On Tuesday 19 November 2024 I chaired the debates held in Westminster Hall from 9.30-11.30am.

The first motion, moved by Seamus Logan MP was 'That this House has considered the use of foodbanks', and was responded to by the minister Alison McGovern MP.

The second motion, moved by Jim Allister MP was 'That this House has considered the Windsor framework', and was responded to by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP.

On 14 November 2024, I intervened in the debate on the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill, which aims to increase female representation among the bishops who sit in the House of Lords. It seeks to extend the provisions of the 2015 Act for a further five-year period, allowing vacancies among the lords spiritual to be filled by female diocesan bishops if available.

I made the following contribution: 

I thank the Minister, who is doing a fantastic job of ensuring, through the Bill, that women are represented at every level; in the 21st century, we should not be talking about firsts for women.

In the spirit of colleagues who have intervened already, may I ask my hon. Friend to recognise the brilliant role played by the first black woman to be Speaker’s Chaplain here in the House of Commons? The Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin then rose to be Bishop of Dover; I am thinking also of the Reverend Tricia Hillas, who also served as Speaker’s Chaplain. Parliament is seen as an important place for the representation of women and I very much support the Minister in ensuring that the Bill makes progress.

The House met to debate and vote on the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill on Monday 25 November.

This Bill, introduced to the House on 13 November 2024, amends the non-domestic rating system in England to enable the introduction of new tax rates, introducing powers to create new lower tax rates for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure properties, higher tax rates for the high value properties, and removes the eligibility of private schools that are charities for charitable business rates relief.

An amendment was moved to block a second reading based on objections to the measures aimed at private schools, and the result was: Ayes: 173, Noes: 335. The House then voted on the second reading, with the result: Ayes: 334, Noes: 174.

The Bill will now be scrutinised in a Public Bill Committee.

On Wednesday 13 November 2024, I chaired the Delegated Legislation Committee, to consider the Draft Local Loans (Increase of Limit) Order 2024. The motion was moved by Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The order increases the aggregate limit on local loans through His Majesty’s Treasury’s Public Works Loan Board lending facility from the current level of £115 billion to £135 billion, ensuring that local authorities can continue to access lending from the Public Works Loan Board to support their capital investment plans and treasury management.

It will now be approved by Parliament at a later date.

On 12 November 2024 the House voted at Committee Stage on several amendments to the bill, which would see the removal of all hereditary peers.

Amendment 25: Provides that the Bill would only come into effect after the report of a joint committee on wider reforms of the composition of the House of Lords has been approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.    Ayes: 98 Noes: 376

New clause 1: This new clause provides that bishops of the Church of England will no longer be entitled to membership of the House of Lords.  Ayes: 41 Noes: 378

New clause 7: Imposes a duty on Ministers to take forward proposals to secure a democratic mandate for the House of Lords through introduction of directly elected members. Ayes: 93 Noes: 355

New clause 20: This new clause describes the purpose of the Bill. Ayes: 98 Noes: 375

Finally, it was put to the House that the Bill be read a third time, and this motion passed with Ayes: 435 and Noes: 73. The Bill will now move to the report stage.