Order!

Topic debates are now in order.

The question is as follows:

That this House has considered e-petition 700086 relating to a minimum age for the use of social media.

Members are reminded to stay wholly on topic.

The House is reminded that, as the motion is drafted in neutral terms, the question will be agreed to automatically unless a member of the House requests that a division takes place.

This debate will end at 10PM GMT on 1 December 2024.

Order, order!

Foreign Secretary Questions are now in order!

The Foreign Secretary, /u/LeftyWalrus, will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary, /u/Meneerduif, may ask 6 initial questions.

Spokespeople for foreign affairs of other opposition parties, /u/Leafy_Emerald, may ask 4 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Foreign Secretary may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

Members may ask initial questions until 10PM GMT on 30 November 2024.

The session will end at 10PM GMT on 1 December 2024.

CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD

25th November 2024

The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring Honours.

From u/model-willem:

Member of the Order of Merit (OM)

u/model-mili, for services to the Electoral Commission.

Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)

u/lily-irl, for services to the Electoral Commission.

Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)

u/Inadorable, for services to the Country as Prime Minister.

From u/model-mili:

Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)

u/Lady_Aya, for services to MHoC.

Member of the Order of Merit (OM)

u/model-willem, for services to MHoC.

Companion of the Order of the Timanfya (CT)

u/model-legs, for services to MHoC.

From u/Muffin5136:

Companion of the Order of the Timanfya (CT)

u/model-willem, for services to MHoC.

Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)

u/model-legs, for services to Events.

Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)

u/LightningMinion, for services to the Press.

M011 - Motion on the Prime Minister's statement regarding President Trump - Reading

This House Recognises:

(1) That, on November 5th 2024, President Trump was democratically elected president of the United States, winning both a majority of electoral votes and a plurality of the popular vote.

(2) That the UK and USA have a special relationship with close social, diplomatic, military and economic ties.

(3) That the recent actions by the Prime Minister of calling President Trump a “fascist” put a strain on this relationship.

This House Urges:

(1) That the Prime Minister immediately retracts any statement or mention she made where she calls President Trump a fascist and refrains from doing so in the future.

(2) That the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs take immediate action through diplomatic means to ensure the continuation of the special relationship between the UK and USA.

This Motion was submitted by /u/meneerduif on behalf of the Conservative and Unionist Party.

Opening Speech:

Speaker,

I wish to bring forward this Motion that concerns the special relationship between the UK and the United States. On November 5th, 2024, President Trump was democratically elected, securing both the electoral and popular vote. The UK and the USA have a long-standing and special relationship, grounded in shared values and cooperation.

However, recent comments by the Prime Minister, calling President Trump a “fascist”, have put this relationship at risk. Such divisive language threatens to undermine the close ties between our two nations. I urge the House to make the Prime Minister immediately retract these remarks and refrain from making similar statements, ensuring the continued strength of our alliance with the USA.

Members may debate and submit amendments to the Motion until Friday the 29th of November at 10PM GMT.

ORDER! ORDER!

TD03 - Remembrance Sunday - Division

The Ayes to the Right: 14

The Noes to the Left: 1

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Question has been answered!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 18

Turnout: 47.06%

M008 - Coinage (Shillings) Motion - Amendment Division

AMENDMENT 1 (A01) - /u/model-av

The Ayes to the Right: 7

The Noes to the Left: 5

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Amendment shall be applied to the Bill!

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 19

Turnout: 44.12%

AMENDMENT 2 (A02) - /u/mrsusandothechoosin

The Ayes to the Right: 8

The Noes to the Left: 4

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Amendment shall be applied to the Motion!

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 19

Turnout: 44.12%

UNLOCK!

ORDER! ORDER!

B030 - Marriage (First Cousins) Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 0

The Noes to the Left: 12

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Bill shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 5

Did not vote: 19

Turnout: 47.22%

B029 - Loot Box Regulation Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 13

The Noes to the Left: 0

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 22

Turnout: 38.89%

M009 - Motion to Strengthen Sex-Based Safeguarding Protections - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 0

The Noes to the Left: 14

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Motion shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 2

Did not vote: 18

Turnout: 47.06%

UNLOCK!

Questions to Government Ministers!

Government Ministers will be taking questions from the House.

Shadow Ministers may ask up to six initial questions and six follow up questions to the response they receive. (12 total)

Official Spokespeople may ask up to four initial questions and four follow up questions to the response they receive. (Eight total)

All other members and speakers may ask up to two initial questions and two follow up questions to the response they receive. (Four total)

Holders of more than one portfolio will only receive one quota for all portfolios and must decide how to allocate their questions between them.

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only a Government minister may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session ends on 23rd November 2024 at 10pm GMT. No initial questions may be asked after 22nd November 2024 at 10pm GMT.

M010 - Motion to Adopt the Principles of the EU AI Act - Main Reading

This House Recognises that:

(1) The Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) was passed by the European Parliament in March 2024, approved by the EU Council in May 2024, and entered into force on August 1, 2024.

(2) The EU AI seeks to regulate the growing scope of Artificial Intelligence, including designating specific risk types for AI.

(3) The provisions of the Act will begin to be enforced over the next three years, with businesses wishing to conduct business within the EU being required to comply with these provisions.

(4) This will impact UK businesses on a significant scale where doing business in the EU.

(5) It will be easier for UK business to follow the same regulations in the UK as in the EU.

This House Therefore Urges that:

(1) The principles of the EU AI Act are adopted by the UK Parliament, whether through a direct copy or through introducing legislation that would have the same effect.

This Motion was written by u/Muffin5136,OAP as a Private Members Motion.

Opening Speech:

Speaker,

I wish to bring my first motion for this House's consideration in the whole, to encourage what should hopefully result in a crossparty understanding and co-operation to introduce regulations around AI, the most significant technology we have seen introduced in recent years, which poses both great opportunities and great risks for business and people alike.

It has been seen that the European Union has introduced a grand piece of legislation to regulate this technology, and should be seen as the gold standard for regulation in this area. As such, I am of the simple belief that we should be adopting identical legislation in the UK, to make it easier for British businesses to comply with just one set of regulations for doing business in the UK and EU, rather than having to grapple with unnecessary red tape or conflicting regulations. It would also make it a far easier transition for British businesses should we reverse the grand mistake that was Brexit.

I urge the House to support this motion, and am happy to take further questions on this matter.

Members may debate and submit amendments to the Bill until Tuesday the 19th of November at 10PM GMT.

B033 - NHS Digital Infrastructure and Patient Access Bill - has been withdrawn at the request of the Author.

Order!

Consideration of amendments.

#Coinage (Shillings) Motion

The House recognises that:

(1) The Shilling as a unit of coinage has a centuries long history, and continued legacy in many countries.

(2) Many historical contracts refer to Shillings as the primary method of payment.

(3) The Shilling is an important symbol of culture for many Britons.

The House urges that:

(4) The 5 pence coin now also be minted to read "One Shilling".

(5) The 10 pence coin now also be minted to read "Two Shillings".

(6) The 20 pence coin now also be minted to read "Four Shillings".

(7) The 50 pence coin now also be minted to read "Ten Shillings".

