Next week's business
The week starts with MPs examining the remaining stages of the Savings Accounts and Health In Pregnancy Grant Bill; peers will be occupied with the Finance Bill.
Much more interest will be afforded on committee corridor, where a "robust" encounter is promised when Communities Secretary Eric Pickles appears before the to talk about the abolition of the previous government's planning guidelines, the exotically named Regional Spacial Strategies.
On Tuesday in the Commons, we'll see the second reading of the National Insurance Contributions Bill and the Lords will be convening a committee of the whole house to debate the Public Bodies Bill.
The inquiry into public spending on health and social care culminates in an appearance by the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley. Previous sessions of this inquiry, with the Major government's Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell in the chair, make it clear that the committee is more worried about the practical impact of spending levels on the real-life delivery of care than about the level of spending. Given recent policy announcements on an increase in "personal budgets" - where the service users decide how the money allocated to them is spent - the questioning may focus more on the social care side.
And the has an intriguing looking session about educating the next generation of scientists. The Department for Education is not on course to meet the targets set by the previous government for recruiting more mathematics and physics teachers by 2014.
A found that the department has made good progress in improving take-up and achievement in areas such as A-level maths and GCSE triple science - but less success in increasing the number of science teachers, improving take-up of A-level physics and raising the standards of school science facilities.
With the Financial Services Authority heading for a fiery demise in the bonfire of the quangos, how will the City of London be policed in the future? The Treasury Committee asks the FSA's Lord Turner and Hector Sants.
And with the Welsh language TV channel S4C being moved under the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's umbrella, the will be examining the implications of that decision.
In Westminster Hall, Wycombe MP Steve Baker has an adjournment debate on the proposed expansion of High Speed Rail - HS2. Expect plenty more such debates, with local issues raised by MPs with constituencies along the proposed route.
Ed Miliband will be back from paternity leave on Wednesday to face David Cameron at prime minister's questions. Later in the day, MPs will be discussing Fixed-term Parliaments Bill - the proposal to fix parliamentary terms to five years. Their lordships will be looking at the Identity Documents Bill (after last week's defeat for the government on the issue of compensation) and Equitable Live Bill.
Behind the scenes there are growing worries about the local political ramifications of spending cuts in the Department of Transport - with talk of a "Forgemasters Effect" where the demise of some high profile scheme results in a toxic fallout for local MPs - so a good moment for the to quiz Secretary of State Phillip Hammond about claims that some regions are experiencing much deeper cuts than others.
And the Public Accounts Committee has a session on the Private Finance Initiative in housing and hospitals. Do PFI projects deliver value for money in the long and short term?
And on Thursday, the (known in the trade as "Cleggwatch") will be hearing from pundit and quangocrat Sir Simon Jenkins and academic expert Tony Travers about the balance between central and local government.
In the main chamber, the Local Government Bill's remaining stages will be talked out by MPs and Louise Bagshawe - one of the high profile new intake - will be introducing an adjournment debate on care for ex-servicemen.
In the Lords, perhaps still nursing contusions after his resignation as a government advisor, Lord Young of Graffham has a debate on his report on 'elf and safety.
After a few weeks of private members' bills on Fridays, nothing is planned for this week. A rest, perhaps, for those determined to spend the end of the week talking out others' efforts. They will be back next week.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
Comments
or to comment.