On the Agenda
This page lists the business taking place in the UK's parliaments and assemblies, along with details of other political events.
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In Brief
Gordon Brown sets out the government's 'Building Britain's future' policy blueprint, including the draft legislative programme for the last parliamentary session ahead of the general election. The prime minister's plans will focus on giving patients, parents, citizens and residents more personalised services and greater redress if they feel services are inadequate. To make the launch, the prime minister, home secretary Alan Johnson, pensions secretary Yvette Cooper and Commons leader Harriet Harman take part in a 'public engagement' event.
In an interview with the Financial Times, business secretary Lord Mandelson has said plans to sell a minority stake in the Royal Mail may be delayed.
Business secretary Lord Mandelson addresses the British Bankers' Association annual dinner. Lord Mandelson is to insist that the Financial Services Authority must be strengthened, rather than giving away some of its powers.
Climate change minister Joan Ruddock speaks at a Neil Stewart Associates conference on carbon reduction and local councils.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley is among the speakers at an RSA event looking at the relationships between behaviour, choice and health outcomes.
Shadow skills secretary David Willetts discusses family policy at a meeting organised by the associate parliamentary group for parents and families.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Razzall sets out the concerns behind his question to ministers in the House of Lords about the Supply of Beer (Tied Estate) Order 1989. "Some publicans felt the market would not stand large increases, so they kept their prices down and headed to bankruptcy," he writes in an article for ePolitix.com. "Some publicans increased their prices to meet the new cost and as a result of competition with supermarkets and big chains they priced themselves out of the market, lost their customers and closed down. This situation should not be allowed to continue."
Labour peer Lord Giddens is among the speakers at a London School of Economics event on social justice after the recession.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life holds a public evidence session as part of its inquiry into MPs' expenses.
The Welsh assembly publishes details of AMs' expenses for the year 2008/09.
The first UKdomestic high speed travel "javelin" train takes its first service from Ashford, Kent to St Pancras Station.
The British Medical Association holds it annual conference in Liverpool, as doctors debate "system failures" in the NHS.
Policy Exchange hosts an event on the future of banking.
Reports and Statistics
The Commons home affairs committee publishes a report on the policing of the G20 protests, concluding that failings marred an otherwise successful police operation. "The basic principle that the police must remember is that protesters are not criminals - the police's doctrine must remain focused on allowing protest to happen peacefully," says committee chairman Keith Vaz. "We urge the police to seriously consider whether it should continue with some operational tactics, such as 'kettling', without consulting the public, and to take decisive action based on the problems we have identified in our inquiry to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. There must be not be a repetition of this — never again must untrained officers be placed on the front line of public protest."
The Commons environmental audit committee publishes a report on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Committee chairman Tim Yeo says: "Giving rainforest nations money for protecting forests is simply not enough, yet so far negotiations have focused almost exclusively on the design of a payment mechanism. Rainforest nations deserve far more support to ensure their own development path does not drive forest degradation."
The Commons children, schools and families committee publishes the government's response to a previous report on looked-after children.
The Queen publishes her financial public accounts, showing the cost of keeping the Royal Family.
The OECD publishes its economic survey of the UK, looking at the measures needed to ease the recession, improve public finances, regulate financial markets and improve the efficiency of the healthcare system.
The CBI releases its latest financial services survey, revealing the UK financial services sector may now be on a "gradual path to recovery".
The TUC releases a study revealing most institutional investors did not challenge the remuneration reports of leading banks in the run up to last year's financial crisis.
BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat releases a poll on teenagers and knife crime, revealing one in 10 teens living in areas with high levels of knife crime still carry a weapon to feel safe.
Hometrack releases research on house prices in June, revealing the average costs of property remained unchanged for the second month running.
The General Medical Council publishes research on the treatment of critically ill babies, as part of a wider public consultation on the treatment of dying patients.
The Bank of England releases data on lending to individuals, a sectoral breakdown of aggregate M4 and M4 lending, and monetary and financial statistics.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs releases milk statistics.
The Welsh Assembly Government releases data on grasslandfires.
The European Commission's economic and financial affairs directorate general releases a business and consumer survey and a business climate indicator for the euroarea.
The Agenda in Westminster
Written Ministerial Statements
1. HM Revenue and Customs: Tax administration and anti-avoidance (HMT).
2. Consultation paper on Right to Manage (RTM) company articles (CLG).
3. Digital Switchover Help Scheme (DCMS).
4. Veterinary Medicines Directorate annual report and accounts (Defra).
5. Government's draft legislative programme 2009-10 (Leader of the House).
6. Equality Bill: Making it work: Ending age discrimination in services and public functions: A consultation (Women and equality).
7. Equality Bill: Making it work: Ending age discrimination in services and public functions (Women and equality).
Commons Chamber
2.30pm: Work and pensions questions (topical questions at 3.15pm).
3.30pm: Oral statement on Building Britain’s Future.
Main business
Second reading of the Parliamentary Standards Bill.
