MPs will continue debating the Chancellor’s Budget on Monday, before concluding the four-day debate at 7pm on Tuesday. They will then decide on 108 Ways and Means motions, paving the way for the Finance Bill.

Most tax-raising measures – introducing a tax, renewing an annual tax, increasing a rate or widening a tax’s scope – require a separate Ways and Means motion. Once approved, these motions become resolutions of the House. These resolutions provide the parliamentary authority on which the Finance Bill is founded. The Bill, which gives statutory effect to the Government’s tax proposals, can only be introduced once the necessary resolutions have been approved.

Although the Budget debate ranges widely across the Government’s plans, it formally takes place on the first Ways and Means motion, concerning the charging of income tax. Under Standing Order No. 51, this is the only one of the 108 motions that MPs can amend.

If the Speaker selects any amendments, these will be decided first, followed by the motion itself, as amended if necessary. The remaining 107 motions must then be put ‘forthwith’: without further debate or amendment.

With so many decisions to get through, the Chair may group consecutive motions together – for example, asking the House to agree motions 42 to 55. Most are usually approved without a division, with recorded votes confined to a handful of measures that opposition parties wish to contest.

The motions are not a complete checklist of the Budget announcements. Some measures will be implemented through future Finance Bills or other primary or secondary legislation. Conversely, this year’s Finance Bill may include measures announced in earlier Budgets that are only now being legislated for. The Government consults on tax legislation before the relevant Finance Bill is introduced, often providing draft clauses so that stakeholders can comment on the technical details.

Once the resolutions are approved, the Government can immediately present the Finance Bill. Its long title will be read out, and a Whip will name a day for Second Reading.

Listen out for the word ‘tomorrow’. This is a procedural device to place Second Reading on the House’s Future Business; it does not mean MPs will actually debate the Bill the following day.

MPs will also be told that the ‘King’s recommendation’ has been signified. This reflects the constitutional principle that proposals for taxation or public expenditure originate with the Crown, acting though the Government. The recommendation now is a procedural formality: the King acts on Ministers’ advice and expresses no personal view on their tax or spending plans.

Some Budget tax changes are already in force, thanks to the Provisional Collection of Taxes motion agreed immediately after the Chancellor’s statement last Wednesday. But this initial legal authority is temporary: MPs must approve the relevant Budget resolutions within 10 sitting days to keep those changes in effect.

Resolutions containing the necessary declaration under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968 can provide legal authority to collect the taxes for up to seven months while the Finance Bill completes its passage. However, the Bill must receive a Second Reading within 30 sitting days of the resolutions being approved. If it does not, that authority lapses and the Government must repay the taxes collected under it.

On current sitting and recess arrangements, that deadline falls on Thursday 7 January 2027, so Second Reading must take place no later than that day.

This process secures parliamentary approval for the Government’s tax plans, but offers limited scope for effective financial scrutiny. The Budget debate is generally a high-level discussion of economic policy, rather than detailed examination of individual tax measures. It is followed by decisions on 108 motions, all but one of which MPs cannot amend. MPs can oppose individual measures, but have little opportunity at this stage to test their design, examine their practical consequences, or insist on changes.

The Finance Bill offers further opportunities for scrutiny, informed by the Treasury Committee’s conclusions. But the Commons lacks the specialist support available to legislators in some other parliaments, such as a dedicated Budget Committee and a Parliamentary Budget Office providing independent analysis of the Government’s tax and spending plans. Much of a Finance Bill’s detailed scrutiny falls to a temporary committee, rather than a standing body able to build expertise from one Budget to the next. And the narrowness of the first Budget resolution that MPs will be asked to approve will allow the Government to constrain the scope of amendments they can subsequently propose.

