No. 85 1 House of Commons Tuesday 20 December 2016 Votes and Proceedings The House met at 11.30 am. PRAYERS. 1 Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 2 Urgent Question: Sky: 21st Century Fox takeover bid (Secretary Karen Bradley) 3 House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill: Presentation (Standing Order No. 57) Mr David Hanson, supported by Clive Efford, Matthew Pennycook, Barbara Keeley, Bill Esterson, Jack Dromey, Louise Haigh, Kate Green, Lyn Brown, Liam Byrne and Paul Blomfield, presented a Bill to amend the House of Lords Act 1999 to remove the by-election system for the election of hereditary peers; to provide for the exclusion of hereditary peers from the House of Lords over time; and for connected purposes. Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 24 March 2017, and to be printed (Bill 116). 4 Rail Ombudsman: Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order No. 23) Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to establish a Rail Ombudsman to scrutinise performance and complaints and represent the interests of passengers; to make provision for the Ombudsman to levy fines on train operating companies for late running and cancellation of trains and about the use of such fines; and for connected purposes; That Tim Loughton, Sir Nicholas Soames, Sir Peter Bottomley, Ms Harriet Harman, Maria Caulfield, Nusrat Ghani, Peter Kyle, Huw Merriman, Chris Philp, Henry Smith, Caroline Ansell and Caroline Lucas present the Bill. Tim Loughton accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 24 March 2017, and to be printed (Bill 117). 5 Backbench Business (1) Leasehold and commonhold reform Resolved, That this House has considered leasehold and commonhold reform.—(Jim Fitzpatrick.) (2) Matters to be raised before the forthcoming adjournment Resolved, That this House has considered matters to be raised before the forthcoming adjournment.—(Bob Blackman.) 6 Adjournment Subject: Proposed closure of Woolwich barracks (Matthew Pennycook). Motion made and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mr Robert Syms.) At 7.00 pm, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 9(3)). 2 Votes and Proceedings: 20 December 2016 No. 85 Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mr Robert Syms.) Adjourned at 7.23 pm until Monday 9 January 2017 (Resolution, 17 March). _________________ Other proceedings Lords Messages 7 Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill [Lords] The Lords have passed a Bill to raise the minimum age of consent to marriage or civil partnership to eighteen; create an offence of causing a person under the age of eighteen to enter into a marriage or civil partnership; and for connected purposes, to which they desire the agreement of the Commons. 8 Lobbying (Transparency) Bill [Lords] The Lords have passed a Bill to establish a Registrar of lobbyists, a register of lobbyists and a Code of Conduct for lobbyists; and for related purposes, to which they desire the agreement of the Commons. General Committees: Reports 9 European Committee B in respect of European Union Document No. 13730/16 and Addenda 1 to 3, a Proposal for a Council Directive on a Common Corporate Tax Base, and European Union Document No. 13731/16 and Addenda 1 to 3, a Proposal for a Council Directive on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base Mr David Hanson (Chair) reported the following resolution: That the Committee takes note of European Union Document No. 13730/16 and Addenda 1 to 3, a Proposal for a Council Directive on a Common Corporate Tax Base; further takes note of European Union Document No. 13731/16 and Addenda 1 to 3, a Proposal for a Council Directive on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base; considers that the proposals do not comply with the principle of subsidiarity for the reasons set out in the Twenty-third Report of the European Scrutiny Committee (HC 71-xxi); regrets that because of the inflexibility of the deadline for providing a Reasoned Opinion over the Christmas period it has not proved possible in the time available for the House to serve a Reasoned Opinion in accordance with Article 6 of Protocol No. 2 annexed to the EU Treaties on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; and instructs the Clerk of the House to forward this motion and the Reasoned Opinion recommended by the European Scrutiny Committee to the European Commission by way of political dialogue. Reports from Select Committees 10 Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee (1) Corporate governance: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 702); (2) Correspondence with the Pubs Code Adjudicator relating to the Pubs Code Adjudicator: Written evidence, to be published; (3) Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy relating to the energy revolution and future challenges for UK energy and climate change policy inquiry: Written evidence, to be published (Mr Iain Wright). No. 85 Votes and Proceedings: 20 December 2016 3 11 Foreign Affairs Committee (1) The UK’s relations with Russia: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 120); (2) Correspondence from the BBC relating to the future operations of BBC Monitoring: Written evidence, to be published; (3) Provision of equipment to the Lebanese Armed Forces: Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, FCO: Written evidence, to be published (Crispin Blunt). 