Clear the Lobby: What Laws are MPs voting on this week? W/C 22nd May 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,

It’s the last week before a brief recess.

The Conservatives go into the week under pressure over whether the home secretary broke ethics rules by trying to avoid a one-on-one speed awareness course after being caught speeding last summer.

Lots of big bills to debate in this short parliamentary week.

Among them is the “Brexit bonfire” Retained EU Law Bill. It got savaged in the Lords and the government has already u-turned on the bill, but still remains controversial.

And Labour sets the parliamentary agenda on Tuesday.

They have an Opposition Day debate, but the topic hasn’t been announced yet.

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

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

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MONDAY 22 MAY

Non-Domestic Rating Bill – committee of the whole House, report stage, 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Northern Ireland (part)
Reforms business rates (a tax on most non-domestic properties like offices, shops, and pubs). Changes include valuations on properties moving to every three years from five, and tax relief to encourage investment.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill – consideration of Lords amendments
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 23 MAY

Animal Welfare (Responsibility for Dog Attacks) Bill
Creates a new offence of dog-on-dog attacks by requiring that a person in charge of a dog take all reasonable steps to ensure that it doesn’t kill another dog. Ten minute rule motion presented by Anna Firth. Follows a dog attack in her constituency.

WEDNESDAY 24 MAY

Aviation Banning Orders (Disruptive Passengers) Bill
Allows for court orders to ban disruptive passengers from flying. Ten minute rule motion presented by Gareth Johnson. More information here.

Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill – consideration of Lords amendments
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 25 MAY

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 26 MAY

No votes scheduled

LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• Victims and Prisoners Bill – goes to committee
• Children Not in School (Register) Bill – goes to second reading
• Artificial Intelligence (Regulation and Workers’ Rights) Bill – goes to second reading
• Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill – goes to committee

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