*** Listen to the latest Parliament Matters podcast episode – Order! Order! Nusrat Ghani on how she keeps MPs in line during the Budget debate – How do you keep MPs in line on Budget day? Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani MP reveals the preparation, nerves and split-second judgements behind chairing the Commons, from reading the room to deploying humour without crushing confidence. In an exclusive interview, she reflects on the authority and history of the office she now occupies. Plus, we examine the Budget’s unfinished business, Nigel Farage’s missing prayer card, and a proposal buried in the small print to reduce parliamentary scrutiny of the qualifying rules concerning some major projects. ***

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MPs will debate an e-petition opposing the Government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s on Monday (2 November). With nearly 218,000 signatures, the petition argues that social media provides important opportunities for young people to build friendships and find community.

Labour MP Tony Vaughan will lead the Westminster Hall debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. Ian Murray MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety, is expected to respond on behalf of the Government. MPs can raise concerns and question the Minister, but there will be no vote at the end of the debate.

The Government announced in June that it intended to prohibit social media platforms from providing services to under-16s, with restrictions expected to take effect in spring 2027. The plans also include restrictions on features such as livestreaming and communication with strangers. For 16- and 17-year-olds, overnight curfews and blocks on indefinite scrolling will be enabled on devices by default.

Ministers will not bring forward a new Bill setting out the restrictions. Instead, they intend to use powers inserted into the Online Safety Act 2023 by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April.

These powers emerged from a prolonged disagreement between the Commons and Lords. Peers initially sought an explicit statutory requirement for platforms to prevent under-16s from accessing social media. The Government instead proposed a much broader delegated power, allowing Ministers to decide which internet services and features to restrict, the age thresholds to apply and how the restrictions should operate.

In a briefing published in March, we warned that the Government’s approach would confer substantial policy-making discretion on Ministers. The power extends beyond social media to other internet services and features. It also allows Ministers to amend primary legislation where consequential changes are necessary.

The Government argues that delegated legislation provides the flexibility to respond quickly to technological change.

But that flexibility comes at a cost to parliamentary scrutiny. The regulations will require parliamentary approval, but MPs and peers cannot amend them. They must approve the package proposed by Ministers or reject it altogether. They will not be able to vote separately to change which platforms are covered, how age verification works or whether particular restrictions go too far.

Monday’s debate offers MPs an opportunity to press for changes before the regulations are laid, which Ministers have indicated will happen before the end of the year. It could influence the Government’s approach. But once the regulations reach Parliament, MPs will not be able to rewrite them. Parliament handed responsibility for the detailed rules to Ministers when it granted these delegated powers.

This illustrates why our proposals for reform of delegated legislation would make a practical difference. We propose allowing MPs to amend the motion approving regulations, making their approval conditional on Ministers making specified changes. MPs could then support the principle of protecting children online while seeking changes to particular restrictions or safeguards. Ministers would retain responsibility for making the regulations, but MPs would have a meaningful way to secure improvements without rejecting the entire package.

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The House of Lords begins Committee Stage of the Representation of the People Bill on Monday (2 November), with a second sitting scheduled for Wednesday 4 November. Six days have provisionally been allocated for detailed scrutiny of the Bill in Committee.

The Bill would lower the voting age to 16 for UK parliamentary and local elections, enable more automated voter registration, expand the forms of identification accepted at polling stations, and strengthen controls on political donations and campaign finance.

Committee Stage will take place in the Lords Chamber, as a Committee of the Whole House, allowing all peers to participate. They will consider whether each clause should remain in the Bill, and debate amendments proposing changes. However, peers usually use this stage to probe the Government’s position and press for concessions, rather than force votes. An amendment defeated at Committee Stage cannot be retabled at Report Stage in identical terms or with identical effect.

Committee Stage should therefore reveal the main disagreements and where Ministers may be willing to compromise. Contested votes are more likely at Report Stage. Any changes ultimately agreed by the Lords would return to the Commons for consideration, potentially triggering parliamentary ‘ping-pong’.