Motion to approve the following draft orders:-
- Companies House Trading Fund (Amendment) Order 2009;
- Transfer of Functions of the Charity Tribunal Order 2009;
- Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 (Designation of Participating Countries) (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Order 2009;
- Legislative Reform (Limited Partnerships) Order 2009;
Motions relating to the membership of the children, schools and families committee, the regulatory reform committee and the work and pensions committee.
Adjournment debate: Asbestos in homes (Michael Clapham).
Select Committees
South East regional committee (10.45am, Brighthelm Centre).
Subject: South East England Development Agency and the Regional Economic Strategy.
Witnesses: South East Chamber of Commerce, Hastings Borough Council, Homes and Communities Agency, and Environment Agency.
Communities and local government committee (4.20pm, The Wilson Room).
Subject: Supporting People.
Witnesses: Hampshire Supporting People County Core Group, Westminster City Council, Stoke-on-Trent Supporting People, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Cambridgeshire Supporting People team, and Bath and North East Somerset Supporting People.
Public accounts committee (4.30pm, room 15).
Subject: Oversight of the Post Office Network Change Programme.
Witnesses: Simon Fraser, Permanent Secretary, and Joanna Shanmugalingam, Director, Post Office Policy, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Ed Mayo, Chief Executive, Consumer Focus, and Alan Cook CBE, Managing Director, Post Office Limited.
West Midlands regional committee (4.30pm, room 6).
Subject: The impact of the current economic and financial situation on businesses in the West Midlands Region.
Witnesses: Ian Austin MP, Minister for the West Midlands, Advantage West Midlands, and Government Office for the West Midlands.
East Midlands regional committee (7.15pm, room 5).
Subject: East Midlands Development Agency and the Regional Economic Strategy.
Witnesses: Phil Hope MP, Minister for the East Midlands, Tom Levitt MP, Deputy Regional Minister for the East Midlands, and Jonathan Lindley, Regional Director, Government Office for the East Midlands.
General Committees
European Committee
European Committee B (4.30pm, room 10).
Subject: To consider EU Documents Nos. 7084/09 and Addendum 1 and 10511/09 and Addenda 1 and 2 relating to Economic Recovery.
Delegated legislation committees
First Delegated Legislation committee (4.30pm, room 9).
Subject: To consider the draft Registrar of Companies and Applications for Striking Off Regulations 2009 and the draft Companies Act 2006 (Part 35) (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009.
Second Delegated Legislation committee (4.30pm, room 12).
Subject: To consider the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 1389).
Lords Chamber
2.30pm: Oral questions:
Baroness Knight of Collingtree - what steps they will take to ensure that patient care will not suffer following the introduction of the new European Working Time Directive on 1 August.
Lord Mitchell - what representations they are making to the European Union to reduce the cost of mobile roaming charges on data within the European Union.
Lord Razzall - what proposals they have to review the operation of the Supply of Beer (Tied Estate) Order 1989.
Lord Clinton-Davis - what proposals they have for establishing courts of summary jurisdiction at selected places different from those of existing courts.
Main business
Third reading of the Online Purchasing of Goods and Services (Age Verification) Bill [HL].
Consideration of Commons Amendments to the Business Rate Supplements Bill.
Committee stage (day 3) of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill.
Short debate on the government’s response to the report of the European Union Committee on The Progress of the Common Fisheries Policy (Lord Sewel).
Grand committee (3.30pm)
Consideration of the following draft orders and regulations:-
- Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2009;
- Banking Act 2009 (Restriction of Partial Property Transfers) (Amendment) Order 2009;
- Transfer of Functions of the Consumer Credit Appeals Tribunal Order 2009;
- Transfer of Functions (Estate Agents Appeals and Additional Scheduled Tribunal) Order 2009;
- Transfer of Functions (Transport Tribunal and Appeal Panel) Order 2009;
- Transfer of Functions of the Charity Tribunal Order 2009;
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2009;
- Criminal Defence Service (Provisional Representation Orders) Regulations 2009;
- Data Protection (Processing of Sensitive Personal Data) Order 2009.
Lords Committee
European Union Sub-Committee B (Internal Market) (4.05pm).
Subject: Galileo.
Witnesses: European Commission officials.
The Agenda in the Scottish Parliament
In Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is in recess until August 30.
The Agenda in the Welsh Assembly
In Plenary
The Welsh assembly is not sitting in plenary.
In Committee
4.00pm: Subordinate Legislation Committee considers the Marine and Coastal Access Bill.
The Agenda in the Northern Ireland Assembly
In Plenary
12.00pm: prayers.
followed by: motion on the suspension of Standing Orders.
followed by: motion on an appointment to the Assembly Commission.
followed by: further consideration stage of the Budget (No. 2) Bill.
followed by: questions to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
followed by: environment questions.
followed by: motion on statutory committee membership.
followed by: motion on standing committee membership.
followed by: motions to amend Standing Orders.
followed by: motion condemning racist and sectarian attacks.
followed by: adjournment debtae on he impact of the falling maintenance budget on rural roads in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
In Committee
11.00am: Assembly and Executive Review Committee discusses the devolution of policing and justice matters.
