Private Business: At 14:30, business on Private Bills will be considered without debate. Dame Emily Thornberry has previously given notice of a motion to defer Report Stage of the Royal Albert Hall Bill by “six months”, a conventional way of signalling an objection, preventing Report Stage from being taken without debate, so compelling the Chairman of Ways and Means (the Senior Deputy Speaker) to make time available on another day. A similar tactic was used to secure a debate on the Bill’s Second Reading (see previous Bulletin more on this Bill). The Chairman of Ways and Means is then set to move motions intended to carry over the Royal Albert Hall Bill, the Malvern Hills Bill, and the Cheltenham Borough Council (Markets) Bill into the next Session, so that they are not lost on prorogation. The carry-over motions must themselves be deferred if any MP objects, as happened when the Royal Albert Hall Bill was previously on the Order Paper last Wednesday.

Questions and statements: Work and Pensions Ministers will respond to MPs’ questions. Topics include the women’s state pension age, departmental response times, apprenticeships, the Child Maintenance Service, disability benefits for children, Statutory Sick Pay, the right to try work, trends in unemployment, and food poverty.

At 15:30, any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow. Each Urgent Question lasts around 40 minutes on average, and Ministerial Statements last an average of around 50 minutes.

Presentation of Bills: Two Bills will be formally presented for First Reading without debate:

Conservative MP and Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden will present the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Recognition) Bill, to prohibit the legal recognition of marriages and civil partnerships contracted outside the UK if they would not have been valid if contracted in England and Wales.

Liberal Democrat MP and former leader Tim Farron will present the Water Regulation (No. 2) Bill, to allow mutualisation of insolvent water companies, to replace the Water Services Regulation Authority with a Clean Water Authority, and to require water companies to offer a social tariff. A similar Bill was presented by Farron last July.

Presentation Bills are unlikely to receive further consideration in the absence of Government support but give non-Government MPs an opportunity to put their legislative proposals on the record. See the Hansard Society guide to Presentation Bills for more.

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Consideration of Lords Message): Six areas of disagreement between the two Houses remain to be resolved before the Bill can be sent to receive Royal Assent:

• Rural affairs: The original Lords amendment sought to add rural affairs to the areas of competence of strategic authorities. The Commons rejected this amendment outright, and the Lords have now chosen to insist on their original amendment.

• Brownfield land: The original Lords amendment sought to prevent mayors and combined authorities from designating greenfield land for development where suitable brownfield land is available. The Commons rejected this amendment outright. Rather than pressing their original amendment, the Lords have proposed two amendments in lieu. These would require spatial development strategies prepared by mayors and by combined authorities to prioritise brownfield development. However, the amendments would still permit the use of greenfield land where the authority determines that development of brownfield land alone cannot meet development needs or is not deliverable.

• Local government executives: The original Lords amendments sought to remove the requirement for local authorities to adopt a leader-and-cabinet governance model. The Commons rejected these amendments but proposed some drafting changes to the original provision. The Lords have now chosen to insist on their original amendment and disagree with the Commons’ changes.

• Parish governance: The original Lords amendment sought to require the Government to develop a strategy to expand parish governance in currently unparished areas. The Commons rejected this amendment but proposed an amendment in lieu which would allow any new “neighbourhood governance” structures to include representatives of parish councils. The Lords have now chosen to insist on their original amendment and reject the Commons amendment in lieu.

• Agent-of-change principle: The original Lords amendment sought to embed a principle in licensing and planning decisions to protect existing businesses and community facilities from restrictions arising from newer developments. The Commons rejected this proposal outright. Instead of insisting on their original amendment, the Lords have proposed two amendments in lieu. These would require planning authorities to consider whether development near existing activities includes sufficient measures to manage or mitigate their impact. They would also prevent authorities from imposing additional costs on existing facilities as conditions of granting planning permission.

• Combined authority governance: The original Lords amendments sought to remove the Government’s power to alter the governance or composition of combined authorities without the consent of the councils involved, and to remove provisions intended to streamline existing consent and consultation processes. The Commons rejected these amendments outright. The Lords have now chosen to insist on their original amendments.

