Clear the Lobby: What Laws are MPs voting on this week? W/C 28th March 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,

Easter recess begins at the end of Thursday.

MPs will spend the time until then wrapping up legislation.

We have a bit more clarification on the timeline. Parliament will be suspended around the end of April, with the next Queen’s Speech scheduled for 10 May.

Boris Johnson gets a grilling on Wednesday.

He’s due to appear before the Liaison Committee.

This is the “super committee” made up of the chairs of all the other select committees, which usually quizzes the prime minister three times a year.

And we’re still waiting for the government’s energy security strategy.

This plan is a rethinking of how the UK’s energy demand should be met. Initial steps have already been taken to phase out Russian energy.

Part of the answer could lie in supporting UK oil and gas, and embracing onshore wind farms, but the publication has been delayed yet again amid cabinet splits.

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

Sebastian (@sebastiansalek)

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MONDAY 28 MARCH

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill – consideration of Lords amendments
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland (part), Northern Ireland (part)
Reforms the technical education system. Introduces a lifelong loan entitlement, which enables people to retrain throughout their lives. Enables employers and training providers to work together to make sure skills provision meets local needs. Gives the government more power to intervene where colleges don’t meet local needs, among other things. Started in the Lords.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill – consideration of Lords amendments
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland (part), Northern Ireland (part)
A wide-ranging bill that reforms the criminal justice system. Among other things it lets the police issue noise limits for some protests, allows Crown Courts try people for criminal damage of memorials where the value of the damage is less than £5,000, and increases the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker from one year to two.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

TUESDAY 29 MARCH

Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Payments Bill
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. Ten minute rule motion presented by Christopher Chope.

WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH

Breast Screening Bill
Aims to increase uptake of NHS Breast Screening Programme appointments, including in groups less likely to take them up. Extends eligibility to include people atincreased risk of breast cancer because of their family history. Ten minute rule motion presented by Steve Brine.

Health and Care Bill – consideration of Lords amendments
Applies to: England, Scotland (part), Wales, Northern Ireland (part)
Aims to integrate the health system (run by the NHS) and the care system (run by local authorities) by giving both bodies a duty to collaborate with each other. This replaces the 2012 reforms which put a big focus on competition and markets. Gives the health secretary more powers over the NHS, such as intervening in hospital closures and creating new trusts.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing

THURSDAY 31 MARCH

No votes scheduled

FRIDAY 1 APRIL

No votes scheduled

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

LAST WEEK’S VOTES

Passed

• Shared Prosperity Fund (Wales) Bill – goes to second reading
• Nationality and Borders Bill – goes back to Lords
• Short and Holiday-Let (Registration) Bill – goes to second reading
• Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill – became law

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