Questions and statements: At 14:30, Home Office Ministers will respond to MPs’ questions. Topics include crime prevention, policing and antisocial behaviour; immigration and asylum; measures to protect consumers against fraud; efforts to counter terrorism; actions to combat violence against women and girls; and funding for local police forces.

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow. The Government is expected to update the House on recent developments in Ukraine over the past week, including the Prime Minister’s discussions with the White House and European partners.

Main business: Crown Estate Bill [Lords] (Remaining Stages (Report Stage and Third Reading)). Report Stage offers the chance for all MPs to propose amendments to the Bill, which seeks to expand the borrowing and investment powers of the Crown Estate. New clauses and amendments propose changes over a broad range of issues, including the management of the Crown Estate in Wales, better co-ordination of marine spatial planning, a requirement for 5% of any profits to be reinvested in local communities, and stronger mechanisms for accountability and parliamentary scrutiny over borrowing powers and asset disposals.

• House of Commons Library briefing

Once proceedings on the Bill are concluded, the House will be asked to approve a series of motions without debate.

• Two of the motions propose approval of Statutory Instruments for the annual increase in compensation for individuals and dependants affected by the dust-related diseases pneumoconiosis and mesothelioma.

• A ‘Business of the House’ motion, tabled by Leader of the House Lucy Powell MP, seeks approval for any amendments, new clauses, and new schedules related to the Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill to be tabled before the Bill’s Second Reading (normally they can be tabled only after Second Reading). This procedural adjustment is necessary because the Government intends to fast-track the Bill, scheduling its amending stage in Committee of the Whole House immediately after Second Reading on 4 March. The Bill, introduced on 13 February, aims to remove the legal barrier preventing Roman Catholics from holding the office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This change will allow Lady Elish Angiolini, a Roman Catholic, to take up the role. The Lord High Commissioner serves as the Sovereign’s representative at the General Assembly in Edinburgh each May, attending proceedings, delivering speeches, and fulfilling various ceremonial duties. The Government describes Lady Elish’s appointment as a “significant gesture of unity, goodwill, and collaboration” between the Church of Scotland and the Catholic Church in Scotland, following the St Margaret Declaration – a historic friendship agreement between the two Churches, signed at Dunfermline Abbey in November 2022. The Hansard Society’s guide explains what House of Commons business motions are, and how they work.

• A motion on behalf of the Committee of Selection seeks approval for the appointment of DUP MP Sammy Wilson as a member of the Environmental Audit Committee.

Adjournment: Conservative MP Simon Hoare has the adjournment debate on the impact of bank closures in rural areas.

• House of Commons Library briefing

Westminster Hall: MPs will debate e-petition 700086, which seeks to ban social media companies from letting children aged under 16 create social media accounts. The petition has acquired over 128,000 signatures. The Government’s initial written response to the petition made clear that it did not support such a ban. The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into related issues about the links between social media algorithms, generative AI and the spread of harmful content online. Labour MP Tony Vaughan will lead the debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee of which he is a member.

• House of Commons Library briefing

Legislative committees: A Delegated Legislation Committee will consider the draft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. This Statutory Instrument proposes an increase in tuition fee limits for higher education providers in England, affecting undergraduate courses for the 2025-26 academic year. If approved, it will determine the maximum fees that universities and colleges can charge students.

Introduction of new Peers: Two new Peers will be formally introduced to the House:

• Dinah Caine, a leader in the creative industries sector and current Chair of Camden Council’s STEAM partnership (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) (now Baroness Caine of Kentish Town); and

• former Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees (now Lord Rees of Easton).

Oral questions: Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on the progress made in delivering the Emergency Service Network programme; what programmes and interventions are used to reduce re-offending among domestic abusers in the community and the re-offending rates of those who participate; the steps being taken to tackle ‘county lines’ drug trafficking; and what discussions the Department for Transport has had with the Home Office about the prevention of violence against women and girls on trains following the passing of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024.

Main business:

• The House will be asked to approve two related Statutory Instruments (SIs) which were debated in Grand Committee just before the parliamentary recess: the Gambling Levy Regulations 2025 and the Gambling Act 2005 (Operating Licence Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2024. The Minister, Baroness Twycross, plans to move the two motions together, but if any Peer objects they must be moved separately. The SIs introduce, for the first time, an annual levy on all businesses which hold an operating licence issued by the Gambling Commission, and maximum stake limits for online slots games.