When the Lords propose an amendment, and the Commons disagrees with it outright, and the Lords insist on their original amendment, the Commons cannot insist on its disagreement without causing “double insistence”, which conventionally results in the Bill falling. Therefore, on the issues of rural affairs and combined authority governance, the Commons must choose whether to accept the Lords’ position or propose an alternative of its own.

Where the Lords has insisted on its original amendment and disagreed with Commons amendments in lieu – on local government executives and parish governance – the Commons must choose whether to insist on its position, accept the Lords’ position, or propose a further alternative.

Where the Lords has not insisted on its original amendment but has proposed an amendment in lieu, the Commons must decide whether to disagree with the Lords and insist on its position, accept the Lords amendment in lieu, or propose an alternative of its own.

Pension Schemes Bill (Consideration of Lords Message): Only one area of disagreement between the two Houses remains unresolved. This concerns the controversial ‘mandation’ power, which would allow Ministers to direct pension funds to invest in specified asset classes, with the aim of boosting investment in UK assets and private markets.

The original Lords amendments sought to remove this power entirely. The Commons rejected those amendments, but proposed an alternative approach, limiting Ministers to directing no more than 10% of a fund’s assets to be held in “qualifying assets”, with no more than half of that invested in UK assets. The Commons amendments would also require any regulations to operate neutrally across different asset classes.

In response, the Lords rejected the Commons’ proposals and insisted on their original amendments. The Commons then rejected the Lords’ position again and reaffirmed its own approach, while introducing further refinements. These included bringing forward the sunset date for the delegated power from 2035 to 2032, limiting the power to set headline percentage requirements so it can be exercised only once, and adding a sunset clause for the entire asset allocation regime in 2035.

Despite the Commons’ concessions and its repeated insistence on retaining the provisions, the Lords have once again held firmly to their original position. They have rejected all of the Commons’ alternatives and have not put forward any alternative proposals of their own. The Commons must now decide whether to again insist on its position, accept the Lords’ proposal to remove the power, or propose a further set of amendments.

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill (Carry-over): The Government will ask the House to carry over this Bill, intended to replace the existing legislative framework for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles, into the new Session.

The Bill has made no further progress since its Second Reading in the Commons on 18 November 2025. Without a carry over, it would therefore fall at the end of this Session.

In a Written Ministerial Statement, the Government has indicated that it plans to introduce “a substantial package of amendments” for consideration at Committee Stage in the next Session. Given the Conservatives’ opposition to the Bill in principle, they are likely to oppose the carry-over motion.

Public Office (Accountability) Bill (Carry-over): The Government will also ask the House to carry over its Bill to impose a duty of candour on public servants in dealing with inquiries and investigations. Although the Bill has completed Second Reading and Committee Stage, it has yet to pass the House of Commons. In January 2026, the Government pulled the Report Stage debate at the last minute on two occasions, preventing further progress.

The impasse stems particularly from disagreement with Labour backbenchers over whether and how the duty of candour should apply to the intelligence services. As originally introduced, the Bill included a carve-out excluding intelligence personnel from the duty. Backbench amendments sought to remove these exemptions entirely. In response, the Government proposed a compromise: intelligence personnel would be required to provide information and assistance to investigations, but only with the permission of the head of the relevant intelligence service, who could refuse solely on national security grounds.

However, this proposal has been strongly opposed by backbenchers and campaigners representing bereaved families, particularly those affected by the Hillsborough disaster and the Manchester Arena bombing. They argue that decisions to withhold information on national security grounds should not rest solely with intelligence chiefs, but rather with the chair of the relevant inquiry. Attempts to broker a compromise have so far been unsuccessful.

If necessary, consideration of Lords Message on the Crime and Policing Bill: The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the latest Commons Message earlier today. If the Lords chooses to insist on its amendments, or proposes any amendments in lieu on either of the two outstanding issues, the Bill will need to return to the Commons this evening, for further consideration. However, if the Lords accepts the Commons’ position, the Bill will not need to return, and can instead be sent to receive Royal Assent.

