Clear the Lobby: What laws are MPs voting on this week? – w/c 7th 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!

Johnson’s at it again.

The government is suspending Parliament after close of play on Tuesday so it can deliver a Queen’s Speech on 14 October. That means a new parliamentary session, and any bills not passed get killed.

One exception is the Domestic Abuse Bill. When it was debated at second reading last week, MPs passed a carry-over motion, which means it can live on into the next session.

But the main point is this will be a short legislative week.

So instead, keep an eye on any hints that MPs, particularly within Labour, will back Boris Johnson’s new Brexit plan. There are even fewer Tories now than under May, so cross-party support will be vital to getting it through Parliament. Of course the proposals have to fly with Brussels first, and the PM will be speaking to several of his counterparts on the continent this week to try and win their support.

Have a great week.

MONDAY 7 OCTOBER

Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill – committee stage, report stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England (part), Wales (part), Northern Ireland (part)
Makes census questions about gender identity and sexual orientation voluntary by removing the criminal penalty for not answering them. Started in the Lords.
Draft bill / Lords library briefing

TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER

Nurse Staffing Levels Bill
Concerns staffing levels of nurses at NHS hospitals. More information not available at this stage. Ten minute rule motion presented by Maria Caulfield.

WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER

No votes scheduled

THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER

No votes scheduled

LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• Public Expenditure and Taxation (Advisory Body) Bill – goes to second reading
• Domestic Abuse Bill – goes to committee stage