Week ahead in Westminster

The House of Commons reconvenes this week after a two-week Easter recess, which has largely been dominated by news of humanitarian atrocities in Syria and Russia's continued support for the Assad regime.
Westminster PalaceWestminster Palace
Westminster Palace

The UK Government response - and the international community's lack of enthusiasm for further sanctions on Russia - could therefore form the basis for Urgent Questions on Tuesday, as could the ongoing struggle to reach a power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland.

As the end of the Parliamentary term approaches, the business of the House will largely revolve around any last-minute legislative changes the Government needs to wrap up before the start of the new session.

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Compared to the drama surrounding the recent passage of the Brexit Bill, this means the next few weeks will seem relatively uneventful.

Tuesday April 18

MPs will gather in the commons from 2.30pm for departmental questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond. Issues on the agenda include school funding - a hot topic as the Government reviews the responses to its consultations on funding reforms - and the impact of Brexit on public finances.

This will be followed by debate and second reading of the Government's Finance Bill to implement changes announced in the Spring Budget. The SNP have tabled a motion to deny a second reading, on the grounds that the Bill confirms "the continuation of austerity" and is deemed "wholly inadequate response to the economic challenges being faced by Scotland and the UK".

Outside the main chamber, the Tory MP Craig Tracey will lead a Westminster Hall debate on the role employers can play in improving work outcomes for people with long-term health problems, while the Home Affairs select committee will be in Wakefield to take evidence from local businesses about the best way to approach immigration post-Brexit.

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The day will draw to a close with an adjournment debate on Employment and Support Allowance, led by the SNP MP Neil Gray who has been highly critical of plans to cut the benefit b y £30 a week for some claimants.

Wednesday April 19

The Commons meets at 11.30am for departmental questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. It would be surprising if Theresa May's refusal to grant permission for a second referendum on Scottish independence does not feature heavily this morning.

The Scottish debate is also likely to spill over into Prime Minister's Questions, which takes place at the usual time of midday.

The afternoon will be dominated by a series of debates on Labour and Lib Dem attempts to block legislative changes to student fees and personal independence payments. This will be followed by an adjournment debate led by DUP MP Jim Shannon on the case of the "Ballydugan Four" - four members of the Ulster Defence Regiment who were killed by an IRA bomb in 1990.

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Over in Westminster Hall, Efra select committee chairman Neil Parish will lead a debate on the possible roll-out of a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme, following revelations about the level of toxic pollutants produced by diesel cars.

And the Transport select committee will grill Secretary of State Chris Grayling over the decision of engineering firm CH2M to pull out of a major contract with HS2 following concerns about a "conflict of interest".

Thursday April 20

Business kicks off at 9.30am with departmental questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Andrea Leadsom. Ensuring continued access to a seasonal migrant workforce post-Brexit has been a key issue for MPs representing agricultural areas, but those who represent coastal communities are also increasingly anxious to find out whether the Government has plans to leave the 1964 London Fisheries Convention.

This will be followed by questions to the Leader of the House David Lidington, before Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale and SNP MP Ian Blackford lead a backbench debate on new regulations that would see pensions frozen for claimants who retire to certain countries, such as Canada, India and Australia. The pair argue the changes will have a "detrimental" impact on British expats, and urge the Government to "take the necessary steps to withdraw those regulations".

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The week will wrap up with an adjournment debate on the proposed closure of Coty manufacturing plant in Seaton Delaval, led by the local Labour MP Ronnie Campbell. Up to 400 jobs could be lost if the US company goes ahead with plans to shut down the factory by the end of 2018.

The House does not sit on Friday