The two remaining areas of disagreement – Fixed Penalty Notices, and Iran-related terrorism – are summarised in today’s House of Lords section below.

If necessary, consideration of Lords Message on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the latest Commons Message earlier today. If the Lords chooses to insist on its amendments, or proposes any amendments in lieu on any of the three outstanding issues, then the Bill will need to return to the Commons this evening, for further consideration. However, if the Lords accepts the Commons’ position, the Bill will not need to return, and can instead be sent to receive Royal Assent.

The outstanding areas of disagreement – children’s access to social media, the power to limit pupil admissions, and smartphones in schools – are summarised in today’s House of Lords section below.

House of Commons Commission motion: The House will vote on a motion to formally appoint two new external members of the House of Commons Commission:

• Elizabeth Honer is currently Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Dance, having previously been Chief Executive of the Government Internal Audit Agency and Finance Director of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She previously worked for the House of Commons administration in Director-level roles until 2013.

• Nicholas Ong-Seng is the recent former Global Head of Governance, Risk and Assurance for Amazon. He holds non-executive roles as Chair of Lawyers in Local Government and Chair of the Quality Assurance Scheme Committee, for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

Presentation of Public Petitions: Conservative MP Alicia Kearns will present a petition on the Veterans Railcard and HM Forces Railcard. Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George will also present a petition, on the Penzance Driving Test Centre.

Adjournment: Labour MP Matt Western will give a speech on the contribution of Ernest Bevin. A Minister will then give a response.

Westminster Hall

16:30: MPs will debate e-petition 736578, which calls for an end to testing on dogs and other animals for the development of products for human use. The petition has around 120,000 signatures. (House of Commons Library briefing)

Delegated Legislation Committees

16:30: The draft Vaping Duty Stamps (Requirements, Reviews and Appeals) Regulations 2026

18:00: The draft Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2026

18:00: The draft First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Fees (Amendment) Order 2026

18:00: The draft Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026

↖ Contents · Skip to Tuesday’s Commons ↘

Oral questions: At 14:30, Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on online challenger banks; student visa casework and decision-making; universal free entry to museums and galleries; and the Supreme Court judgment in the For Women Scotland case.

Motions on Private Bills: The Senior Deputy Speaker will invite the House to agree with the Commons to suspend proceedings on the City of London (Markets) Bill at the end of the current Session, allowing the Bill to be carried over into the next Session.

Crime and Policing Bill (Consideration of Commons Amendments and Reasons): After several rounds of ping-pong, only two issues remain to be resolved:

• Fixed penalty notices: The original Lords amendment sought to prevent accredited or authorised individuals working on behalf of local authorities from profiting financially from issuing fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for breaches of public spaces protection orders or community protection orders. The Commons rejected this approach and instead proposed allowing Government guidance on anti-social behaviour orders to cover the issuing of FPNs. The Lords did not insist on their original amendment and agreed to this alternative, but proposed changes requiring that such guidance explicitly address how to prevent financial incentives for issuing FPNs. The Commons rejected those changes but responded with further amendments in lieu, imposing a duty on the Secretary of State to issue guidance on FPNs, rather than conferring a discretion. Again, the Lords accepted the Commons’ position but proposed additional amendments, specifying that the guidance should include measures to discourage authorised persons from issuing FPNs for financial gain. The Commons rejected those amendments and proposed a further amendment in lieu, requiring the Government to publish its guidance on FPNs within six months. The Lords must now decide whether to insist on their previous amendments, accept the Commons’ latest proposal, or put forward further amendments of their own.