• Mental Health Bill (Committee stage, day 5). This is the last of the five days agreed between the Whips for the Bill’s Committee stage. We set out the key objectives of the Bill in an earlier edition of the Bulletin when the Bill had its Second Reading in November.

  • House of Lords Library briefing

• Motion to approve the Online Safety Act 2023 (Category 1, Category 2A and Category 2B Threshold Conditions) Regulations 2025. These regulations set the rules that determine how online platforms (such as social media sites and search engines) should be classified under the Online Safety Act 2023. These classifications will determine which platforms must follow strict online safety regulations. A Liberal Democrat Peer, Lord Clement-Jones, has tabled a ‘regret’ motion – a motion expressing concern about a Statutory Instrument without blocking its passage. He argues that the regulations do not address the level of risk posed by smaller but high-risk platforms. He highlights that harmful content – especially content easily accessible to children – can spread on smaller platforms that will not be subject to the stricter duties imposed on larger Category 1 platforms under the Act. He therefore calls on the Government to withdraw the regulations and revise the definition of Category 1 services to better include small but high-risk platforms.

Grand Committee: Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (Committee stage, day 1). This legislation will allow the Government to reduce business rates for retail and hospitality properties and remove the charitable rate relief from private schools.

• House of Commons Library briefing

• House of Lords Library briefing

There are no public meetings of Select Committees today.

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Questions and statements: At 11:30, Ministers from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will face questions from MPs. Topics on the Order Paper concern humanitarian crises including in Gaza, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; the situation in the Middle East; security-related questions on the Iran nuclear deal; UK–Mauritius treaty implications for the British Indian Ocean Territory; illicit finance in the British Virgin Islands; and reparations for slavery and accountability for alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. Topical questions will likely be dominated by discussion of the future of Ukraine and the conflict with Russia, by developments in the Middle East, and by the future of the Chagos Islands.

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Ten Minute Rule Motion: Conservative MP and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Jesse Norman MP will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill titled the River Wye (Cleaning) Bill. It would require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a plan for cleaning and improving the water quality of the River Wye. See our Hansard Society guide for more information about the parliamentary procedure for Ten Minute Rule Bills.

Main business: Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords] (Second Reading). This Bill, which started in the House of Lords, 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.

Adjournment: Lee Pitcher, Labour MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, has the adjournment debate on the economic contribution of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Westminster Hall: There are five debates, on:

• maternity services (House of Commons Library briefing)

• performance of Thameslink train services;

• SEND education support (House of Commons Library briefing)

• provision of affordable rural housing (House of Commons Library briefing); and

• the Groceries Code Adjudicator (House of Commons Library briefing).

Legislative committees:

• The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Public Bill Committee will resume its deliberations.

• MPs on the Public Bill Committee for the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill will hear oral evidence today before they embark on clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill.

• Delegated Legislation Committees meet today to consider: the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025; and the draft Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) (Consequential Modifications) Order 2025.

Introduction of new Peers: Two new Peers will be formally introduced to the House:

• former Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield (now Baroness Longfield); and

• trade unionist and former Convenor of UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside Region, Wendy Nichols (now Baroness Nichols of Selby).

Oral questions: Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on implementation of the Single Trade Window as set out in the 2025 UK Border Strategy; what steps Ministers are taking to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway; whether Ministers intend to consult the Committee on Climate Change before taking decisions on airport expansion; and reports that Rwandan troops are supporting the M23 group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Main business:

• Great British Energy Bill (Third Reading). This Bill will create a new publicly owned investment company – GB Energy – which will have as its ‘objects’ facilitating, encouraging and participating in the production, distribution and storage of “clean energy”. The Government has tabled a new clause to require the Secretary of State to appoint an independent person to carry out periodic review of the effectiveness of Great British Energy.

  • House of Lords Library briefing

• National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill (Report stage). This Bill enacts the increases to employer National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Budget. The House of Lords typically does not amend legislation relating to financial matters. But, for reasons outlined in an earlier edition of the Bulletin, bills relating to National Insurance contributions are not classified as ‘money bills’ and are therefore not covered by the restrictions on Lords amendments contained in the Parliament Act. This Bill was expected to conclude its Committee stage within two days, but a further two days had to be added to the schedule. Over three dozen amendments have already been tabled for Report Stage. Many of the amendments seek to delay the implementation of the National Insurance threshold increase for certain sectors or to exempt them entirely, with a particular focus on charities and organisations in the education, health, and social care sectors.