(8) That His Majesty's Government support references to Shillings in public life.

No opening speech was provided.

Submitted by /u/mrsusandothechoosin on behalf of Reform UK

Amendments

A01 (/u/model-av, Scottish National Party)

After line (3), insert:

(4) Before 1707, Scotland also had its own system of currency with a long and storied history.

Amend "One Shilling" to read "One Shilling, One Merk."

Amend "Two Shillings" to read "Two Shillings, Two Merks."

Amend "Four Shillings" to read "Four Shillings, One Dollar."

Amend "Ten Shillings" to read "Ten Shillings, One Half-Pistole."

After "Shillings" in line (8), insert "and historic Scottish currency".

EN: added Scottish names in addition to the English ones

A02 (/u/mrsusandothechoosin, Reform UK)

Replace lines (4) through to (7) with:

(4) The five pence coin be minted to contain the text "One Shilling" in addition to "Five Pence".

(5) The ten pence coin be minted to contain the text "Two Shillings" in addition to "Ten Pence".

(6) The twenty pence coin be minted to contain the text "Four Shillings" in addition to "Twenty Pence".

(7) The fifty pence coin be minted to contain the text "Ten Shillings" in addition to "Fifty Pence".

Debate on these amendments will end with the close of business at 10pm GMT on the 15th of November.

Order, order!

Prime Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Prime Minister, /u/Inadorable, will be taking questions from the House.

The Leader of the Opposition, /u/Blue-EG, may ask 6 initial questions.

Leaders of other opposition parties, /u/model-ceasar and /u/XVillan, may ask 4 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Prime Minister may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

Members may ask initial questions until the close of business at 10pm GMT on the 15th of November 2024.

The session will end with the close of business at 10pm GMT on the 16th of November 2024.

Order!

Topic debates are now in order.

The question is as follows:

That this House has considered Remembrance Sunday and acts of remembrance.

Members are reminded to stay wholly on-topic.

This debate will end with the close of business at 10pm GMT on the 15th of November, after which there shall be a division on the question.

ORDER! ORDER!

B030 - Marriage (First Cousins) Bill - Motion to Recommit Division

The Ayes to the Right: 0

The Noes to the Left: 11

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Bill shall proceed to Final Division as scheduled!

Abstentions: 7

Did not vote: 15

Turnout: 54.55%

UNLOCK!

B033 - NHS Digital Infrastructure and Patient Access Bill - 2nd Reading

A

B I L L

T O

make provision for NHS digital infrastructure, cloud-based medical records, patient access systems, and healthcare information security standards; to amend the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the National Health Service Act 2006, and the National Health Service (Regional Health Authorities) Act 2024; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Part 1: Digital Infrastructure and Standards

Section 1 – Interpretation

(1) For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply—

(a) "NHS England" means a body corporate established under section 1H of the National Health Service Act 2006 (as amended);

(b) "relevant NHS body" means—

(i) a Regional Health Authority established under section 1 of the National Health Service (Regional Health Authorities) Act 2024;

(ii) a Regional Health Board established under section 9 of the National Health Service (Regional Health Authorities) Act 2024;

(iii) an NHS foundation trust within the meaning of section 30 of the National Health Service Act 2006;

(c) "digital infrastructure" means—

(i) information technology systems as prescribed;

(ii) computer hardware meeting such requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(iii) computer software meeting such requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(iv) network infrastructure meeting such requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(d) "cloud-based system" means a system whereby computing services are delivered via the Internet in such manner as may be prescribed.

Section 2 – Amendments to information standards

(1) Section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (information standards) is amended in accordance with subsections (2) to (5).

(2) After subsection (2B), insert—

"(2C) Information standards must specify requirements for digital infrastructure including—

(i) technical specifications for cloud-based medical records systems;

(ii) requirements for hardware and software systems;

(iii) specifications for network infrastructure;

(iv) such requirements for disaster recovery as may be prescribed;

(v) standards for interoperability between Regional Health Authorities as specified in Schedule 1."

(3) After subsection (2C), insert—

"(2D) Information standards relating to data security shall include—

(i) specifications for encryption of data at rest and in transit;

(ii) requirements for access control mechanisms;

(iii) specifications for audit logging;

(iv) such other security requirements as may be prescribed."

Section 3 – General duties in respect of digital infrastructure

(1) Subject to subsection (2), NHS England shall establish and maintain—

(a) technical standards for—

(i) cloud-based medical records systems;

(ii) patient access interfaces;

(iii) data security systems;

(b) such other standards as may be prescribed.

(2) The technical standards established under subsection (1) must ensure—

(a) compatibility between Regional Health Authorities;

(b) compliance with—

(i) data protection legislation;

(ii) such other legislation as may be prescribed;

(c) system resilience as specified in Schedule 1;

(d) disaster recovery capabilities meeting such requirements as may be prescribed.

Section 4 – Requirements for records systems

(1) For the purposes of this Act, a cloud-based medical records system established under section 3(1) must—

(a) maintain patient records in such format as may be prescribed;

(b) enable access by authorised healthcare professionals within Regional Health Authorities in accordance with—

(i) such security protocols as may be specified in regulations;

(ii) such other requirements as may be prescribed;

(c) facilitate information sharing between Regional Health Authorities subject to—

(i) data protection requirements;

(ii) patient consent protocols as specified in Schedule 2;

(d) maintain audit trails of all access and modifications in such manner as may be prescribed.

(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

(a) the manner in which patient records are to be maintained;

(b) authorisation protocols for healthcare professionals;

(c) information sharing requirements between Regional Health Authorities;

(d) such other matters as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Part 2: Implementation and NHS England's Duties

Section 5 – Implementation duties

(1) NHS England shall—

(a) establish a programme for implementing the digital infrastructure system;

(b) publish an implementation timetable within such period as may be prescribed;

(c) ensure the implementation programme includes such matters as are specified in Schedule 3.

(2) The implementation programme shall be completed—

(a) by Regional Health Authorities by such date as may be prescribed;

(b) by NHS foundation trusts by such date as may be prescribed;

(c) subject to such conditions as may be specified in regulations.

Section 6 – General duties of NHS England

(1) NHS England shall—

(a) establish and maintain the digital infrastructure system in accordance with—

(i) such requirements as may be prescribed;

(ii) such standards as are specified in Schedule 1;

(b) provide technical support to Regional Health Authorities in such manner as may be prescribed;

(c) monitor system performance and compliance in accordance with such requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(d) ensure security measures are maintained in accordance with Schedule 2.

(2) NHS England shall publish—

(a) such reports during implementation as may be prescribed;

(b) annual performance reports containing such information as may be specified in regulations;

(c) such other information as the Secretary of State may by direction require.

Section 7 – Regional implementation and operational requirements

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), each Regional Health Authority shall—

(a) implement and maintain digital infrastructure systems in accordance with standards specified by NHS England;

(b) ensure systems operate continuously, save for—

(i) such planned maintenance as may be prescribed;

(ii) such other circumstances as may be specified in regulations;

(c) maintain such level of availability as may be prescribed;

(d) implement backup systems meeting such requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(e) provide disaster recovery capabilities in accordance with Schedule 1.