• Iran-related terrorism: The original Lords amendment sought to require the Government to review whether organisations linked to the Iranian Government should be proscribed as terrorist organisations, and to publish the outcome. The Commons rejected this proposal, prompting the Lords to insist on their original amendment. In response, the Commons maintained its disagreement but offered amendments in lieu: to require the Government to publish, within six months of enactment, a statement setting out its general policies and procedures for proscribing an organisation. The Lords then chose not to insist on their original amendment, but instead rejected the Commons proposal and put forward their own amendment in lieu. This would require the Government to review whether any organisations linked to the Iranian armed forces should be proscribed. The Commons has now rejected that amendment and insisted on its own alternative. The Lords must therefore decide whether to insist on their amendment in lieu, accept the Commons proposal, or bring forward further amendments.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Consideration of Commons Amendments and Reasons): After several rounds of ping-pong, only three issues remain to be resolved:

• Children’s access to social media: The original Lords amendment sought to require the Government to mandate that social media platforms prevent children under 16 from using their services. The Commons rejected this approach, instead proposing a series of amendments in lieu that would give Ministers a broad delegated power to restrict children’s access to specified internet services, should they choose to do so. The Lords responded by insisting on their original amendments and rejecting the Commons’ alternative. The Commons proposed further amendments in lieu. These largely retained the scope of the proposed delegated power, but clarified how it could be exercised, required the Government to report on progress in making the relevant regulations, and obliged Ministers to consider how children of different ages might be affected by particular services and features. In response, the Lords chose not to insist on their original amendment and instead accepted the Commons’ overall approach, while proposing further changes. These would require any regulations made under the new power to impose a duty on providers to use highly effective age assurance measures to prevent under-16s from accessing specified services or features. They would also require the national curriculum to explain the reasons for such restrictions. The Commons have now rejected these Lords amendments without offering any further alternatives. The Lords must now decide whether to insist on their amendments to the Commons’ proposed power, accept the Commons’ version, or bring forward further amendments.

• Power to limit pupil admissions: The original Lords amendment sought to restrict the circumstances in which the Schools Adjudicator could direct a school to reduce pupil admissions. It would also have required consideration of alternative measures (including amalgamation or closure) before limiting admissions at oversubscribed schools. The Commons rejected this amendment, but the Lords chose to insist on it. In response, the Commons maintained its disagreement, while proposing amendments in lieu to require the Adjudicator to take into account the quality of education at the school and to parental preferences when exercising its powers. The Lords reaffirmed their original amendment and rejected the Commons’ amendments in lieu. The Commons has now again insisted on its disagreement, but proposed a revised set of amendments in lieu. These would require the Schools Adjudicator to consult both the local authority and the Secretary of State before exercising its power. The Lords must now decide whether to insist once more on their original amendment, accept the Commons’ latest proposal, or bring forward further amendments of their own.

• Smartphones in schools: The original Lords amendment sought to require schools to ban the use of smartphones during the school day. The Commons rejected this proposal, but the Lords then chose to insist on it. In response, the Commons maintained its disagreement, while proposing amendments in lieu to enable Ministers to issue statutory guidance on smartphone use in schools, which schools would be required to take into account. The Lords then insisted on their original amendment and rejected the Commons’ alternative. The Commons has again insisted on its disagreement and proposed a further set of amendments in lieu, once more providing for Ministers to issue statutory guidance. The Lords must now decide whether to insist on their original amendment, accept the Commons’ latest proposal, or put forward a further alternative of their own.

Debate on chemicals Statutory Instrument: Peers will debate a motion to approve the draft Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026. These Regulations propose a series of changes to “assimilated law” – EU derived law that was incorporated into UK law after Brexit – relating to chemicals, including the classification, labelling and packaging of substances harmful to the environment. The Regulations would alter how the list of the most hazardous chemicals is updated. They would remove the requirement for the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to automatically consider assessments produced by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). They would also create a “fast-track” route for evaluating the classification of chemicals, removing requirements for a public consultation and for HSE to produce an “Agency Opinion” assessing socioeconomic impacts. (House of Lords Library briefing)

The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) has drawn the Regulations to the special attention of the House. It highlights concerns, particularly from environmental organisations, that removing the obligation to consider ECHA assessments could lead to regulatory divergence from EU standards, and that the new regime lacks clear statutory timelines for HSE to complete its assessments. The SLSC also notes concerns raised by Traditional Unionist Voice MP Jim Allister that the Regulations would create regulatory divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Baroness (Natalie) Bennett of Manor Castle, of the Green Party, has tabled a fatal motion that the House declines to approve the draft Regulations. She argues that they would grant the HSE broad powers to selectively adopt hazard classifications from other jurisdictions with limited accountability and would weaken environmental and public health protections carried over after Brexit, including by facilitating the approval of harmful biocides.

