Clear the Lobby: What Laws are MPs voting on this week? W/C 19th September 2021

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Just as we get going, things come to a halt again.

This is the last week before Parliament breaks for party conference season.

It’s no coincidence that Boris Johnson reshuffled his top team before the Tories head to Manchester for their annual bonanza.

And in Brighton, will we get a better idea of Labour’s narrative in Keir Starmer’s first in-person conference speech?

Back to this week, and MPs consider the annual increase in pensions.

This is usually a routine exercise, but this year the “triple lock” is being suspended because of the way the pandemic has warped economic indicators.

Read on for the full explanation…

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

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

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MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

The Social Security (Uprating Of Benefits) Bill – all stages
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Enacts the annual increases in the State Pension, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. Usually a routine piece of legislation, but this time it suspends the “triple lock” for a year (the mechanism that ensures pensions rise in line with inflation, average earnings or by 2.5% per cent, whichever is highest). This is to avoid increasing pensions by 8.8%, because that’s how much average earnings rose over the last quarter due to the pandemic.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

TUESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER

Unauthorised Development (Offences) Bill
Makes unauthorised development without planning permission an offence and bans retrospective planning applications. At the moment, in the event of unauthorised developments, a council will usually serve an enforcement notice requiring the property owner to put things back as they were. Ten minute rule motion presented by Gareth Bacon.

WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER

Hen Caging (Prohibition) Bill
Bans the caging of commercially reared, egg-laying hens and pullet (young hens). Ten minute rule motion presented by Henry Smith.

Compensation (London Capital & Finance PLC and Fraud Compensation Fund) Bill – report stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Creates a fund to compensate the 11,625 bondholders whose investments were largely wiped out when the financial services firm London Capital & Finance collapsed in 2019. The scheme will be financed by the Treasury and administered by the Financial Services Compensation Fund. The bill also allows the Treasury to make a loan to the Fraud Compensation Fund, to help it pay out £350m to victims of pension fraud who have recently come into scope of the fund.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

Subsidy Control Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (part)
Creates a legal framework to allow public authorities, including devolved administrations and local councils, to deliver subsidies to businesses. Aims to give them more flexibility meet local needs around levelling up, achieving net-zero carbon, and supporting economic recovery from the pandemic. This replaces EU state aid rules.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 24 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

• Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill – goes to Lords
• Non-Disclosure Agreements Bill – goes to second reading
• Health and Social Care Levy Bill – goes to Lords
• Abuse of Public-Facing Workers (Offences) Bill – goes to second reading

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

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