(2) Regional Health Authorities shall make such arrangements as they consider appropriate to ensure compliance with subsection (1).

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

(a) minimum operational standards for Regional Health Authorities;

(b) maintenance requirements;

(c) backup procedures;

(d) such other matters as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Part 3: Patient Access and Data Protection

Section 8 – Digital access requirements

(1) NHS England shall establish and maintain a unified patient access system that—

(a) provides secure online access to personal health records across all Regional Health Authorities in accordance with—

(i) such security requirements as may be prescribed;

(ii) such other requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(b) enables patients to—

(i) make appointments within their Regional Health Authority in such manner as may be prescribed;

(ii) request prescriptions subject to such conditions as may be specified;

(iii) access test results from any Regional Health Authority in accordance with such protocols as may be prescribed;

(iv) view vaccination records subject to such conditions as may be specified;

(v) update personal information in such manner as may be prescribed.

(2) The patient access system shall—

(a) be accessible via such platforms as may be specified in regulations;

(b) comply with—

(i) accessibility regulations made under section 14 of the Equality Act 2010;

(ii) such other requirements as may be prescribed;

(c) provide alternative access arrangements for patients unable to use digital services in such manner as may be specified in regulations;

(d) enable cross-regional access to patient records when care is provided by different Regional Health Authorities.

Section 9 – Identity verification and regional access

(1) Subject to subsection (2), NHS England shall establish a unified identity verification system that—

(a) confirms the identity of persons seeking access to the system across all Regional Health Authorities in accordance with such requirements as may be prescribed;

(b) implements multi-factor authentication meeting such standards as may be specified in regulations;

(c) maintains security standards in accordance with Schedule 2;

(d) enables secure access to patient records across Regional Health Authority boundaries.

Section 10 – Data protection requirements

(1) All processing of personal data under this Act shall—

(a) comply with—

(i) the UK General Data Protection Regulation;

(ii) the Data Protection Act 2018;

(iii) such other enactments relating to data protection as may be prescribed;

(b) conform to NHS data security standards as specified in Schedule 2;

(c) maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with—

(i) the common law duty of confidentiality;

(ii) such other requirements as may be prescribed.

(2) NHS England shall ensure—

(a) encryption of patient data in accordance with—

(i) such standards as may be specified in regulations;

(ii) such other requirements as may be prescribed;

(b) secure storage of all system data meeting such requirements as may be specified;

(c) implementation of access controls across Regional Health Authorities in accordance with Schedule 2;

(d) maintenance of comprehensive audit trails containing such information as may be prescribed;

(e) secure mechanisms for cross-regional data sharing.

Section 11 – Data breach notification and regional responsibilities

(1) In the event of a personal data breach, the relevant Regional Health Authority and NHS England shall—

(a) notify—

(i) the Information Commissioner;

(ii) affected data subjects;

(iii) any other affected Regional Health Authorities;

(iv) such other persons as may be prescribed;

(b) do so within such period as may be specified in regulations.

(2) A notification under subsection (1) shall contain—

(a) such information about the breach as may be prescribed;

(b) details of any cross-regional impact;

(c) such other information as may be specified in regulations.

Part 4: Funding and Resource Allocation

Section 12 – Funding requirements

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), the Secretary of State shall make such provision as the Secretary of State considers appropriate—

(a) for the development and implementation of the unified digital infrastructure system;

(b) for the maintenance and support of such system across Regional Health Authorities;

(c) for such training programmes as may be prescribed;

(d) for such other purposes as may be specified in regulations.

(2) NHS England shall—

(a) publish annual budgetary requirements for the national digital infrastructure containing—

(i) such information as may be prescribed;

(ii) allocation frameworks for Regional Health Authorities;

(iii) such other matters as may be specified in regulations;

(b) maintain financial records in accordance with—

(i) such requirements as may be prescribed;

(ii) such accounting standards as may be specified;

(c) ensure value for money in procurement in accordance with such requirements as may be prescribed;

(d) report annually on expenditure in such manner as may be specified in regulations.

(3) Each Regional Health Authority shall—

(a) maintain specific digital infrastructure budgets;

(b) report on expenditure to NHS England;

(c) comply with such financial controls as may be prescribed.

Section 13 – Resource allocation to Regional Health Authorities

(1) NHS England shall allocate digital infrastructure resources to Regional Health Authorities for—

(a) such regional infrastructure requirements as may be prescribed;

(b) such staff training within each region as may be specified in regulations;

(c) such technical support services as may be prescribed;

(d) such other purposes as may be specified in regulations.

(2) Resources allocated under subsection (1) shall be—

(a) distributed according to regional population size and needs;

(b) provided in such manner as may be prescribed;

(c) subject to such conditions as may be specified in regulations.

Section 14 – Procurement requirements

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), NHS England shall ensure that procurement of digital infrastructure—

(a) complies with—

(i) the Public Contracts Regulations 2015;

(ii) such other procurement legislation as may be prescribed;

(b) maintains competitive tendering processes in accordance with such requirements as may be specified in regulations;

(c) includes service level agreements containing—

(i) provisions for Regional Health Authority access and support;

(ii) such other requirements as may be specified;

(d) enables economies of scale through national procurement where appropriate.

Section 15 – Contract management

(1) NHS England shall—

(a) maintain a central register of contracts containing—

(i) national infrastructure contracts;

(ii) Regional Health Authority-specific arrangements;

(iii) such other information as may be prescribed;

(b) monitor contract performance across Regional Health Authorities in accordance with such requirements as may be specified;

(c) ensure compliance with service level agreements in such manner as may be prescribed;

(d) coordinate procurement activities between Regional Health Authorities where appropriate.

(2) Regional Health Authorities shall—

(a) comply with national procurement frameworks;

(b) maintain regional contract registers;

(c) report contract performance to NHS England in such manner as may be prescribed.

(3) Where a contractor fails to meet requirements specified under subsection (1), NHS England shall—

(a) take such steps as may be prescribed;

(b) impose such penalties as may be specified in regulations;

(c) make such other arrangements as may be appropriate;

(d) ensure continuity of service across affected Regional Health Authorities.

Part 5: Oversight and Enforcement

Section 16 – Regional oversight framework

(1) NHS England shall establish an oversight framework including—

(a) performance metrics for digital infrastructure across Regional Health Authorities as specified in Schedule 1;

(b) compliance monitoring systems meeting such requirements as may be prescribed;

(c) audit requirements applicable to each Regional Health Authority in accordance with such standards as may be specified;

(d) reporting mechanisms containing such provisions as may be prescribed;

(e) mechanisms for cross-regional performance assessment.

(2) The oversight framework shall include monitoring of—

(a) system availability and performance in each Regional Health Authority in accordance with—

(i) such metrics as may be prescribed;

(ii) such other requirements as may be specified;

(b) security incidents subject to such reporting requirements as may be prescribed;

(c) data breaches in accordance with section 11;

(d) cross-regional system integration;

(e) such other matters as may be specified in regulations.

