Next week's business
Monday's business starts with questions to the defence secretary - always interesting at the moment, with much disquiet over Libya and the Strategic Defence and Security Review bubbling away.
That's followed by the Scotland Bill - it is day two of the committee of the whole house, and the Commons will be moving on to the real meat of the bill - the tax and borrowing powers proposed for Holyrood. The SNP are unhappy with them - on Today in Parliament tonight (Friday) their Finance Spokesman Stewart Hosie tells me they're "deflationary" and "dangerous". At last check, the adjournment debate is all about the discontinuation of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Hindi service - but the service, it was announced just this week, has been given a reprieve.
It is likely that we could have a ministerial statement on the unfolding events in Japan and across the Pacific, after the devastating earthquake that hit the country on Friday and the subsequent tsunami.
The Lords will be talking about the National Insurance Contributions Bill and the Postal Services Bill. They will also be discussing orders and regulations: the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order and the Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order.
Committee-wise, the continues with its inquiry into the impact on transport of the winter weather experienced this year. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will be giving his verdict on, among other things, the performance of the airports.
On Tuesday, MPs will be putting questions to the team from the Foreign Office, including the under-fire Foreign Secretary William Hague. Will the usually imperturbable Commons performer deploy his skills to flummox his detractors? Following that, the Scotland Bill will be debated in the third day of a committee of the whole house.
The Lords will be dealing with hefty pieces of legislation once again - first the Energy Bill at third reading. This is the legislation to allow people to pay for new boilers and other energy-saving improvements to their homes, in effect, from the savings on their gas and electricity bills. Then peers move on to the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill, in a committee of the whole house. On bills relating to the lifespan of the Commons, MPs cannot invoke the Parliament Act in order to over-ride their Lordships, so watch out for some interesting tussles, in particular over whether the fixed term should be five years, or four.
And on a busy day on committee corridor, there are a few highlights. The will be discussing commissioning, with witnesses drawn from the Royal College of Surgeons and other important health organisations and NHS foundations. Andrew Tyrie's will be talking about accountability at the Bank of England, which becomes even more important as the Bank absorbs the Financial Services Authority. The talking to executives from Kraft about their takeover of Cadbury's and the broken promises over the deal - and that should provide a fairly sparky encounter. And the chief executive of the NHS, Sir David Nicholson, who seems to be taking up permanent residence on the committee corridor, is before the to talk about NHS Trust Procurement. At issue is a potential £500m saving, if the NHS was smarter in its purchasing... according to a report by the .
And with nervousness rising about the Coalition's NHS reforms, the looking at how the proposed changes will affect hospital services by merging and centralising some (eg A&E and maternity services) and moving others into the community and at attempts to eliminate debt from the NHS at local level.
The will be examining the governance and regulation of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ with media expert Steve Hewlett and two former ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ chairmen: Sir Christopher Bland and Gavyn Davies.
On Wednesday, PMQs will be followed by an opposition day debate - subject still to be announced. That will be followed by a motion to approve a document relating to Section 6 of the European Union (Amendment) Act.
The Lords will be working through day three of a committee of the whole house of the Postal Services Bill, after questions which include one from Lord Soley on the rule of law in countries of the Middle East.
It will be another busy day for committees: the will be talking to minister Richard Benyon about the fisheries policy; this after the EU moves to end the much-debated discards system. The Treasury Committee are looking at the effectiveness of HMRC, the is looking at developments in UK foreign policy, with Foreign Secretary William Hague - another test for Mr Hague, because that subject allows them to talk about pretty much anything.
And Eric Daniels, from Lloyds TSB and Stephen Hester, from RBS, will be appearing before the Public Accounts Committee answering MPs' questions on banking support and asset protection. Will the committee be able to avoid mentioning bonuses?
Thursday's question session is on the environment, food and rural affairs, followed, as ever, by the Commons Business Statement. Following that, a Presentation Bill from Caroline Lucas on tax and financial transparency - and then a debate on North Africa and the Middle East and events there. The Lords will be debating legislation regarding bribery, tax avoidance and corruption, then the impact on quality of life of early intervention in a child's life. Nothing of huge note when it comes to committees - although the Westminster Hall afternoon debate is about the importance of communication between MPs and constituents with regard to Articles 9 and 13 of the Bill of Rights. That means a thorough moan about the recent Telegraph sting which netted Vince Cable and other high-profile Lib Dems in its net.
The Commons is sitting on Friday - private members' bills from Therese Coffey and Christopher Chope to come.
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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