Peers have tabled amendments seeking to retain the voting age at 18 or require a referendum before the reduction takes effect. Others focus on how newly enfranchised voters will be registered and whether safeguards for their personal information are sufficient.

Voter identification is another potential battleground. Ministers propose adding bank cards to the documents accepted at polling stations, but amendments seek to remove them from the list or restrict their use.

The Bill would introduce a moratorium on cryptocurrency donations and a £100,000 annual cap on donations from overseas electors. Both provisions would apply to donations received since 25 March 2026, potentially affecting the £72 million recently donated to Reform UK by two individuals.

The Lords Constitution Committee has challenged this retrospective approach. Ministers argue that it would prevent donors exploiting the gap between the policy announcement and the law taking effect. But the Committee stresses that an announcement cannot change the law and concludes that retrospectivity has not been sufficiently justified. Amendments addressing this issue may emerge before later sittings of the Committee.

Other peers want stronger restrictions. Amendments seek a cap on large domestic donations, as well as those from overseas electors, and lower election spending limits.

The Constitution Committee also criticises powers in the Bill to create criminal offences through regulations concerning voter registration information and pilot schemes. It reiterates that creating offences through delegated legislation (also known as secondary legislation) is constitutionally unacceptable, and says the Government has provided no justification for these powers. This raises a further question for peers: which safeguards should Parliament settle in the Bill, rather than leave to Ministers?

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On Wednesday (4 November), Labour peer Lord Mann will ask the Government what assessment it has made of the House of Lords’ relevance to contemporary Britain and Northern Ireland.

The question comes amid renewed debate about the second chamber’s membership, role, and relationship with the elected Commons. Labour’s manifesto committed to replacing the Lords with an alternative chamber more representative of the UK’s nations and regions. But the Government has yet to announce a timetable for consulting on that longer-term change.

More immediate reforms have progressed. The remaining hereditary peers have lost their automatic right to sit, while a Lords committee recently recommended a retirement age of 80, phased in over five years, and a minimum attendance requirement of 20% of sitting days.

Oral questions offer a brief opportunity to press Ministers, rather than reach a formal decision. Lord Mann will ask the first supplementary question before other peers join in during the 10-minute slot. The exchanges may nevertheless reveal whether, and if so when, the Government intends to pursue more fundamental reform.

One issue is how the second chamber represents the UK’s nations and regions. Although its members come from across the country, there is no systematic mechanism to ensure that its composition reflects their populations or interests. The challenge for Ministers is to explain what a more representative chamber would look like and how they intend to get there.

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Should prisoners lose family visits as punishment for breaking prison rules? On Tuesday (3 November), peers will debate the Prison (Governor’s and Adjudicators’ Punishments) (Amendment) Rules 2026, which strengthen disciplinary sanctions for adult prisoners, and a regret motion in relation to them proposed by Lord Farmer.

The Rules introduce powers to withdraw social visits temporarily or reduce their frequency, with an exemption for visits from prisoners’ children under 18 and accompanying adults. They also double the maximum period for withdrawing privileges and the additional days that independent adjudicators can impose, from 42 to 84 days.

The Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) has highlighted concerns about the consequences for rehabilitation, prisoner behaviour and families. The Committee also criticises the lack of government analysis of how longer disciplinary penalties could affect prison capacity, and it questions whether the Ministry of Justice adequately understands the scale and causes of indiscipline.

Ministers argue that stronger sanctions are needed for serious or persistent rule-breaking and that restrictions on visits should be a last resort. But the Committee has questioned how their effects will be monitored and reported.

Lord Farmer’s regret motion challenges the restrictions on visits, citing their potential consequences, prison governors’ reservations, and the lack of an assessment of likely impacts.

These Rules are a negative Statutory Instrument: they did not require an approval vote in either House to become law. They have been in force since 2 September, and the statutory period for annulling them has already expired. Lord Farmer’s regret motion allows peers to put their objections on record. Even if agreed, however, it would neither amend nor overturn the Rules.