Section 17 – Regional reporting requirements

(1) Each Regional Health Authority shall submit to NHS England—

(a) quarterly performance reports containing—

(i) such information as may be prescribed;

(ii) details of regional system performance;

(iii) such other matters as may be specified;

(b) annual comprehensive reviews in such form as may be prescribed;

(c) immediate notifications of significant incidents in accordance with such requirements as may be specified.

Section 18 – Enforcement powers

(1) Where a Regional Health Authority fails to comply with any provision of this Act, NHS England may—

(a) issue an enforcement notice requiring such steps to be taken as may be specified in the notice;

(b) direct the relevant Regional Health Board to take such remedial action as may be prescribed;

(c) implement such direct support measures as may be specified in regulations;

(d) take such other action as may be specified in regulations.

(2) An enforcement notice under subsection (1)(a) shall—

(a) specify the breach in such manner as may be prescribed;

(b) set out—

(i) required remedial action;

(ii) timeframes for compliance;

(iii) implications for cross-regional services;

(iv) such other matters as may be specified in regulations;

(c) state the consequences of non-compliance.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

(a) the procedure to be followed in relation to enforcement notices;

(b) appeals against enforcement notices by Regional Health Authorities;

(c) coordination of enforcement actions across regions;

(d) such other matters relating to enforcement as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Section 19 – Regional penalties

(1) Where a Regional Health Authority fails to comply with an enforcement notice issued under section 18, NHS England may—

(a) impose a monetary penalty of such amount as may be prescribed;

(b) recommend to the Secretary of State such changes to the Regional Health Board as may be appropriate;

(c) take such other enforcement action as may be specified in regulations.

Part 6: Transitional Provisions

Section 20 – Transitional arrangements for Regional Health Authorities

(1) For the purposes of this Act, the transition period is—

(a) for Regional Health Authorities, the period of 36 months beginning with the day on which this section comes into force;

(b) for NHS foundation trusts, the period of 48 months beginning with the day on which this section comes into force;

(c) such other period as may be prescribed.

(2) During the transition period, Regional Health Authorities shall—

(a) maintain existing digital systems until such time as may be specified in regulations;

(b) ensure continuity of service across their regions in accordance with such requirements as may be prescribed;

(c) implement data migration plans meeting such standards as may be specified;

(d) complete such staff training programmes as may be prescribed;

(e) ensure cross-regional system compatibility.

Section 21 – Legacy systems within Regional Health Authorities

(1) NHS England shall—

(a) publish guidance about—

(i) the management of legacy systems within Regional Health Authorities;

(ii) regional data migration procedures;

(iii) system decommissioning requirements;

(iv) preservation of regional service continuity;

(b) do so within such period as may be prescribed.

Section 22 – Regulations and orders

(1) Any power of the Secretary of State to make regulations under this Act shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

(2) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this Act shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(3) Regulations under this Act may—

(a) make different provision for different Regional Health Authorities;

(b) make transitional, transitory or saving provision;

(c) make incidental, supplementary or consequential provision;

(d) apply, with or without modification, any enactment.

Section 23 – Directions

(1) The Secretary of State may give directions to NHS England and Regional Health Authorities about the exercise of any of their functions under this Act.

(2) NHS England and Regional Health Authorities shall comply with any directions given under subsection (1).

(3) Directions under this section shall be—

(a) given in writing;

(b) published in such manner as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Section 24 – Extent, commencement and short title

(1) This Act extends to England.

(2) This Act comes into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by regulations appoint.

(3) Different days may be appointed for different purposes.

(4) This Act may be cited as the NHS Digital Infrastructure and Patient Access Act 2024.

Schedules

Schedule 1: Technical Standards and System Requirements

Part 1 – Core Technical Standards

(1) The digital infrastructure system must meet the following technical standards—

(a) system availability of 99.9% measured monthly, excluding planned maintenance;

(b) maximum response time of 3 seconds for routine operations;

(c) data backup frequency of not less than every 24 hours;

(d) recovery time objective of 4 hours for critical systems.

(2) The system must implement the following security measures—

(a) encryption of data in transit using TLS 1.3 or higher;

(b) encryption of data at rest using AES-256 or equivalent;

(c) multi-factor authentication for all system access;

(d) role-based access control.

Part 2 – Interoperability Requirements

(3) Systems must support the following interoperability standards—

(a) HL7 FHIR Release 4 or higher for clinical data exchange;

(b) SNOMED CT for clinical terminology;

(c) DICOM for medical imaging;

(d) such other standards as may be specified by NHS England.

Schedule 2: Security and Data Protection Requirements

Part 1 – Security Standards

(1) The following security controls must be implemented—

(a) identity and access management systems;

(b) intrusion detection and prevention systems;

(c) security information and event management (SIEM) systems;

(d) vulnerability management processes.

Schedule 3: Implementation Requirements

Part 1 - Implementation Planning

(1) Each Regional Health Authority must prepare an implementation plan including—

(a) detailed project timeline;

(b) resource allocation;

(c) risk assessment and mitigation strategies;

(d) staff training programme;

(e) system testing procedures.

(2) The implementation plan must address—

(a) data migration from legacy systems;

(b) maintenance of service continuity;

(c) staff training and support;

(d) patient communication and engagement.

Part 2 – Testing Requirements

(3) Before deployment, systems must undergo—

(a) security testing, including—

(i) penetration testing;

(ii) vulnerability assessment;

(iii) security control validation;

(b) performance testing, including—

(i) load testing;

(ii) stress testing;

(iii) failover testing;

(c) user acceptance testing;

(d) integration testing.

Part 3 – Training Requirements

(4) Staff training must include—

(a) system operation and functionality;

(b) security awareness and procedures;

(c) data protection requirements;

(d) incident reporting and handling.

(5) Training must be—

(a) role-specific;

(b) regularly updated;

(c) mandatory for all users;

(d) documented and tracked.

Schedule 4: Performance Monitoring and Reporting

Part 1 – System Performance Metrics

(1) The following metrics must be monitored and reported—

(a) system availability;

(b) response times;

(c) error rates;

(d) user satisfaction;

(e) security incidents;

(f) data breaches.

(2) Performance reports must include—

(a) monthly system performance statistics;

(b) quarterly trend analysis;

(c) annual comprehensive review;

(d) incident reports and resolutions.

Part 2 – Audit Requirements

(3) Regular audits must examine—

(a) system security controls;

(b) access controls and authentication;

(c) data protection compliance;

(d) backup and recovery procedures.

(4) Audit reports must—

(a) identify any deficiencies;

(b) recommend corrective actions;

(c) track resolution of previous findings;

(d) be submitted to NHS England.

Schedule 5: Transitional Arrangements

Part 1 – Legacy System Management

(1) During the transition period, Regional Health Authorities must—

(a) maintain existing systems until migration is complete;

(b) ensure data consistency between systems;

(c) provide parallel access where necessary;

(d) maintain security controls on all systems.

(2) Data migration must—

(a) preserve data integrity;

(b) maintain audit trails;

(c) validate migrated data;

(d) comply with data protection requirements.

Schedule 6: Procurement and Contract Requirements

Part 1 – Procurement Standards

(1) Procurement processes must—

(a) comply with public procurement regulations;

(b) ensure fair competition;

(c) demonstrate value for money;

(d) include security and performance requirements.

