Clear the Lobby: What Laws are MPs voting on this week? W/C 16th January 2023

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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Hey team,

The crackdown on strikes starts here.

On Monday, MPs will debate the bill that gives the government power to require minimum service levels during industrial action.

The timetable is swift. It’ll rattle through the Commons. The interesting bit is what peers will do when it gets to the Lords.

The Online Safety Bill is back.

It’s been through committee stage, so MPs can lay down amendments. The ones in the works include an attempt to make social media bosses personally criminally liable for pushing harmful content to children, and a requirement for social media providers to allow young users to filter out problematic content.

Friday brings private members’ bills.

As ever, only the first three or so will get debated in the time available.

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

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

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MONDAY 16 JANUARY

Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Gives the government the power to require public services including rail, ambulances, and the fire services to maintain minimum service levels during strike action.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

TUESDAY 17 JANUARY

Markets and Market Traders (Review of Support) Bill
Requires the government to undertake a review of the support available to markets and market traders, and of the options for improving that support. Ten minute rule motion presented by Simon Baynes.

Online Safety Bill – report stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Puts a duty of care on companies hosting user-generated content (e.g. social media sites) and search engines to remove illegal content or content that’s harmful to children. Gives Ofcom powers to fine companies up to 10% of annual global revenues if they don’t comply, force them to improve their practices, or block them completely.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY

Fertility Treatment (Transparency) Bill
Requires IVF providers to publish information annually about the number of NHS-funded IVF cycles they carry out, among other things. Ten minute rule motion presented by Alex Davies-Jones.

Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill – report stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Revokes all EU laws that still apply in the UK on 31 December 2023 unless MPs codify them into EU law. Some laws can be revoked at a later date (until 32 June 2026) if a consensus to delay is reached.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

THURSDAY 19 JANUARY

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 20 JANUARY

Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill – 2nd reading
Extends paid leave for parents of premature and sick babies, giving parents and carers longer paid time off if their baby has to spend seven or more consecutive days in hospital in the first four weeks of their life. Private members’ bill presented by Stuart McDonald.

Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires employers to pass on all tips, gratuities, and service charges to their staff. Private members’ bill presented by Dean Russell.

Pensions Dashboards (Prohibition of Indemnification) Bill – 2nd reading
Bans the trustees and managers of pension schemes from being indemnified if they are hit by any penalties imposed under pensions dashboards regulations. Private members’ bill presented by Mary Robinson.

Shark Fins Bill – 2nd reading
Bans the import and export of shark fins. Private members’ bill presented by Christina Rees.

Online Sale of Goods (Safety) Bill – 2nd reading
Regulates the sale of goods online. Private members’ bill presented by Kate Osborne. More information not yet available.

Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill – 2nd reading
Allows female heirs to inherit hereditary titles. Currently fewer than 90 peerages can be inherited by a female heir. Private members’ bill presented by Harriett Baldwin.

Workers (Rights and Definition) Bill – 2nd reading
Establishes a legal definition of employment, which includes zero-hours contracts and agency workers. The aim is to prevent abuse of people working under these arrangements. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Full Employment Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the chancellor to pursue a policy of full employment (one definition is when there are more vacancies than people seeking jobs). Creates an employment guarantee scheme for benefit claimants who have been unemployed and looking for work for longer than six months. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Asylum Seekers (Accommodation Eviction Procedures) Bill – 2nd reading
Allows asylum seekers to challenge a proposed eviction in an independent court or tribunal. Establishes asylum seeker accommodation eviction procedures for public authorities. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Disability Benefit Assessments (Recording) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to allow Disability Benefit applicants to have their eligibility assessment recorded on audio. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Rule of Law (Enforcement by Public Authorities) Bill – 2nd reading
Rrequires public authorities to investigate breaches of the law, and take enforcement action. Private members’ bill presented by Christopher Chope.

Plastics (Wet Wipes) Bill – 2nd reading
Bans the manufacture and sale of wet wipes containing plastic. Private members’ bill presented by Fleur Anderson.

Pets (Microchips) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires local authorities to scan a deceased cat’s microchip and try to return it to its owner before disposing of it. Requires vets to confirm the person presenting a healthy animal to be euthanised is its registered owner. They must also check the microchip for details of previous owners and offer the animal to them before proceeding. Also known as Gizmo’s law and Tuk’s law. Private members’ bill presented by James Daly.

Teenagers (Safety and Wellbeing) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to take steps to promote the safety and wellbeing of teenagers. Private members’ bill presented by Alex Norris. More information not yet available.

Disposable Barbecues Bill – 2nd reading
Bans the use of disposable barbecues on open moorland, on beaches, in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and in certain other areas designated for environmental protection. Gives local authorities the power to ban the sale of disposable barbecues in their area. Private members’ bill presented by Selaine Saxby.

Internet Access (Children Eligible for Free School Meals) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to ensure that all children eligible for free school meals have a broadband connection and facilities to access the internet at home. Private members’ bill presented by Siobhain McDonagh.

