Clear the Lobby: What Laws are MPs voting on this week? W/C 13th September 2021

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!

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The details of the government’s social care plan hits the Commons this week.

Last week, the discussion was all about whether to increase National Insurance by 1.25 percentage points to give the NHS a cash boost and fix the so-called “time bomb” that is Brtain’s social care system.

Now the government has put forward a bill to create the legal framework for that plan.

The most interesting part is that it lets chancellor decide how the funding will be split between health and social care. That’s left some MPs worried that the money will be spent disproportionately on the NHS.

And the scrapping of fixed-term parliaments picks up steam.

Usually when bills get to committee stage, they go off to be scrutinised by a small group of MPs. But if a bill is considered particularly important, it’ll go to a “committee of the whole house” instead, where all MPs take part in the debate. This is the case here.

Once it becomes law, the prime minister will be able to call an election whenever they like. That means we could get the next one sooner than the current date of 2 May 2024.

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

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

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MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill – committee, report stage, 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Repeals the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, scrapping five-year Parliaments and returning to the pre-2011 process where the prime minister can call an election at any time.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

Non-Disclosure Agreements Bill
Restricts the use of non-disclosure agreements, which can be used by employers to silence allegations of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Ten minute rule motion presented by Maria Miller. More information here.

Health and Social Care Levy Bill – all stages
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Outlines how the 1.25 percentage-point hike in National Insurance will be ringfenced to fund the NHS and social care, but allows the chancellor to decide the how funding will be split between the two.
Draft bill / Commons Library briefing

WEDNESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER

Abuse of Public-Facing Workers (Offences) Bill
Creates a new criminal offence of verbally or physically abusing a frontline worker. Ten minute rule motion presented by Olivia Blake. More information here.

THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

No votes scheduled

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

LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• National Insurance Contributions Bill – goes to Lords
• Transport (Disabled Passenger Charter) Bill – goes to second reading
• Elections Bill – goes to committee stage
• Multi-Academy Trusts (Ofsted Inspection) Bill – goes to second reading
• Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill – goes to Lords
• Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill – goes to committee
• Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill – goes to committee
• Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Bill – goes to committee

Postponed

• Miniature Mobile Phones (Prohibition of Sale) Bill
• Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Bill
• Employment Bill
• Public Advocate Bill
• Wellbeing of Future Generations (No. 2) Bill
• Climate and Ecology Bill
• Tips Bill
• Hospitals (Parking Charges and Business Rates) Bill
• Voter Registration Bill
• Asylum Seekers (Return to Safe Countries) Bill
• Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill
• Workers (Employment Security and Definition) Bill
• Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill
• Fire and Building Safety (Public Inquiry) Bill
• Israel Arms Trade (Prohibition) Bill
• Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Bill
• Button Batteries (Safety) Bill

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