(2) Technical requirements must specify—

(a) system functionality;

(b) performance standards;

(c) security requirements;

(d) interoperability standards;

(e) support and maintenance requirements.

Part 2 – Service Level Agreements

(3) Service level agreements must include—

(a) system availability requirements;

(b) performance standards;

(c) support response times;

(d) maintenance windows;

(e) penalty provisions.

(4) Contractors must provide—

(a) regular performance reports;

(b) incident notifications;

(c) security updates;

(d) technical support.

Schedule 7: Information Governance Requirements

Part 1 - Data Management Standards

(1) Information governance policies must address—

(a) data classification;

(b) data retention;

(c) data disposal;

(d) access control;

(e) privacy protection.

(2) Data sharing agreements must specify—

(a) purpose of sharing;

(b) data to be shared;

(c) security requirements;

(d) recipient responsibilities;

(e) compliance obligations.

Part 2 – Privacy Requirements

(3) Privacy impact assessments must be conducted—

(a) before implementing new functionality;

(b) when changing data processing methods;

(c) when sharing data with new parties;

(d) at regular intervals for existing systems.

(4) Patient privacy rights must include—

(a) access to records;

(b) correction of errors;

(c) data portability;

(d) restriction of processing;

(e) objection to processing.

Schedule 8: System Recovery and Business Continuity

Part 1 – Disaster Recovery Requirements

(1) Disaster recovery plans must include—

(a) recovery time objectives;

(b) recovery point objectives;

(c) backup procedures;

(d) restoration procedures;

(e) testing requirements.

(2) Business continuity measures must address—

(a) system failures;

(b) cyber attacks;

(c) natural disasters;

(d) pandemic scenarios;

(e) staff unavailability.

Part 2 – Incident Response

(3) Incident response procedures must specify—

(a) incident classification;

(b) notification requirements;

(c) response priorities;

(d) escalation procedures;

(e) recovery processes.

(4) Post-incident activities must include—

(a) root cause analysis;

(b) impact assessment;

(c) corrective actions;

(d) preventive measures;

(e) lesson learned documentation.

Schedule 9: Enforcement and Penalties

Part 1 – Enforcement Framework

(1) Enforcement actions may include—

(a) warning notices;

(b) improvement notices;

(c) monetary penalties;

(d) mandatory improvements;

(e) special measures.

(2) Monetary penalties shall be—

(a) proportionate to the breach;

(b) consider mitigating factors;

(c) take account of corrective actions;

(d) reflect repeat violations.

Part 2 – Appeals Process

(3) Appeals may be made against—

(a) enforcement notices;

(b) monetary penalties;

(c) mandatory requirements;

(d) special measures.

(4) Appeal procedures must—

(a) specify grounds for appeal;

(b) set time limits;

(c) establish review process;

(d) provide for final determination.

This Bill was jointly researched by Safeguard UK and u/Oracle_of_Mercia MP, drafted under the direction of u/model-mob, and presented to Parliament by the Right Honourable u/Oracle_of_Mercia as a Private Member's Bill.

Opening Speech:

Mr. Speaker,

The House finds itself today considering legislation of the utmost importance to our National Health Service and the millions who depend upon it. The NHS Digital Infrastructure and Patient Access Bill before us today represents a vital step towards modernising our health service whilst ensuring it remains true to its founding principles of universal care, free at the point of use.

Right Honourable and Honourable Members will be acutely aware of the pressing challenges facing our NHS's digital capabilities. Indeed, we need only look to recent events where one of our largest NHS trusts suffered a catastrophic IT failure lasting ten days. Such occurrences, I regret to inform the House, are not mere isolated incidents but symptomatic of chronic underinvestment and fragmentation in NHS digital infrastructure. The Bill before us today, Mr Deputy Speaker, sets forth three principal measures to address these challenges.

Firstly, it establishes a unified digital infrastructure system under NHS England's leadership. At present, whilst our GP surgeries have largely embraced digital transformation, our secondary care services woefully lag behind. This cannot continue. The Bill mandates proper integration and interoperability across all Regional Health Authorities.

Secondly, Mr Deputy Speaker, the Bill places our patients at the heart of digital transformation. It requires the establishment of a comprehensive patient access system enabling constituents across our nations to book appointments, manage prescriptions, and access their health records through secure digital means.

Thirdly, and crucially, it establishes stringent data protection and security standards. The House will note that this comes at a time when cyber security in our health service has never been more critical.

The British Medical Association's findings that over a quarter of NHS clinicians lose more than four hours weekly due to inefficient IT systems should alarm every Member of this House. This represents countless hours that could be spent treating patients, reducing waiting lists, and improving care.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I anticipate that some Honourable Members may raise concerns about previous attempts at NHS digitalisation. They would be right to do so. However, this Bill learns from past mistakes. Unlike the National Programme for IT under the previous Labour government in 2011, this legislation emphasises local engagement whilst maintaining national standards. It provides realistic implementation timelines and, crucially, ensures proper training and support for our healthcare professionals.

The Bill makes provision for proper funding and resource allocation, ensuring that NHS trusts and Regional Health Authorities have the means to implement these vital changes. It establishes robust procurement frameworks and contract management provisions to ensure value for money for British taxpayers.

We have seen both the potential and necessity of digital healthcare delivery. This Bill provides the framework to realise that potential fully and safely.

Members may debate and submit amendments to the Bill until Wednesday the 13th of November at 10PM GMT.

B029 - Loot Box Regulation Bill - 3rd Reading

A

B I L L

T O

regulate the practice of loot boxes in video games.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section One - Lootboxes in games: definitions

(1) The Gambling Act 2005 is amended as follows.

(2) After section 6, insert—

“6A Loot boxes in video games

(1) In this Act, a “loot box” is an item which can be purchased or obtained in a video game which contains randomised items such that the player who obtains a loot box does not know exactly what item they will obtain from the loot box.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

(a) an item is not a loot box if the player—

(i) obtained it through gameplay,

(ii) purchased it using a virtual currency which can not be purchased using real-world money,

(iii) obtained it for free, or

(iv) otherwise obtained it in such a way that they did not directly or indirectly obtain it using real-world money, but

(b) an item is a loot box regardless of—

(i) whether the loot box was purchased directly or indirectly with real-world money, and

(ii) whether certain items have a greater likelihood of appearing in a loot box than others.

(3) In subsection (2)(a)(i), "virtual currency" means any item obtainable in the game which can be exchanged for other items in the game.”.

(3) In section 3—

(a) at the end of paragraph (c), for “.” substitute “and”,

(b) after paragraph (c), insert—

“(d) loot boxes (within the meaning of section 6A).”.

Section Two - Licences

(1) The Gambling Act 2005 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 65(2)—

(a) at the end of paragraph (j), for “.” substitute “,”,

(b) after paragraph (j), insert—

“(k) to provide loot boxes (a “loot box software licence”).”.

(3) After section 99, insert—

“99A Loot box software licence

(1) This section applies to loot box software licences.

(2) The licence authorises the holder to make loot boxes obtainable in any video game the holder of the licence publishes.

(3) The licence shall require that a video game which allows players to obtain loot boxes may not be played by anyone under eighteen years of age.

(4) The licence shall require that a video game which allows players to obtain loot boxes must disclose to the player the probability of obtaining every item contained in each loot box before a player obtains a loot box.

(5) The licence shall require that the developer of a video game which allows players to obtain loot boxes must submit a report to the Video Standards Report Council on how they model their loot boxes during each year.

(4) The licence shall require that a video game which allows players to obtain loot boxes has an process which allows someone of eighteen or more years of age who has unknowingly provided money or the means for a person under eighteen years of age to obtain a loot box to—

(a) recover any such money, and

(b) to be provided the details of this case the holder of the licence deems relevant.”.

Section 3 - : Restriction of manipulative practices

(1) Under part 4 of the Gambling Act 2005 a new section shall be inserted titled 51 - restricting manipulative practices of Loot Boxes.

(2) Any game containing loot boxes must disclose the probability of obtaining every item contained in each loot box.

(a) These figures must be accurate and presented to players prior to any loot box purchase

(b) Companies must submit an annual report to the Video Standards Report Council on how they model their loot boxes to ensure transparency and note any changes they may undertake with it throughout the financial year.

Section 4 - offences

(1) In the Gambling Act 2005 a new section shall be inserted titled 42 - Loot Boxes under the heading ‘Miscellaneous offences’.

(2) Any video game publisher found distributing a video game containing loot boxes without having a Loot Box Software License in their possession shall be subject to a maximum fine of £700,000 and up to 5 years in prison.

(3) Any video game publisher who breaks the terms found within section 4 shall be given two weeks to conform with the terms found in this section, if by this time they have not conformed with the terms of section 4, the developer shall have their Loot Box Software License revoked.

(4) The use of the term ‘surprise mechanics’ in reference to loot boxes shall be deemed illegal and shall be subject to investigation by the Video Standards Rating Council Board and the Gambling Commission

(a) ‘surprise mechanic’ shall be defined as “A microtransaction that does not guarantee the outcome promised by the microtransaction provider”.

(5) It shall be considered an offence for an Adult to provide money knowingly for someone under the age of 18 to gamble the money on Loot Boxes, if found guilty of knowingly providing Money the Adult shall be subject to:

(a) 15 years imprisonment

Section 5 - Extent, Commencement and Short Title

(1) This Act extends to England and Wales only.

(2) This Act comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Loot Box Regulations Act 2024.

This Bill was written by u/AdSea260 MP as a Private Members Bill.

Opening Speech:

Mr. Speaker,

I like many of my generation remember growing up and playing video games on my PlayStation 2. I remember these games being of good quality, where you can explore the worlds for hours without having to be worrying if I am going to spend money to level up my characters, or spending it on simple things that should already be available to unlock in the game, the problem now Mr Speaker is that AAA game developers have become greedy because they know that hardcore player's will spend thousands of pounds on a franchise they love.

However for the casual player like myself this just makes me lose interest in the franchise, now I can give an example of this and that is Assassin's Creed, I remember the Ezio trilogy which was a genuine masterpiece of storytelling I cried when I played the last game of that trilogy, it was genuinely one of the most impactful gaming experiences in my life, however if we flash forward nearly a decade later to Assassin's Creed Odyssey you can't even leave the first island without having to either grind for experience points or pay between £30-50 just to level up your character to be able to play the next segment of the game.

Mr Speaker this is morally wrong and disgusting. Gamers as a community need to be respected and not taken advantage by game developers and their investors, we have also seen in recent times scourges of genuine gaming like fortnight and Roblox that prey on young children and lure them into gambling away either their own or their parents money, I have seen it too many times and even one of my own constituents who I spoke to during the by-election said that close to Christmas time last year their child spent up to £1000 in microtransactions with no chance of getting the money back of the company because there is no legal duty for an appeals process for these companies to adhere to.

Mr Speaker this simply needs to be stopped and this is why this bill will go a long way to assuring this, I commend this bill to the house.

Sources:

• Loot boxes in video games - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)
• Loot boxes within video games (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)
• Immersive and addictive technologies (parliament.uk)
• Review of the Gambling Act 2005 Terms of Reference and Call for Evidence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Video Games Research Framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Members may debate the Bill until Wednesday the 13th of November at 10PM GMT.

Urgent Question - Prime Minister - Trade with the United States

Order, Order!

u/Oracle_of_Mercia has submitted the following question:

Will the Prime Minister please inform the house of their strategy on trade with the United States due to the high likelihood that the UK will no longer enjoy the benefits we currently enjoy due to the possible future implementation of Tariffs as currently the United States is our largest trading partner due to the election of Donald J Trump as President of the United States of America?

The Prime Minister, u/Inadorable has been called to answer.

The Prime Minister may deliver a statement in response to the question here. Alternatively, they can submit a statement to the speakership and it will be placed before the House as soon as possible.

Standard MQ rules apply:

As Leader of the Opposition, u/Blue-EG may ask 6 initial questions

As the leader of an Unofficial Opposition party, u/model-ceasar may ask 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 initial questions and are allowed to ask another question to each answer they receive (4 in total).

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Prime Minister may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Wednesday 13th November 2024 at 10pm GMT, with no initial questions after Tuesday 12th November 2024 at 10pm GMT.

ORDER! ORDER!

B017 - National Bank Holidays (England & Wales) Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 19

Turnout: 48.65%

B032 - Railways (Modernisation) Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 16

The Noes to the Left: 1

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 19

Turnout: 48.65%

B029 - Loot Box Regulation Bill - Run-off Amendment Division

AMENDMENT ONE - u/model-alice

The Ayes to the Right: 0

The Noes to the Left: 6

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Amendment shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 2

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

AMENDMENT TWO - u/model-alice

The Ayes to the Right: 3

The Noes to the Left: 3

It is a tie! But as conflicting Amendment 6 has more votes, this Amendment shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 2

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

AMENDMENT THREE - u/model-alice

The Ayes to the Right: 4

The Noes to the Left: 3

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Amendment shall be applied to the Bill!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

AMENDMENT FOUR - u/model-finn

The Ayes to the Right: 0

The Noes to the Left: 7

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Amendment shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

AMENDMENT FIVE - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 6

The Noes to the Left: 1

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Amendment shall be applied to the Bill!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

AMENDMENT SIX - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 4

The Noes to the Left: 3

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Amendment shall be applied to the Bill!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

AMENDMENT SEVEN - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 3

The Noes to the Left: 4

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Amendment shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 28

Turnout: 22.22%

UNLOCK!

Motion to Strengthen Sex-Based Safeguarding Protections

This House Recognises:

(1) Clear biological definitions are fundamental to maintaining effective safeguarding frameworks across British institutions.

(2) Distinguished medical professionals, including youth psychiatrists, have raised significant concerns about the impact of self-identification policies on vulnerable young people, particularly adolescent girls.

(3) Single-sex provisions play a vital role in protecting vulnerable individuals in institutional settings including prisons, shelters, changing facilities and healthcare environments.

(4) Existing legislation and protections for single-sex spaces must be maintained to ensure proper safeguarding standards.

(5) Healthcare and education professionals require unambiguous frameworks to fulfil their safeguarding duties.

(6) The collection of accurate biological sex-based data remains essential for effective policy development and service provision.

(7) Current proposals risk compromising established safeguarding practices without sufficient evidence of benefit.

This House Urges:

(1) The Government to maintain and strengthen existing sex-based protections within the Equality Act 2010.

(2) The development of clear statutory guidance affirming the legitimacy of single-sex provisions where necessary for safeguarding.

(3) The establishment of robust professional frameworks that support evidence-based safeguarding practices in healthcare and education.

(4) The protection of proper data collection based on biological sex for policy development purposes.

(5) The Home Office and Ministry of Justice to ensure that sex-based provisions in prisons, shelters and other controlled environments are maintained where necessary for safeguarding.

(6) The Department for Education to develop clear safeguarding guidance for schools that prioritises child protection.

This motion was submitted by /u/model-mob.

This debate ends on Monday 11 November 2024 at 10PM GMT.

#Coinage (Shillings) Motion

The House recognises that:

(1) The Shilling as a unit of coinage has a centuries long history, and continued legacy in many countries.

(2) Many historical contracts refer to Shillings as the primary method of payment.

(3) The Shilling is an important symbol of culture for many Britons.

The House urges that:

(4) The 5 pence coin now also be minted to read "One Shilling".

(5) The 10 pence coin now also be minted to read "Two Shillings".

(6) The 20 pence coin now also be minted to read "Four Shillings".

(7) The 50 pence coin now also be minted to read "Ten Shillings".

(8) That His Majesty's Government support references to Shillings in public life.

No opening speech was provided; the author may choose to make one by modmailling one to /r/MHoC modmail.

Submitted by /u/mrsusandothechoosin on behalf of Reform UK

Debate on this motion ends with the close of business at 10pm GMT on the 7th of November.

Order, order!

Chancellor's Questions are now in order!

The Chancellor, /u/Phonexia2, will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Chancellor, /u/Hobnob88, may ask 6 initial questions.

The Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, /u/CountBrandenburg, may ask 4 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Chancellor may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall conclude on the 8th of November, 2024 at 10 pm GMT. No further initial questions may be put after the 7th of November, 2024 at 10 pm GMT.

ORDER! ORDER!

B029 - Loot Box Regulation Bill - Amendment Division

AMENDMENT ONE - u/model-alice

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

AMENDMENT TWO - u/model-alice

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

AMENDMENT THREE- u/model-alice

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

AMENDMENT FOUR- u/model-finn

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

AMENDMENT FIVE - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

AMENDMENT SIX- u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

AMENDMENT SEVEN - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 17

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 17

Turnout: 54.05%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! This amendment shall be applied to the Bill at 3rd Reading.

B022 - Conversion Therapy (Prohibition) Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 19

The Noes to the Left: 1

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 1

Did not vote: 16

Turnout: 56.76%

B031 - Energy Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 19

The Noes to the Left: 1

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 0

Did not vote: 18

Turnout: 52.63%

UNLOCK!

Order, Order!

/u/model-avtron has submitted the following question:

“To ask the Prime Minister to make a statement outlining HM Government's plans to implement the entirety of motion 005 (Motion to Rejoin the European Union), passed by Parliament.”

The Prime Minister, u/Inadorable has been called to answer.

The Foreign Secretary may deliver a statement in response to the question here. Alternatively, they can submit a statement to the speakership and it will be placed before the House as soon as possible.

Standard MQ rules apply:

As Leader of the Opposition, u/Blue-EG may ask 6 initial questions

As the leader of an Unofficial Opposition party, /u/model-ceasar may ask 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 initial questions and are allowed to ask another question to each answer they receive (4 in total).

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Prime Minister may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Tuesday 5 November 2024 at 10pm GMT, with no initial questions after Monday 4 November 2024 at 10pm GMT.

Order, Order!

Housing, Communities and Local Government Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, u/Dyn-Cymru, will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary, u/BasedChurchill, may ask 6 initial questions.

The Unofficial Opposition Spokesperson, u/Zanytheus, may ask 4 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall conclude on 3rd November 2024 at 10pm GMT. No further initial questions may be put after 2nd November 2024 at 10pm GMT.

B030 - Marriage (First Cousins) Bill - 3rd Reading

A

B I L L

T O

disallow marriages between first cousins.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows —

Section 1 - Prohibition of marriage to first cousin

(1) Schedule 1 of the Marriage Act 1949 is amended as follows.

(2) At the end of the list in paragraph 1(1), append "First cousin".

(3) After paragraph 1(2), insert—

"(3) In the list "first cousin" means the child of the sibling of a parent.".

Section 2 - Prohibition of civil partnership to first cousin

(1) Schedule 1 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 is amended as follows:

(a) At the end of the list in paragraph 1(1), append "First cousin".

(b) After paragraph 1(2), insert—

"(3) In the list "first cousin" means the child of the sibling of a parent.".

Section 3 - Commencement, extent and short title

(1) This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.

(2) This Act extends to England and Wales.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Marriage (First Cousins) Act.

This Bill was written by u/mrsusandothechoosin on behalf of Reform UK.

Opening Speech:

Mister Speaker,

With our modern understanding of how diabilities can be caused by marriage between blood relations, it is inexplicable that marriages between cousins (with all the complications that can produce) is permitted within the United Kingdom. Until recently this was extremely rare, but now there are certain subsections of society within the United Kingdom for whom marriage between cousins is seen as a beneficial to extended families, despite the harmful impacts on those pressured or persuaded into such marriages, and any children who have to live with the disabilities caused.

We need to be clear that this practice is not acceptable. This is a simple bill that will save many innocent children from disabilities that would limit their potential and their quality of life.

I commend this bill to the House.

Members may debate the Bill until Sunday the 3rd of November at 10PM GMT.

ORDER! ORDER!

B0030 - Marriage (First Cousins) Bill - Amendment Division

AMENDMENT ONE - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 22

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 0

Did not vote: 15

Turnout: 59.46%

AMENDMENT TWO - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 22

The Noes to the Left: 0

Abstentions: 0

Did not vote: 15

Turnout: 59.46%

Both Amendments pass, and shall be applied to the Bill at its 3rd Reading!

B018 - Education (British Values) Bill - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 11

The Noes to the Left: 9

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 3

Did not vote: 14

Turnout: 62.16%

UNLOCK!

Order!

The Secretary of State for Transport!

Draft Order in Council laid before Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru, under paragraph 11 of Schedule 3 to the Climate Change Act 2008, for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.

D R A F T S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S

2024 No. 786

CLIMATE CHANGE

ROAD TRAFFIC

The Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) Order 2024

Made

Coming into force in accordance with article 1

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 26th day of October Present,

The King’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

This Order is made in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 44, 46(3), 54 and 90(3) of, and Parts 1 and 3 of Schedule 2 and paragraph 9 of Schedule 3 to, the Climate Change Act 2008.