  • House of Lords Library briefing

Grand Committee: Five draft Statutory Instruments to be debated:

• Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025

• Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2025

• Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) (Consequential Modifications) Order 2025

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Amendment) (Provision of Information) Order 2025 – the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has drawn this Order to the attention of the House because “the explanatory material laid in support provides insufficient information to gain a clear understanding about the instrument’s policy objective and intended implementation”

• Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025

Highlights include:

House of Commons

• Culture, Media and Sport Committee (10:00): Two Olympians, Montell Douglas and Anna Hopkin, and Paralympian Alistair Patrick-Heselton will give evidence on community and school sport.

• Defence Committee (10:30): The Veterans Commissioners for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will give evidence about the Armed Forces Covenant.

• Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (14:30): The new Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, Sir Chris Wormald, will give evidence about the work of the Cabinet Office.

• Home Affairs Committee (14:30): Matt Twist, Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, and Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable at Merseyside Police, will be joined by representatives from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to discuss the disorder that took place in cities across the UK between 30 July and 7 August 2024 and the police response to it. Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson will then be questioned afterwards.

• Business and Trade Committee (14:30): A dozen witnesses – including former Cabinet Secretary Lord Sedwill and former diplomat Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles – will give evidence on export-led growth. Other witnesses include representatives from the Institute for Free Trade, Best for Britain, the Trade Justice Movement, the Trades Union Congress, Green Alliance, the National Grid, and UK Steel.

• Justice Committee (14:30): The governors of three prisons – Long Lartin, Hindley and Liverpool – are among those giving evidence on tackling drugs in prisons.

• Science, Innovation and Technology Committee (14:30): Directors of public policy and government affairs at Meta (Facebook), TikTok and X (Twitter) will give evidence to the inquiry on social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms.

House of Lords

• Industry and Regulators Committee (10:30): The Committee will continue its inquiry into the energy grid and grid connections.

• European Affairs Committee (16:00): Representatives from Thales, Airbus UK and MBDA UK, all major players in the aerospace, defence and security industries, will give evidence to the Committee’s inquiry on the resetting of the relationship between the UK and the EU.

A full list of select committee hearings can be found on the What’s On section of the Parliament website.

Details of Wednesday’s business can be found below.

This section was updated on 25 February to reflect the Conservative Party's choice of Opposition Day debates and the publication of the Estimates (Liaison Committee Recommendation) motion in the name of the Leader of the House of Commons.

Questions and statements: At 11:30, Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office will face questions from MPs. Topics on the Order Paper concern discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive about measures to improve public services; efforts to tackle violence against women and girls; support for recovery efforts following Storm Éowyn; plans to replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023; and post-Brexit trade and supply issues, particularly in relation to horticultural suppliers in Great Britain and the supply of goods to Northern Ireland.

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

Any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Ten Minute Rule Motion: Labour MP Sarah Coombes will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill titled the Vehicle Registration Offences (Review) Bill. It would make provision for a review of certain offences relating to vehicle registration marks. See our Hansard Society guide for more information about the parliamentary procedure for Ten Minute Rule Bills.

Main business: The rest of the day will be taken up by an Opposition Day debate on two motions in the name of the Leader of the Opposition. Two subjects have been chosen.

• Family businesses: this motion "regrets the Government’s decision to introduce a cap on Business Property Relief, meaning that some family businesses passed down upon death will face Inheritance Tax for the first time in 50 years". The motion further regrets an array of economic policies which it says will be damaging to family businesses, including the rise in National Insurance contributions, and legislative provisions in the Employment Rights Bill and the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. The Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the Conservative Party motion, which also regrets the changes to Business Property Relief, but removes the references to the legislative provisions and instead makes clear the party's regret that the changes are being made "after years of economic uncertainty and mismanagement under the previous Government", failures which it then goes on to list.

