Tag Archives: angie harris

This week in the Lords – 20-24 April 2026

By Mark Valladares | Mon 20th April 2026 - 3:46 pm

With the progation of Parliament approaching fast, it’s something of a “hanging around” week for those on the red benches, waiting for the Commons to respond to Lords amendments, either by rejecting them outright, accepting them in part, or negotiating a settlement. You can never be entirely certain how it might all work out, and with the Government distracted by events elsewhere…

Bills

As it was last week, the week is dominated by “ping pong”, starting on Monday with what is described as “consideration of Commons amendment and/or reasons” on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the Pension Schemes Bill. Will the Lords press their amendments? Does the Salisbury Convention apply? We can only wait and see…

Tuesday is a day for Orders, with a curiosity being the Draft Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 (Amendment) Order 2026, which seeks to make good an error in calculating Ministerial and other salaries. The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee takes up the story with its usual dry humour…

The Cabinet Office says the issue was identified when calculating entitled salary increases for 2023/24 and that work “immediately began to find a suitable way to address it”. It added that this was a “complex and technical issue that took time to work through”, particularly due to challenges in tracing historic paper records and applying the formula using historic Permanent Secretary pay. Nevertheless, we are surprised that it took three years to address the issue and that the nature of the problem—the law not being followed correctly and people being paid the wrong sums of money—did not result in the Cabinet Office taking steps to resolve it sooner.

More ping pong on Wednesday, with the Crime and Policing Bill and, potentially, the Pension Schemes Bill, facing further scrutiny from Peers.

It’s the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on Thursday, with a second day set aside for the Victims and Courts Bill if needed.

And, to wrap up the week, Friday sees further debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. It’s probably the last day of debate before the Bill formally runs into the sands. I’ve said all that I really can on this but can only repeat how much I regret the lack of a resolution.

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged Joan Walmsley, malcolm bruce, shaffaq mohammed and william wallace | Leave a comment

This week in the Lords – 23-27 March 2026

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd March 2026 - 11:34 am

We’re getting close to the end of the Parliamentary cycle now, as the Labour Government strives to get as much of its legislation through as it can before the House rises in anticipation of a King’s Speech in early May. And there’s much to keep Peers busy this week.

Bills

Today sees Day 3 of the Report Stage of the Pension Schemes Bill. Monroe Palmer will seek an amendment requiring the Government to report on the impact of market consolidation on competition and new market entrants within a year. Also, John Thurso seeks to make provision for lump sum payments from the Pension Protection Fund to persons who qualify for an increase in periodic compensation for pre-1997 service to compensate for unpaid increases in the years since the failure of the pension scheme.

On Tuesday, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has the first day of its Report Stage. As a parish councillor, I fret about Section 60 of the Bill, which talks about “effective neighbourhood governance”. Given this Government’s seeming lack of respect for Town and Parish Councils, there is a fear that such arrangements will circumvent an existing and continuing tier of government, in favour of their fetish for “strong leaders”. Cathy Bakewell has an amendment in to make “rural affairs” as an area of competence of strategic authorities, whilst John Shipley wants to insert a requirement for Community Empowerment Plans. In addition, Robin Teverson is moving amendments to effectively ensure that Cornwall isn’t merged with, say, Devon under one combined authority. There will be a second day set aside for the Bill on Thursday.

Peers will be busy on Wednesday, with the Third Reading of the Crime and Policing Bill, plus “ping pong” on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill, where Opposition Peers will decide whether or not to have another go at persuading the Government to accept their attempted amendments.