Business Statement

The House will rise at the end of this day. When the House resumes on Tuesday, 9 November, the Taxation (International Investment and Remedial Matters) Bill will receive its first reading. The Government will look to make progress on other bills on the Order Paper; there will be some new introductions. Wednesday of the first week back, 10 November, will be a members’ day.

Regular viewers of Parliament TV will be noting the difference between “this day” and “today” in the parliamentary procedure, I am sure. We thank the Leader of the House for that—the subtle hint. I wonder whether he can tell us whether, in the next sitting period that the House will undertake after the adjournment, it is his intention to use one of those weeks for an urgency week.

Yes. Some time ago I advised the Business Committee that the second week of the November sitting would be a week where we would have urgency. As agreed, the bills that will be dealt with by the House during that time will be made available towards the end of next week to Opposition parties. It is our intention that urgency will be called on Tuesday afternoon, but that the House would still lift by 6 o’clock on Thursday of that week. The purpose of this is to give the House effectively twice as much time in that week to deal with bills on the Order Paper.