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Consideration of Commons Amendments and Reasons): If, when the House of Commons considers the latest Message from the Lords earlier today, it disagrees with the Lords or proposes amendments in lieu on any of the six remaining issues, the Bill will return to the Lords this evening. Peers will then need to decide how to respond.

The six outstanding areas of disagreement – rural affairs, brownfield land, local government executives, parish governance, the agent of change principle, and combined authority governance – were summarised in today’s House of Commons section above.

If the Lords agrees with the Commons’ position on all six issues today, the Bill can be sent to receive Royal Assent. Otherwise, it will return to the Commons tomorrow afternoon for further consideration.

Pension Schemes Bill (Consideration of Commons Amendments and Reasons): Once again, if the House of Commons considers the latest Message from the Lords earlier today, it disagrees with the Lords, or proposes an amendment in lieu on the single remaining issue, the Bill will return to the Lords this evening. Peers will then need to decide how to respond.

The only outstanding areas of disagreement – the ‘mandation’ power – is summarised in today’s House of Commons section above.

If the Lords agrees with the Commons’ position on this issue today, the Bill can be sent to receive Royal Assent. Otherwise, the Bill will return to the Commons early tomorrow afternoon for further consideration.

Debate on agricultural support Statutory Instrument: The House will also debate a motion to approve the draft Agriculture (Delinked Payments) (Reductions) (England) Regulations 2026. These set the percentage reductions to be applied to delinked payments in England for 2026 and 2027. Delinked payments were introduced in 2024 as a transitional replacement for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) which provided payments to farmers based largely on how much land was farmed. Unlike BPS, delinked payments are calculated with reference to historic entitlements rather than current farming activity or environmental outcomes. The Government is reducing these payments each year as part of a planned phase out, with the aim of reallocating funding to other agricultural support schemes, and 2027 is expected to be the final year in which delinked payments are made.

Conservative hereditary Peer Lord Roborough has tabled a regret motion – which would not block the Regulations, but allows the House to formally put its concerns on the record. The motion states that the Regulations will “likely result in further financial difficulties for farmers, who have not had enough time to plan for them in advance” and that “it remains unclear how the savings from the reductions to delinked payments will be reallocated to support farmers”.

Grand Committee

From 15:45, Peers will debate four draft Statutory Instruments:

• First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Fees (Amendment) Order 2026;

• Merchant Shipping (Port State Control) Regulations 2026;

• Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2026; and

• Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2026.

↖ Contents · Skip to Tuesday’s Lords ↘

Highlights include:

House of Commons

15:30: Public Accounts Committee – Northern Powerhouse Rail: Senior officials from the Department for Transport, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Treasury will give evidence on how the Government’s plans could boost economic growth in the North of England.

16:00: Energy Security and Net Zero Committee – Revisiting the nuclear roadmap: Lord (Patrick) Vallance of Balham, Minister for Science, and Sam White, Deputy Director for Nuclear Power at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will discuss the Government’s nuclear energy ambitions and how these will be achieved.

Joint Committee

16:30: National Security Strategy – Societal resilience, a national conversation: Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, former Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General, and Dr Fiona Hill, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, two of the co-authors of the Strategic Defence Review, will give evidence. Their appearance follows Lord Robertson’s warning on 14 April of a “corrosive complacency” in the UK, in which threats to national security are acknowledged in principle but not matched by meaningful engagement. He cautioned that “even a promised national conversation about defence can’t be started”.

A full list of select committee hearings can be found on the What’s On section of the Parliament website.

