Clear the Lobby: What laws are MPs voting on this week (w/c 12th October)?

Welcome to our weekly feature courtesy of Sebastian Salek, the brains behind Clear the Lobby, working to bring you all the laws MPs are voting on this week, and explained in plain English!

Hey team.

Some big Brexit legislation is back in the Commons.

MPs debate the Agriculture and Fisheries Bills. The former comes from the Lords with a series of amendments added, so always the possibility that it ends up in ping pong if they’re not all accepted.

Speaking of friction, there’s a debate on the 10pm curfew on Tuesday.

This is the one that was postponed from last week. Expect the government to get a drubbing from Conservative backbenchers who are getting increasingly annoyed about its strategy for fighting the virus.

Labour sets the agenda on Wednesday.

It’s one of a few Opposition Days in the parliamentary calendar. They have debates scheduled on “fire and rehire” tactics — where companies make employees redundant then bring them back on a worse contract than before — and Covid contracts given to private-sector companies.

Until next week. In the meantime, feel free to tweet me, or just reply to this email.

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

MONDAY 12 OCTOBER

Agriculture Bill – consideration of Lords amendments
Applies to: England (part), Wales (part), Scotland (part), Northern Ireland
Sets out the UK’s post-Brexit farm policy, providing a framework for leaving the Common Agricultural Policy and establishing a new system. This includes replacing direct subsidies with payments for “public goods”, like environmental protection, public access to the countryside and measures to reduce flooding.
Draft bill / Commons library briefing

TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER

School Breakfast Bill
Requires schools to provide breakfast clubs. Ten minute rule motion presented by Emma Lewell-Buck.

Fisheries Bill – report stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Creates a legal framework for managing Britain’s fisheries after the end of the Brexit transition period. Started in the Lords.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER

Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill
Asserts a tenant’s rights to keep pets. Ten minute rule motion presented by Andrew Rosindell.

THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER

Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill – committee stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Allows undercover police or intelligence services who have infiltrated a group to undertake criminal acts to establish their credibility.
Draft bill (PDF)

Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Allows police or intelligence services who have infiltrated a group to undertake criminal acts to establish their credibility.
Draft bill (PDF)

FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER

Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland (part), Northern Ireland (part)
Bans people under 18 from having certain cosmetic procedures for aesthetic purposes. Private members’ bill by Laura Trott.
Draft bill (PDF)

Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales
Aims to improve drug testing in prisons. Simplifies the process for prison officers to get powers for mandatory testing of new substances. Gives prison officers powers to test prisoners for prescription drugs. Ten minute rule motion by Cheryl Gillan.
Draft bill (PDF)

Registers of Births and Deaths Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland (part), Northern Ireland (part)
Introduces an electronic register for recording births and deaths. Currently they are also recorded on paper, and this bill removes that aspect. Ten minute rule motion by Andrew Mitchell.
Draft bill (PDF)

European Citizens’ Rights Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Guarantees the immigration rights of EU, EEA, EFTA and Swiss citizens resident in the United Kingdom. Requires the government to provide physical proof. Ten minute rule motion by Christine Jardine.

Company Transparency (Carbon in Supply Chains) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Requires companies to prepare an annual statement on carbon in their supply chains. Ten minute rule motion by Karen Bradley.
Draft bill (PDF)

Death by Dangerous Driving (Sentencing) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales
Increases the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving to life imprisonment (it’s currently 14 years). Private member’s bill presented by Theresa May.
Draft bill (PDF)

Employment (Reasonable Adjustments for Carers) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to allow employees with caring responsibilities for disabled people to provide that care. Private members’ bill presented by Ed Davey.
Draft bill (PDF)

Police Stop and Search (Repeal) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales
Repeals police stop and search powers as outlined in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Private members’ bill presented by Ed Davey.
Draft bill (PDF)

Coronavirus Inquiry Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the Prime Minister to establish a public inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Private members’ bill presented by Sir Edward Davey.

White Goods (Registration) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires retailers to register white goods at the point of sale to make product recalls easier. Private members’ bill presented by Yvonne Fovargue. She wrote this article in 2018 explaining the rationale.

Public Advocate (No. 2) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales
Creates the role of public advocate to give advice to families of people killed in major incidents. Seeks to avoid a repeat of the lengthy process after the Hillsborough disaster. Private members’ bill presented by Maria Eagle. More information here.
Draft bill (PDF)

Digitally Altered Body Images Bill – 2nd reading
Requires advertisers, broadcasters and publishers to show a certain logo when images of human bodies or body parts have had their proportions digitally altered. Private members’ bill presented by Luke Evans.

Remote Participation in House of Commons Proceedings (Motion) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the Leader of the House of Commons to propose a motion that states all MPs have the same right to take part in proceedings, and establishes a way for MPs who can’t come to Westminster to participate and vote remotely. Private members’ bill presented by Dawn Butler.

Illegal Immigration (Offences) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Creates new offences for people who have entered the UK illegally, or have overstayed their visas. Private members’ bill presented by Christopher Chope.

Pedicabs (London) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales
Regulates pedicabs to the same degree as taxis and private hire services. Requires drivers to have a licence from Transport for London to operate, and gives TfL the power to regulate prices and vehicles used. Private members’ bill presented by Nickie Aiken.
Draft bill (PDF)

Magistrates (Retirement Age) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales
Raises the mandatory retirement age for magistrates to 75, from 70. Private members’ bill presented by Edward Timpson.
Draft bill (PDF)

Want more?
Check your MP’s voting record and read the day’s debates at TheyWorkForYou.

LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill – goes to committee stage
• Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill – goes to 2nd reading
• Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill – goes to Lords with amendments added
• Prisoners (Disclosure of Information about Victims) Bill – goes back to Lords because amendments were rejected
• Conveyancing Standards – goes to 2nd reading
• Pension Schemes Bill – goes to committee

Click here to read details of the bills in last week’s newsletter.