British Goods (Public Sector Purchasing Duty) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Requires public bodies to have a presumption in favour of buying British goods. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

Consumer Pricing Bill – 2nd reading
Bans companies from offering better prices to new customers compared to existing customers. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.

Broadcasting (Listed Sporting Events) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Expands the list of sporting events that must be made available for broadcast by free-to-air television channels. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

Employment (Application Requirements) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Regulates the use of minimum qualification or experience requirements in job applications. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

Puppy Import (Prohibition) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Bans the import of young puppies. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

Public Sector Website Impersonation Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Makes it an offence to impersonate a public-sector website for the purpose of collecting payment or personal data. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

Hunting Trophies Import (Prohibition) (No 2) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Bans the import of wild animals killed through trophy hunting. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

Armenian Genocide (Recognition) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Requires the government to recognise formally the Armenian genocide of 1915-16. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Abolishes the system of by-elections for hereditary peers. There can currently be 90 hereditary peers in the Lords at a time. This bill would gradually reduce that amount by not electing replacements. Private members’ bill presented by John Spellar.
Draft bill (PDF)

War Pension Scheme and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (Public Inquiry) Bill – 2nd reading
Establishes an independent public inquiry into the administration of the War Pension Scheme and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme by Veterans UK. Private members’ bill presented by Owen Thompson.

Ministerial Code (Enforcement) Bill – 2nd reading
Makes the Ministerial Code legally enforceable. Private members’ bill presented by Owen Thompson.

Ministerial Interests (Public Appointments) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires ministers to make an oral statement to Parliament if they appoint someone to a paid position and they have a personal, political or financial interest in that person. Private members’ bill presented by Owen Thompson.

Roadworks (Regulation) Bill – 2nd reading
Gives local highways authorities the power to turn down requests to dig up roads. Private members’ bill presented by Mark Francois.

Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill – 2nd reading
Requirs employers to give employees time off for fertility treatment appointments. Private members’ bill presented by Nickie Aiken.

Working Time Regulations (Amendment) Bill – 2nd reading
Reduces the maximum working week from 48 hours to 32 hours, and provides for overtime pay. Private members’ bill presented by Peter Dowd.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (Powers) Bill – 2nd reading
Allows the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to identify and investigate systemic problems in the benefits system and make relevant recommendations to the  government. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Under-Occupancy Penalty (Report) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to report on the merits of repealing the so-called “bedroom tax” (a cut in benefits for those living in a council or housing association property deemed to have one or more spare bedrooms). Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Social Security Benefits (Healthy Eating) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to publish annual calculations of the benefit and tax credit rates needed for a representative household to afford to buy meals in accordance with the Eatwell Guide to eating healthily. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Corporate Homicide Bill – 2nd reading
Makes changes to the criminal offence of corporate homicide. More information not yet published. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Asylum Seekers (Permission to Work) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Grants asylum seekers permission to work if they have waited six months for a decision on their asylum application. Private members’ bill presented by Carol Monaghan.
Draft bill (PDF)

Housing Standards (Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Bill – 2nd reading
Introduces national minimum standards in accommodation offered to refugees and asylum seekers. Private members’ bill presented by Chris Stephens.

Barnett Formula (Replacement) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to report on proposals to replace the Barnett Formula (the formula used to decide how much public money is given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) with a scheme based on an assessment of relative needs. Private members’ bill presented by Christopher Chope.

Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Payments Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to improve the diagnosis and treatment of people who have suffered ill effects from Covid-19 vaccines. Provides for financial assistance to people who have become disabled after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine, and to the next of kin of people who have died shortly after, among other things. Private members’ bill presented by Christopher Chope.

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

Covid-19 Vaccine Diagnosis and Treatment Bill – 2nd reading
Requires the government to improve the diagnosis and treatment of people who have suffered ill effects from Covid-19 vaccines. Private members’ bill presented by Christopher Chope.

Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Requires the government to establish an independent review of disablement caused by Covid-19 vaccinations, and the adequacy of the compensation offered to the people affected. Private members’ bill presented by Christopher Chope.
Draft bill (PDF)

Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests (Appointment by Parliament) Bill – 2nd reading
Gives Parliament the power to appoint an ethics adviser if the government fails to do so. Private members’ bill presented by Christine Jardine.

Pre-payment Meters (Self-Disconnection) Bill – 2nd reading
Requires energy companies to allow a grace period before disconnecting customers with pre-payment meters who have run out of credit. Requires energy companies to offer debt management support to all customers. Private members’ bill presented by Anne McLaughlin.

Free School Meals (Primary Schools) Bill – 2nd reading
Entitles all children in state primary schools to free school meals. Currently children have to be in reception, year 1, year 2, or eligible for certain benefits. Private members’ bill presented by Zarah Sultana.

Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill – 2nd reading
Entitles parents to shared parental leave if the other parent dies. Private members’ bill presented by Darren Henry. More information here.

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LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• Procurement Bill – goes to committee stage
• Elected Representatives (Code of Conduct) Bill – goes to second reading
• Stamp Duty Land Tax (Reduction) Bill – goes to Lords
• Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Bill – goes to second reading

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