine.