Next week's business
MPs will be getting back to their constituencies this week - if they can, given the weather - after a long term. It's the final week of business before the Christmas break. What do the last few days have in store?
On Monday, David Cameron will be making a statement to the House on his negotiations at the European Council - will his backbenchers be more interested in his efforts to block future EU budget increases or in the possibility of a new European Treaty to enshrine a bailout mechanism for eurozone states in financial trouble? And after fears emerged at Energy questions on Thursday of an impending oil shortage, watch out for a possible urgent question to Secretary of State Chris Huhne.
The main debate will be on firearms control, but there's no legislation booked in for Monday. The Lords, however, will be plodding through the sixth - yes, sixth: count them - day of the committee of the whole House on the Parliamentary Voting Bill, amidst gloomy predictions of many more such days to come in 2011.
Up on the committee corridor, the continues its inquiry into the ramifications of localism - it will be hearing from organisations representing vulnerable or minority groups. And watch out for the report on the illegal use of firearms - which will examine the implications of recent shooting incidents.
Tuesday sees George Osborne answering Treasury questions, then MPs will launch into their traditional end of term adjournment debate. Normally this is a chance to for an MP to speak about pretty much any topic that takes their fancy - which tends to mean a long series of speeches about local bypasses and hospitals, aimed squarely at local newspapers.
But now the running of the debate's been taken in hand by the Backbench Business Committee, which is trying to arrange that speeches on particular themes that several backbenchers want to raise are grouped together, with a suitable minister in place to respond to that section of the debate. Before this a slightly sheepish minister used to have to wind up the debate with endless promises to get other ministers to write to particular backbenchers...
Not everyone is convinced this will work out - at business questions on Thursday one backbencher, , warned the arrangements were "fast approaching becoming a car crash". But given the meandering nature of the old style debate, this looks like a worthwhile experiment.
And that's it from the Commons, in the main chamber for 2010: although there's some work continuing on committee corridor.
The indefatigable Communities and Local Government Committee will be talking to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles as well as Housing minister Grant Shapps and Decentralisation minister Greg Clarke, on the implications of the Spending Review. And the Home Affairs Committee will be talking to former terrorism watchdog Lord Carlile, about the government's anti-terrorism review, and Bernard Silverman, the chief scientific advisor to the Home Office.
On Wednesday, by way of an early Christmas present, there are a few select committee reports: the dissect the proposed changes to housing benefit - will they lead to an increase in evictions and homelessness? The releases its report looking at the impact of the Severn Crossings toll on the economy of South Wales, and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee consider future flooding and water management legislation.
Their lordships soldier on. On Tuesday, they will be examining the Re-export Controls Bill, the Consolidated Fund Bill, Loans to Ireland Bill and Public Bodies Bill. And on Wednesday, both divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton and the Lib Dems' Dee Doocey will be introduced to the upper House, before the Lords examine the Energy Bill - the measure which is supposed to provide millions of households with a painless way of cutting their fuel consumption, insulation and other improvements, paid for out of the savings on gas and electricity bills. It's a nice simple idea, commanding all-party support, but there are lots complications which will require some intricate drafting - which may well be why their lordships are getting the first crack at this one.
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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