Next week's business
An action-packed parliamentary week is in prospect - particularly on the committee corridor, where several of the scheduled hearings touch on very sensitive issues for the Coalition: defence cuts and health reforms and broadcasting....
The week begins on Monday with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Office questions but after that moves on to discussion of the Scotland Bill in a committee of the whole house. This bill is really causing much interest north of the border and Scottish politicians of all hues will be keeping an eye on it - although the most controversial parts of the bill, relating to the new powers over income tax proposed for Holyrood, don't come up until the two committee days scheduled for the following weeks. The SNP is strongly against the way those powers have been configured, so expect a phalanx of amendments from their Treasury spokesman, .
will be leading the adjournment debate on Monday night of the future of the Pfizer site in her east Kent constituency - this was the subject of two select committee meetings last week, because it raises a knotty industrial policy problem for the government. In an interview for this Friday's Today in Parliament, she tells me that the government is hoping to turn the former Pfizer research facility into a hub for independent scientific research, conveniently located on the London-Paris rail link.
The Lords kick off the week with questions, including one from Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on the number of young people to be affected by the cancellation of the Education Maintenance Allowance - a subject that has concerned many opponents of the Coalition's plans. The main legislation of the day is the Public Bodies Bill - peers will be discussing the bill for the eighth day in a committee of the whole house.
On Tuesday, MPs turn their attention to the European Union Bill at report stage and third reading. This is the bill which is supposed to provide a "referendum lock" against EU encroachments on British sovereignty.
Their lordships, meanwhile, will be debating the Energy Bill at report stage and the Postal Services Bill in a committee of the whole house. Following that, Baroness Neville-Jones will ask peers to renew the anti-terrorist control order powers set out in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005.
Tuesday is a busy committee day - as ever. High flyers in the airport industry will be appearing before the , answering questions as to why the winter's snow closed down our airports for so long. BAA chief Colin Matthews will be one of those grilled, in what promises to be an entertaining blame-game.
Another highlight is the inquiry into football governance; as well as the investigation into the implications of Turkey's proposed accession to the EU, where there are worries that it could boost organised crime and people-trafficking. The will be looking at the UK extradition policy, while the will be talking about commissioning - witnesses include, once more, Sir David Nicholson, the NHS's chief executive. This last is an increasingly sensitive subject for the Coalition, where the warnings about proposed NHS reforms are causing some jitters.
Wednesday sees PMQs come round again, preceded by Scottish questions. .The PM's regular session will be followed by the second reading of the Welfare Reform Bill - another hefty piece of legislation. It could spark some interesting debate on what the welfare system should look like.
Perhaps it would be naughty to suggest that Lord Shipley's question in the Lords on Wednesday morning - about British pensioners living abroad - has particular resonance for many of their lordships. Suffice to say, it is sandwiched between Lord Beecham's question on redundancy cuts and budget restrictions on local authorities, and another on the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom campaign. Who else would be asking it but Baroness Gardner of Parkes? Tee hee.
After such frivolous diversions, peers will settle down for day nine of the Public Bodies Bill in a committee of the whole house; then the second reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill.
Three hefty committee sessions provide Wednesday's highlights: inquisitors talk to Pensions Minister Steve Webb about the government's plans for pensions reform; the discussing the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service Cuts with union bosses and its Director, Peter Horrocks; and finally there's a galaxy of stars at the hearing on the Strategic Defence and Security Review and the National Security Strategy - which have included a series of controversial defence cuts. Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Foreign Secretary William Hague, International Development's Andrew Mitchell and Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin will all be appearing before James Arbuthnot and chums.
With more and more Conservative MPs deeply unhappy about the SDSR and muttering that there should be a "review of the review" this session could turn nasty, and possibly expose some serious cabinet divisions....and their eventual report could tip the balance of opinion on the Coalition benches.
As if that's not enough, Wednesday also has the returning to its favourite subject of failures in multi billion pound defence projects. This time the subject is the Typhoon fighter aircraft - which, as a National Audit Office report revealed this week, won't become fully effective for several years. And there's also the delightful prospect of the talking to a host of eminent scientists and young people about astronomy and particle physics.
And finally on Thursday - for the house is not sitting on Friday - we see Transport questions, the Business Statement - and then backbench business. Two debates here: first the future of the coastguard service which has caused a great deal of angst (did Prince William lobby David Cameron over proposed changes?) and the second, a motion relating to UN women (see previous posts on the wranglings over a Women's Day Debate). The week finishes with an adjournment debate from Chris Bryant on the interception of mobile communications. Mr Bryant has been terrier-like in pursuit of facts concerning the alleged hacking of MPs' mobile phones, his included - and here is another chance for him to air his concerns.
After questions, peers will be debating two subjects: recent developments in British Overseas Territories and the situation in Zimbabwe.
And watch out for some barbed questioning at the , which will hold a pre-appointment hearing with the government's preferred candidate for chairman of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Trust, Lord Patten. There's been a lot of muttering among Conservatives about the choice of Lord Patten, so this is definitely one to watch.
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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