12 Justice Committee (1) Implications of Brexit for the justice system: Oral and written evidence, to be published (HC 750); (2) Correspondence from the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on Charlie Taylor’s review of the youth justice system: Written evidence, to be published; (3) Implications of Brexit for the Crown Dependencies: Written evidence, to be published (HC 752); (4) Prison reform: Written evidence, to be published (HC 548) (Robert Neill). 13 Liaison Committee Evidence from the Prime Minister: Oral evidence, to be published (HC 833) (Mr Andrew Tyrie). 14 Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (1) Annual scrutiny of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: Written evidence, to be published (HC 809); (2) Chilcot Inquiry: Lessons for the machinery of Government: Written evidence, to be published (HC 656); (3) Lessons learned from the EU Referendum: Written evidence, to be published (HC 496) (Mr Bernard Jenkin). John Bercow Speaker The Speaker will take the Chair at 2.30 pm. Sitting in Westminster Hall The sitting began at 9.30 am. Business appointed by the Chairman of Ways and Means (Standing Order No. 10(6)) (1) Case of Andy Tsege and other UK nationals imprisoned abroad Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered the case of Andy Tsege and other UK nationals imprisoned abroad.—(Tom Brake.) At 11.00 am, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)). (2) CrossCountry intercity train services to Gloucester Motion made and Question proposed, That this House has considered CrossCountry intercity train services to Gloucester.—(Richard Graham.) 4 Votes and Proceedings: 20 December 2016 No. 85 At 11.30 am, the Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)). The sitting was suspended between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm (Standing Order No. 10(1)(b)). (3) Child poverty Resolved, That this House has considered child poverty.—(Dan Jarvis.) The sitting was suspended between 3.55 pm and 4.00 pm. (4) Case of Brandon Rayat Resolved, That this House has considered the case of Brandon Rayat.—(Keith Vaz.) (5) Closure of jobcentres in Glasgow Resolved, That this House has considered the matter of the closure of jobcentres in Glasgow.—(Stewart Malcolm McDonald.) Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)). Adjourned at 5.29 pm until Tuesday 10 January 2017. Lindsay Hoyle Chairman of Ways and Means APPENDIX Papers presented or laid upon the Table: Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution: 1 Competition Draft Claims in respect of Loss or Damage arising from Competition Infringements (Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment)) Regulations 2017 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Greg Clark). 2 Immigration Draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2017 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum and an Impact Assessment (by Command) (Secretary Amber Rudd). 3 Town and Country Planning Draft Housing and Planning Act 2016 (Permission in Principle etc) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2017 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Gavin Barwell). Papers subject to Negative Resolution: 4 Agriculture Nitrate Pollution Prevention (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2016 (S.I., 2016, No. 1254), dated 19 December 2016 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Andrea Leadsom). No. 85 Votes and Proceedings: 20 December 2016 5 5 Copyright Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) Order 2016 (S.I., 2016, No. 1219), dated 14 December 2016 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Secretary Greg Clark). 6 Income Tax Sporting Testimonial Payments (Excluded Relevant Step) Regulations 2016 (S.I., 2016, No. 1250), dated 19 December 2016 (by Act), with an Explanatory Memorandum (by Command) (Jane Ellison). Other Papers: 7 Banking Report under section 231 of the Banking Act 2009 for 1 April–30 September 2016 (by Act) (Simon Kirby). 8 Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Framework document for the Oil and Gas Authority (by Command) (Cm. 9390) (Secretary Greg Clark). 9 Energy Contracts for difference and capacity market scheme update for 2016 (by Act) (Secretary Greg Clark). 10 Government Resources and Accounts (1) Consolidated Report and Accounts of Department for Education for 2015–16, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act); to be printed (HC 326) (Mr David Gauke); and (2) Report and Accounts of the Education Funding Agency for 2015–16, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (by Act); to be printed (HC 841) (Secretary Justine Greening).