• British Indian Ocean Territory: this motion "regrets the reported multi-billion pound cost of the UK-Mauritius deal; notes the risk the deal presents to the UK’s strategic interests." It notes that the decision was "a policy choice, not a legal necessity," and calls on the Government to respond to five specific requests for information, itemised in the motion, about the Chagos Islands deal. Again, the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the motion which, among other things, "recognises the importance of the UK being a staunch supporter of international law and believes that it is in the UK’s interest to negotiate with Mauritius following the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory".

It will be for the Speaker to decide whether to select the amendments to each motion. He will announce his decision at the start of the debate.

Estimates (Liaison Committee Recommendation) Motion: MPs will then be asked to approve a motion in the name of the Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell MP, to endorse the recommendation of the Liaison Committee that the departmental spending plans (Estimates) of the Department for Health and Social Care, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Department for Business and Trade be debated next week. The choice of these three departmental spending plans for 2024-25 as the focus of next week's debate has in practice been made by the Backbench Business Committee following representations from MPs and Select Committees. The Liaison Committee is then required to formally recommend the Backbench Business Committee's choices to the House for endorsement. The Government announced last week that the departmental Supplementary Estimates for 2024-25 will be debated on Wednesday 5 March. The decision to debate the departmental spending plans of the FCDO will provide an early opportunity for MPs to discuss the Government's announcement this week of an increase in defence spending at the expense of the international aid budget. However, next week's Estimates debate concerns spending plans for this current financial year; the Government's defence announcement will come into effect in subsequent financial years. For more information about this see our Hansard Society guide "How does Parliament approve Government spending: A procedural guide to the Estimates process".

Adjournment: Ian Sollom, Liberal Democrat MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, has the adjournment debate on the Child Maintenance Service.

• House of Commons Library briefings

Westminster Hall: There debates on five topics:

• implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 (House of Commons Library briefing / POSTnote from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology);

• high street bank closures and banking hubs (House of Commons Library briefing);

• Government policy on high street rental auctions (House of Commons Library briefing);

• Government support for future skills programmes at universities; and

• Government support for high street businesses.

Legislative committees:

• The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Public Bill Committee will continue its deliberations with sessions in the morning and afternoon.

• Delegated Legislation Committees meet today to consider two Statutory Instruments: the draft Flood Reinsurance (Amendment) Regulations 2025; and the draft Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Amendment) (Provision of Information) Order 2025. For further information about the concerns expressed by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee in relation to this latter SI, see Tuesday’s Grand Committee business in the House of Lords, above.

Oral questions: Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on whether the Government’s efforts to “reset” relations with the EU could involve accepting a role for the Court of Justice of the European Union; about support for drama schools and creative courses in higher education following the closure of undergraduate courses at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School; and whether chiropractors will be included in national musculoskeletal health prevention strategies. The topic of a fourth question will be decided by a ballot drawn at lunchtime on Monday 24 February 2025.

Main business:

• Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [HL] (Report Stage): This legislation has drawn significant criticism from the House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee (DPRRC) and the Lords Constitution Committee for its lack of policy detail and for the breadth of the delegated powers it would grant to Ministers. These powers cover key areas such as product safety, environmental protection, metrology (measurement), and alignment with EU law, with the last of these proving particularly controversial. The Constitution Committee concluded that the delegated powers were so broadly drawn that the decision about whether to pursue closer (or weaker) EU alignment was left entirely to ministerial discretion: “We are of the view that such a significant policy decision should properly be scrutinised by Parliament and implemented by way of primary legislation.” The DPRRC deemed six clauses an inappropriate delegation of power and raised concerns about an unacceptable shift of legislative power from Parliament to the Executive. The Committee’s rare public evidence session with Ministers Lord Leong and Justin Madders MP, along with senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade, did little to reassure them, leading to a report reiterating their opposition to the Bill’s “skeleton” structure. In response to criticism, Ministers have rejected the broader concerns but have tabled amendments to address some of the issues raised by the Committees, including:

  • introducing a statutory consultation requirement to involve stakeholders in shaping future regulations;

  • expanding the affirmative scrutiny procedure to apply to more powers in the Bill;

  • reducing the scope of four Henry VIII powers to limit ministerial discretion; and

  • clarifying key definitions, particularly those related to installation and online marketplaces.