↖ Contents · Skip to Tuesday’s Select Committees ↘

Questions and statements: At 11:30, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and other Treasury Ministers will respond to MPs’ questions. Topics include food-bank usage, cost of living, global trade, the Defence Industrial Strategy, the conflict in the Middle East, support with fuel costs, the impact of fuel duty, public procurement from British businesses, the impact of changes to inheritance tax, relative poverty, economic growth in Wales, household energy bills, and the costs of travel for commuters.

At 12:30, any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Ten Minute Rule Motion: Labour MP James Naish will seek to introduce a Local Area Energy Plans Bill under the Ten Minute Rule which allows MPs to give a ten-minute speech in favour of a Bill before seeking the House’s permission to introduce it. The Bill would place a duty on local authorities in England to produce and maintain local area energy plans. See our Hansard Society guide for more information about the parliamentary procedure for Ten Minute Rule Bills.

If necessary, consideration of Lords Message on the Pension Schemes Bill: Only one area of disagreement remains: on the proposed ‘mandation’ power. If the Commons and Lords resolve their disagreement on Monday (see above), today’s debate will not be necessary. However, if the Commons and Lords fail to come to an agreement then the Commons will again need to consider its response to the Lords. If the Commons agrees with the Lords’ position then the Bill can be sent to receive Royal Assent. Otherwise, the Bill will return to the Lords later today for further consideration

If necessary, consideration of Lords Message on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: At the time of writing, six areas of disagreement remain – summarised in Monday’s House of Commons section above. If the Commons and Lords fail to come to an agreement on Monday on any of those six issues, the Commons will again need to consider its response to the Lords. If the Commons agrees with the Lords’ position on the remaining issues today, the Bill can be sent to receive Royal Assent. Otherwise, the Bill will return to the Lords later today.

If necessary, consideration of further Lords Messages: If the remaining disagreements on the Crime and Policing Bill and Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill are not resolved on Monday (see above), these Bills will return to the House of Lords this afternoon for consideration of the Commons Messages. If, during that debate, the Lords fails to accept the Commons’ position on any outstanding issue, the Bills will return to the Commons this evening. Details of the remaining disagreements between the two Houses on these two Bills can be found in Monday’s House of Lords section above.

It is also possible that the Commons will consider Lords Messages on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill or the Pension Schemes Bill later today, if time permits.

Presentation of Public Petition: Labour MP Bambos Charalambous will present a public petition, on the use of shops for illegal activities.

Adjournment: Reform UK MP Lee Anderson will give a speech on Houses in Multiple Occupation. A Minister will then give a response. (House of Commons Library briefing)

Westminster Hall

09:30: Government support for park home owners (House of Commons Library briefing)

11:00: The UK–India Technology Security Initiative

14:30: International parental child abduction (House of Commons Library briefing)

16:00: Funding for fire and rescue services (House of Commons Library briefing)

16:30: Potential merits of a national accident prevention strategy

Public Bill Committee

09:25 and 14:00: Courts and Tribunals Bill (Committee, day 6): The programme motion agreed at Second Reading specifies that Committee Stage must end today, so any clauses and amendments not considered by 17:00 will be voted on without debate. All that remains to be considered are proposals for new clauses and the procedural and administrative clauses towards the end of the Bill. The remaining new clauses include proposals for: reforms to sentence reductions for guilty pleas; specialist courts and procedures for sexual offence cases; extended sitting hours and times for court proceedings; targets for reductions in the backlog; a strategy for Victim-Led Intensive Case Management; judicial training about discrimination, domestic abuse, and violence against women and girls; a pilot of the jury trial reforms; free court transcripts for victims; a sunset clause for jury trial reforms; and reforms to the Unduly Lenient Sentences Scheme.

The Bill is subject to a carry-over motion, so its Report Stage debate will take place in the next parliamentary Session. (House of Commons Library briefing)

↖ Contents · Skip to Wednesday’s Commons ↘

Oral questions: At 14:30, Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on classical ballet training; the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025; implementing safety recommendations made as a result of investigations by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch; and the impact on businesses of the recent RMT strikes on London Underground services.