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Remember, parliamentary business can change at short notice so always double-check the Order Paper on the relevant day if you are interested in a particular item of business.

Library briefings for each day: Commons · Lords

2:30pm, Housing, Communities and Local Government Questions

3:30pm, Ten Minute Rule: Submarine Recycling Strategy Bill for recyling decommissioned submarines (Graeme Downie, Labour)

Budget debate (continued from last Thursday)

Adjournment Debate: Regulation of the hair and beauty sector (Vikki Slade, Liberal Democrat)

Westminster Hall: 4:30pm, e-petition 757233 relating to the proposed ban on social media for under 16s

Delegated Legislation Committee: 6:00pm, draft Housing (Tenancy Deposit Schemes) Order 2026

2:30pm, Oral Questions

3:10pm, Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill: Third Reading

Representation of the People Bill: Committee of the Whole House (day 1 of 6)

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11:30am, Treasury Questions

12:30pm, Ten Minute Rule: Food Labelling (Halal and Kosher Meat) Bill to introduce compulsory labelling (Esther McVey, Conservative)

Conclusion of Budget debate (continued from yesterday)

Adjournment Debate: Future of minibus drivers for community transport services (Freddie van Mierlo, Liberal Democrat)

Westminster Hall: 9:30am, the findings of the Milburn Review into Young people and work interim report published on 28 May 2026; 11:00am, the prevention and public awareness of strangulation; 2:30pm, the impact of extreme weather on train services; 4:00pm, the use of agricultural land for solar panels; 4:30pm, the potential merits of adding gynaecological conditions to Equality Act 2010 guidance

Public Bill Committees: 9:25am and 2:00pm, Social Housing Bill; 9:25am and 2:00pm, Immigration and Asylum Bill; 9:25am and 2:00pm, Highways (Financing) Bill

Delegated Legislation Committee: 2:30pm, draft Administrative Court (Recording and Broadcasting) and Court of Appeal (Recording and Broadcasting) (Amendment) Order 2026 and draft Magistrates’ Courts (Recording and Broadcasting) Order 2026

2:30pm, Oral Questions

3:10pm, Health Bill: Committee of the Whole House (day 2 of 7)

Interruption around 7:30pm for 1 hour, Prison (Governor’s and Adjudicators’ Punishments) (Amendment) Rules 2026: regret motion (Lord Farmer, Conservative)

Grand Committee: 3:45pm, debate on the Industry and Regulators Committee report “Time is Money: How Regulators can Support Growth”; debate on the Economic Affairs Committee report “Fortifying the fiscal framework”

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11:30am, Wales Questions

12:00 noon, Prime Minister’s Questions

12:30pm, Ten Minute Rule: Fashion Supply Chain (Code and Adjudicator) Bill (Liz Twist, Labour)

Sporting Events Bill: Report and Third Reading

Adjournment Debate: Impact of new strategic licensing regulations on London (Rachel Blake, Labour)

Westminster Hall: 9:30am, smart glasses and violence against women and girls; 11:00am, the potential merits of a national lifelong learning strategy; 2:30pm, the impact of heating oil prices on rural areas; 4:00pm, police powers for tackling the use of illegal off-road bikes in the North East; 4:30pm, potholes and road maintenance in Suffolk

Delegated Legislation Committee: 2:30pm, draft Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 (Continuation) Order 2026

11:00am, Oral Questions

11:40am, Representation of the People Bill: Committee of the Whole House (day 2 of 6)

Interruption around 1:30pm for 1 hour, Global Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Sanctions Regulations 2026: debate on approval and regret motion (Lord Leigh of Hurley, Conservative)

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Both Houses rise on Wednesday 4 November for the autumn recess. The Lords will return on Monday 9 November at 2:30pm, while the Commons will not return until Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 2:30pm. Our next Bulletin will be published on Sunday 8 November.

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