Clear the Lobby: What Laws are MPs voting on this week? W/C 18th July 2022

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,

Hope you’re staying cool in the heat.

It’s all about the Tory leadership race.

While business continues in the Commons, a lot of it is dependent on who the next prime minister is. We’ve already seen the Online Safety Bill delayed until autumn. Could other pieces of legislation go the same way?

That said, it’s the last week before recess.

So just another few days of lawmaking before MPs head back to their constituencies for the summer. When they come back on 5 September we’ll have a successor to Boris Johnson.

And an unusual move from the PM on Monday.

He’s scheduled a motion of confidence in his own government. Labour tried to move a similar motion last week, which was rejected because it was worded as a confidence vote in the government and the prime minister. More info here.

Have a good summer. In the meantime, feel free to tweet me, or just reply to this email.

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

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MONDAY 18 JULY

No votes scheduled

TUESDAY 19 JULY

Supply of Drugs to Children Under 16 (Aggravated Offence) Bill
Makes the criminal offence of supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug an aggravated offence (meaning the punishment is harsher) if the person being supplied or offered the drug is under 16. Ten minute rule motion presented by Kevin Hollinrake.

Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – committee stage
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Gives the government the power to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which lays out the post-Brexit trading agreements for Northern Ireland. At the moment, there’s effectively a hard border in the Irish Sea, which means checks on certain goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland. The government wants to make it easier for those goods to flow, but the EU argues that going back on the Northern Ireland Protocol is against international law.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

WEDNESDAY 20 JULY

Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Bill
Extends automatic pension enrolment to all workers aged 18 or over, regardless of how much they earn. Currently it’s applicable to those aged at least 22, earning a minimum of £10,000 a year. Ten minute rule motion presented by Richard Holden.

Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – committee stage
Continued from Tuesday.

THURSDAY 21 JULY

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 22 JULY

No votes scheduled

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

LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Bill – becomes law
• Pets (Microchips) Bill – goes to second reading
• Fashion Supply Chain (Code and Adjudicator) Bill – goes to second reading
• Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill – goes to committee stage
• Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill – goes to committee stage
• Shark Fins Bill – goes to committee stage
• Pensions Dashboards (Prohibition of Indemnification) Bill – goes to committee stage

Postponed

• Online Safety Bill – postponed until autumn
• Public Advocate (No. 2) Bill – ran out of time

Other

• Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – committee stage continues

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