Business Statement

Next week, the committee stage of the Appropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill, or the annual review debate, will begin. Ministers covering 14 different portfolios will participate that week. Other legislation to be considered will be the remaining stages of the COVID-19 Response (Courts Safety) Legislation Bill, and the third reading of the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill. On Wednesday, a two-hour debate on the report of the Finance and Expenditure Committee on the long-term fiscal position will replace the general debate, and, on Thursday, the House will consider another motion to approve COVID-19 orders.

I thank the Leader of the House for that update. I wonder if he could advise on when item No. 24 on the Order Paper, the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill, which is now approaching its sixth anniversary of being on the Order Paper, will see some progress.

Of course, it may have seen speedier progress if the last Government had not botched the process in the first place so badly. But in the fullness of time, at the appropriate moment, I’m sure that the House will turn its attention to that again.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wonder if the Government’s had time to ruminate on the Organic Products Bill, a sufficiently low item No. 19 on the Order Paper, given that it was presented to the House in March 2021?

I can confirm that the organics bill does still remain on the Government’s work programme, and we are intending to make further progress on it.