This week's committees
They're back! And what's more, the Lords and Commons Select Committees have some fairly juicy business to offer us this week.
Here are the highlights:
On Tuesday, the e are taking evidence on the workings of the National DNA Database with Isabella Sankey, policy director for campaigners Liberty and Diane Abbott MP; then the committee will hear from people whose details have been placed on the National DNA database.
At noon, the Association of Chief Police Officers will say their bit and at 12.30: Alan Campbell MP, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Office minister.
Is Boris doing enough to save the planet, and more particularly the capital city? How is the Mayor preparing London for a warmer world? And could central government be doing more to help him? The quiz Isabel Dedring, the Mayor's advisor on the environment and Alex Nickson, from the Greater London Authority, on how London is adapting to climate change. The session will then move on to discuss air quality in London in the first session of the committee's air quality inquiry.
The will hear from the information commissioner about Jack Straw's ministerial FOI veto on Cabinet minutes - the commissioner will also publish a report on the issue to coincide with the session. In a busy and multi-faceted session, the committee will also take evidence on justice issues in Europe, before moving on to sentencing guidelines for corporate manslaughter.
Come Wednesday, the releases its slightly tautological-sounding report on the Pre-Budget Report...which could provide plenty of ammunition in the continuing debate about government economic policy, and the scale of public borrowing.
The kicks off its inquiry into the government's draft national policy statements on energy, hearing from the Royal Town Planning Institute, Planning Aid, the Town and Country Planning Association, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The begins its inquiry into bio-engineering, and how the UK can maintain a globally competitive position. Assorted doctors and professors will give evidence, including representatives from the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation at Imperial College London, Syngenta (a global agribusiness) and the chair of Regenerative Medicine Bio-processing at UCL.
The man with the Solomonesqe task of deciding who's right and who's wrong in disputes around the London Underground public-private partnership agreements appears before the . He's the independent arbiter, Chris Bolt, appointed to rule on disputes about the financial terms of the PPP. Expect some tough questions about problems with other PPPs, following serious problems with one of them, Metronet.
The will take further evidence for its inquiry into last year's collapse of the milk processing cooperative Dairy Farmers of Britain.
On Thursday, the polishes off its inquiry into social care by quizzing the Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP.
And on Friday, the publishes its report on alcohol, with leaks suggesting it may recommend a 50p per unit minimum price for alcohol, to combat the mounting burden of liver disease and other alcohol-related health problems.
Another interesting sounding report will emerge from the https://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/lords_s_t_select.cfm, on nanotechnologies and food. The committee has been studying the use of nanotechnologies in the food industry and has considered where government might need to regulate to ensure public confidence is maintained.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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