• Debate on Baroness O’Loan’s ‘regret’ motion: This is a motion expressing concern about a Statutory Instrument without blocking its passage – relating to the proposed Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2024. The Order will implement the February 2024 Dillon judgment of the High Court in Northern Ireland which was upheld by the Court of Appeal in September 2024. That judgment found that several provisions in the Legacy Act were incompatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Government intends to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. In the meantime, it has proposed a Remedial Order, which is an Order made under section 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 whereby, if a court declares an Act wholly or partly incompatible with the ECHR, the Government can amend or repeal it to ameliorate the incompatibility. A Minister must lay the proposal for a draft Order with an explanation as to why an amendment to primary legislation is required. There is then a 60-day period for representations to be made to the Minister about the proposal, and the Joint Committee on Human Rights is required to report to both Houses on whether the draft Remedial Order should be laid. After 60 days the minister can lay the draft Order. It must be accompanied by a statement setting out whether any representations have been made and detailing any changes since submission of the proposal. There is then a further 60-day period when the Joint Committee on Human Rights can report on whether or not the Order should be approved. Only following this second 60-day period can an approval motion be moved. Baroness O’Loan, the former Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, has tabled the motion expressing regret that the Order “does not address all areas of the 2023 Act identified by the courts as being incompatible with the United Kingdom’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights”. She has set out her reasons in more detail in written evidence in response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ consultation. The Committee has not yet published its report. The initial 60-day scrutiny period for the proposed Remedial Order expires on Friday (28 February).

Highlights include:

House of Commons

• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (09:30): Academic and civil society representatives from Queen’s University Belfast, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Committee on the Administration of Justice will give evidence on the Government’s new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland.

• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (09:30): Senior managers from United Utilities and Severn Trent Water will give evidence to the Committee’s inquiry into reforming the water sector.

• Health and Social Care Committee (09:30): A pre-appointment hearing with Dr Penny Dash, the Government’s preferred candidate for Chair of NHS England.

• Environmental Audit Committee (14:30): Dame Glenys Stacey and Natalie Prosser, Chair and Chief Executive Officer respectively, will give evidence on the work of the Office for Environmental Protection.

• Treasury Committee (14:30): Martin Lewis, founder and Executive Chair of Money Saving Expert, will give evidence to the Committee’s inquiry into whether the Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) remains a suitable financial product nine years after its introduction. Following his session, a panel of financial sector representatives will offer their perspectives.

• Procedure Committee (15:00): Four MPs will speak about the status of independent Members of Parliament, focusing on their roles, rights and challenges within the parliamentary system. The session will begin with Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mohamed, who were elected as independent MPs in 2025. They will be followed by John McDonnell and Ian Byrne, both of whom lost the Labour whip in July 2024 after voting for an SNP amendment to the King’s Speech calling for an end to the two-child benefit cap. While Byrne had the whip restored earlier this month, McDonnell remains suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party.

• Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections (15:40): This committee will hold its first evidence session since being established in October 2024. It will examine the rising threat levels faced by politicians and election candidates, assess the effectiveness of current security measures, and make recommendations to safeguard free and fair elections while ensuring the protection of candidates and elected representatives. Key figures giving evidence include the Chief Executives of the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators, and the Jo Cox Foundation, as well as the National Co-ordinator for Election Crime at City of London Police. Speaker’s Conferences, convened under the Speaker’s guidance, are rare – this being only the ninth in Parliament’s history. They typically address issues affecting the entire House, particularly around elections and representation.

House of Lords

• Constitution Committee (10:15): Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, will appear before the Committee for her annual evidence session, discussing both her roles as a sitting judge and the head of the judiciary. While the session will primarily focus on her responsibilities, she may also face questions about her recent intervention during her annual news conference, where she said she was “deeply troubled” by remarks made at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier this month. The remarks, made by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, related to a recent judicial ruling in an immigration case and, in the Chief Justice’s view, raised concerns about political interference in judicial matters and unfair criticism of judges, which she warned could threaten their safety.

A full list of select committee hearings can be found on the What’s On section of the Parliament website.

Questions and statements: At 9:30, Culture, Media and Sport Ministers will face questions from MPs. Topics on the Order Paper include support for the creative industries and the arts, including the video games industry, small theatres and performing arts values, and grassroots music venues; protection of listed buildings; plans to commemorate VE/VJ Day; financial sustainability and support for sport, including football clubs, and grassroots sports; press regulation and implementation of the Leveson Inquiry recommendations; and the impact of increased National Insurance contributions on charities.