If necessary, consideration of further Commons Amendments and Reasons: If disagreements between the two Houses have not been resolved any of the following Bills could require further “ping-pong” at today’s sitting:

• Crime and Policing Bill;

• Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill;

• English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill;

• Pension Schemes Bill.

Details of the remaining disagreements between the two Houses on each of these Bills can be found in Monday’s business section above.

↖ Contents · Skip to Wednesday’s Lords ↘

Highlights include:

House of Commons

09:00: Foreign Affairs Committee – Sir Philip Barton, former Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), will give evidence on Lord Mandelson’s security vetting for the role of British Ambassador to Washington. Morgan McSweeney, the former Downing Street Chief of Staff, is also due to give evidence to the Committee today at 11:00.

09:45: Education Committee – Screen time and social media: Esther Ghey will give evidence. Her daughter, Brianna Ghey, a transgender teenager, was stabbed to death by two teenagers in February 2023 after being radicalised online. The Committee will also hear from Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, the charity established in memory of Molly Russell, the teenager who took her own life after exposure to harmful social media content. Later panels will include representatives from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, education trade unions, and the social media platform Snapchat.

10:15: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and Environmental Audit Committee – These two committees will hold a joint pre-appointment hearing for Dame Helen Ghosh, the Government’s preferred candidate to chair the Office for Environmental Protection.

14:30: Justice Committee – Work of the Ministry of Justice: The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Jo Farrar, will give evidence to the Committee for the first time, alongside officials from the Courts and Tribunals Service and the Prison and Probation Service.

House of Lords

11:00: European Affairs Committee – Dynamic alignment: Professor Lord Bew and Dr Lisa Claire Whitten of Queen’s University Belfast and Professor Jo Hunt of the University of Cardiff will give evidence.

A full list of select committee hearings can be found on the What’s On section of the Parliament website.

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Details of Wednesday’s business can be found below.

The Order in Council setting the timetable for prorogation – the formal end of the current parliamentary Session – specifies that Parliament is to be prorogued no earlier than Wednesday 29 April and no later than Wednesday 6 May. This means that Wednesday this week is the earliest possible date for prorogation.

If all outstanding Bills are on track to receive Royal Assent by the end of Tuesday’s sitting, Parliament could be prorogued on Wednesday morning. In that case, any business scheduled after prorogation would not take place. If prorogation were to occur before 11:30, for example, it would mean that oral questions (including Prime Minister’s Questions), as well as all scheduled Commons or Lords Business would not go ahead. The information set out in Wednesday’s section below should therefore be treated as provisional.

The prorogation ceremony

A Royal Commission, made up of five senior Peers appointed by the King, will enter the House of Lords Chamber and instruct Black Rod to summon the Commons. Black Rod will go to the Commons to summon MPs to the Lords Chamber. Once MPs have assembled, a formal greeting is exchanged between the Commissioners and the representatives of the Commons, traditionally marked by the doffing of hats and a bow.

Once Royal Assent has been granted to any remaining Bills – announced in Norman French (“Le Roy le veult”) – the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, will read a speech on behalf of the King, reviewing the Government’s legislative activity over the Session. Like the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, the prorogation speech is written by the Government not the Monarch. The Commissioners will then formally announce the prorogation of Parliament.

Prorogation brings the current Session to an end. Any Bills that have not received Royal Assent or been carried-over will fall. All Early Day Motions and unanswered parliamentary questions will also be dropped. Select committees cannot hold evidence sessions during prorogation but their inquiries can be resumed in the next Session.

The Order in Council for prorogation names the first day of the new Session – the State Opening of Parliament and the King’s Speech – as Wednesday 13 May.

↖ Contents · Skip to Wednesday’s Commons ↘

All proceedings are subject to prorogation (see above).

Questions and statements: At 11:30, Women and Equalities Ministers will respond to MPs’ questions. Topics include violence against women and girls, support for victims of sexual assault, employment support for people with autism, conversion practices, support for children with SEND, opportunities for British working-class young people, child poverty, EHRC guidance on transgender people, and domestic abuse.

At 12:00, Sir Keir Starmer is set to face the Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, at Prime Minister’s Questions.

At 12:30, any Urgent Questions or Ministerial Statements will follow.

Ten Minute Rule Motion: Conservative MP Alan Mak will seek to introduce an In-Person Banking Services Bill under the Ten Minute Rule which allows MPs to give a ten-minute speech in favour of a Bill before seeking the House’s permission to introduce it. The Bill would require the Financial Conduct Authority to set standards for the provision of in-person banking services.

If necessary, consideration of Lords Messages: If outstanding disagreements on any of the four remaining Bills – the Crime and Policing Bill, Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, and Pension Schemes Bill – have not been resolved by the close of business on Tuesday, then the Commons may need to consider further Lords Messages on those Bills today.

Adjournment: Conservative MP Joy Morrissey will give a speech on the impact of HS2 on communities. A Minister will then give a response. (House of Commons Library briefing)

Westminster Hall

09:30: Impact of the Community Infrastructure Levy on private homeowners (House of Commons Library briefing)

11:00: Government support for agriculture (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology briefing)

14:30: Government support for children developing essential skills (House of Commons Library briefing)

16:00: Government support for human rights in Burma (House of Commons Library briefing)

16:30: Water quality in Kent (House of Commons Library briefing)

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All proceedings are subject to prorogation (see above).

Oral questions: At 15:00, Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on universal coverage of Fracture Liaison Services; the persecution of Christians in Syria; and university student finance. The topic of a fourth question will be decided by a ballot drawn at lunchtime on Monday 27 April.

If necessary, consideration of Commons Messages: If the two Houses fail to resolve their disagreements on any of the four remaining Bills – Crime and Policing Bill, Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, and Pension Schemes Bill – by the end of Tuesday, then the Lords may need to consider further Commons Messages today.

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All proceedings are subject to prorogation (see above).

Highlights include:

House of Commons

09:15: Transport Committee – Supercharging the EV transition: Climate Change Committee chair Nigel Topping, DfT decarbonisation minister Keir Mather MP, and Office for Zero Emission Vehicles director Richard Bruce will give evidence.

House of Lords

11:00: Public Services Committee – The role of ambulance services in supporting accident and emergency departments’ capacity: Minister for Secondary Care Karin Smyth MP and NHS England officials will give evidence.

A full list of select committee hearings can be found on the What’s On section of the Parliament website.

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All proceedings are subject to prorogation (see above).

Questions and statements: At 09:30, Business and Trade Ministers will face questions from MPs. Topics include supporting businesses with operating costs; reducing trade barriers with the European Union; tackling late payments to small businesses; post office closures; support for businesses in rural areas; reform of auditing and corporate governance; and supporting businesses with energy costs.

Any Urgent Questions will follow.

The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir Alan Campbell MP, will present the weekly Business Statement, setting out future business in the House and answering questions about anything that Members might want debated. Any Ministerial Statements will follow.

If necessary, consideration of Lords Messages: If outstanding disagreements on any of the remaining Bills – the Crime and Policing Bill, Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, and Pension Schemes Bill – have not been resolved by the close of business on Wednesday, then the Commons may need to consider further Lords Messages on those Bills today.

Adjournment: Labour MP Matt Turmaine will give a speech on health and social care in Hertfordshire. A Minister will then give a response.

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All proceedings are subject to prorogation (see above).

Oral questions: At 11:00, Peers will begin the day by questioning Ministers for 40 minutes, on establishing a government department dedicated solely to the maritime sector; representations being made to the US Government regarding the coordination of policy on military interventions; and the assessment of the recent report by the Centre for Long-Term Resilience on the risks of scheming by Al agents. The topic of a fourth question will be decided by a ballot drawn at lunchtime on Tuesday 28 April.

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No public select committee meetings are scheduled for today.

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Neither House is scheduled to sit on Friday 1 May 2026.

Following prorogation both Houses will resume at 11:25 on Wednesday 13 May 2026 for the State Opening of Parliament. Our next Bulletin will therefore be published on Sunday 10 May.

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