At 10:10, MPs representing the Church Commissioners, the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Client Board and the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission will answer questions from fellow MPs. Topics include the progress in appointing a new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England’s role in communities, focusing on the contribution of rural parishes and cathedrals to local economies, as well as funding for places of worship, particularly through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. Questions to the R&R Client Board will address the key cost drivers of the restoration programme and efforts to engage parliamentary staff in the process. Meanwhile, questions to the Electoral Commission will focus on the publication of its first Strategy and Policy Statement.

Any Urgent Questions will follow.

The Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, will present her weekly Business Statement, setting out the business in the House for the next couple of weeks. Any other Ministerial Statements will follow.

Main business: There will be two general debates nominated by the Backbench Business Committee:

• A debate on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine led by the former Leader of the Conservative Party, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, but with broad cross-party support. Since the debate application was made and approved, developments in the White House, and the meeting last week between the US Secretary of State and his Russian counterpart, lend the debate even greater importance. As Sir Iain stressed in his application to the Backbench Business Committee for time in the Chamber for this debate, “I think this should be a very powerful debate about what being a member of the free world is all about.” (House of Commons library briefing)

• A debate on St David’s Day led by Labour’s Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and her deputy, Plaid Cymru’s Ben Lake MP. This is an annual debate on Welsh affairs, with the Chamber time nominated again by the Backbench Business Committee.

Adjournment: Chris Bloore, Labour MP for Redditch, has the adjournment debate on the economic contribution of non-league football clubs.

Westminster Hall: There are two debates today, on:

• rural crime (House of Commons Library briefing / Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTnote); and

• women’s health (House of Commons Library briefing).

Legislative committees:

• Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: The Public Bill Committee will begin its examination of the Bill with oral evidence sessions before moving to clause-by-clause scrutiny. These initial sittings will provide an opportunity for experts, stakeholders, and interested parties to present their views on the Bill’s provisions. The list of those giving evidence has not yet been confirmed.

• Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: The Public Bill Committee will commence its clause-by-clause scrutiny following completion of the oral evidence sessions earlier in the week (Tuesday 25 February).

Introduction of new Peers: Two new Peers will be formally introduced to the House:

• former Director of Strategy to Sir Keir Starmer and co-founder of research company BritainThinks, Deborah Mattinson (now Baroness Mattinson); and

• former Deputy Mayor of London under Boris Johnson, Roger Evans (now Lord Evans of Guisborough).

Oral questions: Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on the Government’s plans to: reintroduce the beaver in England; ensure that rents in the private rented sector are affordable; and introduce a national screening programme for prostate cancer. The topic of a fourth question will be decided by a ballot drawn at lunchtime on Tuesday 25 February.

Main business:

• Debate on the progress of the Post Office Horizon compensation scheme and of the contribution of Fujitsu to the compensation of victims: This will be led by Lord Beamish who, as Kevan Jones, the MP for North Durham until the 2024 general election, campaigned for over 15 years for justice for postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal (House of Lords Library briefing).

• Topical question for short debate on reducing the number of British citizens being held by the Iranian regime: This will be led by the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, who was born in Iran, where her father and grandfather served as Anglican Bishops. Having fled to Britain with her family after the Iranian Revolution, following the murder of her brother by Iranian government agents, she brings a deeply personal perspective to the discussion. The debate takes on added urgency following the recent arrest of British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who were detained in Kerman during their motorbike journey around the world and have since been charged with espionage.

• Debate on the law relating to prenuptial agreements: This will be led by Baroness Deech who has introduced several bills in recent years to make pre-nuptial agreements legally binding (House of Lords Library briefing).

Grand Committee: Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (Committee stage, day 2). See the earlier entry on Monday 24 February for further details.

Highlights include:

House of Commons

• Public Accounts Committee (10:00): Cat Little, Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, Sarah Munby, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and David Knott, the Government’s Chief Technology Officer, are among the senior civil servants giving evidence on the Government’s relationship with digital technology suppliers. This follows a National Audit Office report that raised concerns about whether the commercial, contracting and procurement processes for digital programmes are efficient, effective and delivering value for money.

The House will not be sitting.

The House will not be sitting.