In accordance with paragraph 10 of Schedule 3 to that Act, before the recommendation to His Majesty in Council to make this Order was made— (a) the advice of the Committee on Climate Change, including on the amount of the limit referred to in section 48(2) of that Act, was obtained and taken into account; and

(b) such persons likely to be affected by the Order as the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Ministers considered appropriate were consulted.

In accordance with paragraph 11 of that Schedule, a draft of the instrument containing this Order was laid before Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.

Accordingly, His Majesty, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement and extent

1.— (1) This Order may be cited as the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) Order 2024.

(2) This Order comes into force on 1st January 2025.

(3) This Order extends to England and Wales and Scotland.

Amendment to Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes Order 2023

2. For Schedule 6 of the Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2023, substitute—

Part 1

Percentage of total car registrations for the purpose of calculating CRTS allowances

Part 2

Percentage of total van registrations for the purpose of calculating CRTS allowances

Richard Tilbrook Clerk of the Privy Council

This Statutory Instrument was written by Rt Hon u/Model-Finn MP OAP, Secretary of State for Transport and Science, and Rt Hon u/LightningMinion MP OAP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government

Opening Speech:

Deputy Speaker,

The government brings this Order in Council before the House and the devolved parliaments before its approval by His Majesty the King. With this instrument, the government lays a new foundation for our aim of achieving Net Zero by the end of the decade and fixing the errors of the previous Tory government in watering down our Net Zero commitments and using them as a tool for their culture war. Climate change is not a disputed issue. It is happening and it is having dramatic effects. It is the duty of this government and all that follow it to commit themselves to tackling the climate crisis and achieving Net Zero. This cannot be accomplished without dramatic changes to our transport infrastructure. Road vehicles account for roughly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions. It is clear we need to make the switch now if we are to prevent the worst the changing climate can offer. Under this new Order, vehicle manufacturers will no longer be allowed to sell combustion engine cars and vans by 2030. Along with investments in our EV infrastructure and investment in the railways to allow for more freight operations, we aim to dramatically decrease the levels of emissions and pollution from road vehicles by the 2030s. This is a necessary step, Deputy Speaker, and I commend this Order to the House.

B017 - National Bank Holidays (England & Wales) Bill - 3rd Reading

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amend Schedule 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 to make Saint David’s Day, March 1st, and Saint George’s Day, 23rd April, bank holidays in England and Wales respectively. 

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:— 

Section 1 Bank Holidays in England and Wales

(1) The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 is amended as follows.

(2) For paragraph 1 (bank holidays in England and Wales) of Schedule 1, substitute—

“1 The following are to be bank holidays in England:—

23rd of April, unless that date falls between Palm Sunday and the second Sunday of Easter inclusive, when the bank holiday is to be the Monday following that second Easter Sunday.

Easter Monday.

The last Monday in May.

The last Monday in August.

26th December, if it be not a Sunday.

27th December in a year in which 25th or 26th December is a Sunday.”.

(3) After paragraph 3 of Schedule 1, insert—

“4 The following are to be bank holidays in Wales:—

1st March.

Easter Monday.

The last Monday in May.

The last Monday in August.

26th December, if it be not a Sunday.

27th December in a year in which 25th or 26th December is a Sunday.”.

Section 2 Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.

Section 3 Extent

Any amendment made by this Act has the same extent as the provision amended or repealed.

Section 4 Short title

This Act may be cited as the National Bank Holidays (England & Wales) Act 2024.

This bill was submitted by  on behalf of Plaid Cymru

Opening Speech:

Speaker,

National holidays are something the entire country can enjoy, it is a day of pride. In Scotland and Northern Ireland their citizens can enjoy the national holiday of their saint, may it be Saint Patrick or Saint Andrew. In England and Wales however, neither Saint David’s Day or Saint George’s Day are bank holidays, whereas their Scottish and Irish counterparts are.

Every 1st of March people across Wales celebrate being Welsh, through wearing traditional Welsh clothing to schools or parading the daffodil across Cardiff. Yet according to the law, this day is no more special than the 4th of January, despite the fact to many across Wales it is. Bank holidays allow people the chance to enjoy the festivities. I went to Cardiff last Saint David’s Day and saw a beautiful choir in the M&S, singing Welsh songs. I continued my day further down the shopping centre to see yet another choir singing the national anthem, hen wlad fy nhadau. For many this day is important because it gives us pride and honour of who they are, and we should acknowledge that. Being able to acknowledge that the day is significant to the country and declaring it a holiday would allow more to enjoy and celebrate.

Now I may be a Plaid MP however I do believe in fairness. That is why I have included England’s Saint George’s Day is also given status in this bill too. My English neighbours should also have the same opportunities as their Scottish and Northern Irish counterparts. All parts of the United Kingdom should be able to celebrate their nation’s day.

This is not just about sentiments either, for these bank holidays also allow for more economic activity for sectors that need it. As I said previously I went to Cardiff on Saint David’s Day to celebrate, of which many others joined me. It boosts the profits of the shops, not just in Cardiff but across all of the commercial sector in places like our struggling high streets. This is an opportunity to boost activity in these areas since many take a bank holiday to do their shop while they have the day off. Ultimately however this bill is about allowing all parts of the United Kingdom to celebrate their day, whether they are from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England or Wales. We are all proud of our identities and we should allow all parts of the United Kingdom to celebrate it equally. Therefore I commend this bill to the house!

Members may debate the Bill until Wednesday the 30th of October at 10PM GMT.

B032 - Railways (Modernisation) Bill - 2nd Reading

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make provision for the electrification of the entirety of England’s railways; introduce new signalling systems; enable level boarding at national rail stations; create a UK ticketing commission to rework current rates; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

####Chapter 1: Planning Reforms

#####1 Right to improve existing rights of way

(1) The British Railways Board may, by right, make certain improvements to existing rail rights of way in the England, including but not limited to—

(a) railway electrification, including putting up wires and the establishment of sufficient substations as negotiated with National Grid plc;

(b) renewing or upgrading signalling systems;

(c) redesigning stations to allow for level boarding, renewed ticketing systems, or any other such purpose as the British Railways Board sees fit;

(d) redesigning railway structures to allow for improvements to service, including level crossings, bridges over or tunnels under the railway, in negotiation with the relevant local authorities;

(e) establishing bicycle parking facilities; and

(f) constructing new parallel tracks, platforms, and structures to enable improved capacity within fifty metres of the right of way, above it or under it.

(2) Subsection (1) shall only apply where any company under the British Railway Board is owner of land being used, unless—

(a) the usage of land is temporary for construction purposes, and arrangements have been made with the relevant owners, or—

(b) a compulsory purchase order has been approved by the Secretary of State.

(3) The powers under subsection (1) may only be used in such a case that an environmental impact assessment has been performed by the British Railways Board, or any entity hired by the British Railways Board for such purposes, and—

(a) The plan has been put to public consultation for a period of no less than thirty days;

(b) A mitigation plan is drafted and put into practice by the British Railways Board; and

(c) any independent environmental impact assessment has been responded to, and if necessary mitigated, as long as they are put forward in the thirty day period.

(4) The British Railways Board must allow for a thirty day period for the making of objections to projects under subsection (1), and are required to respond to every such objection, as far as they can be practicably mitigated, unless—

(a) the objections appears to the British Railways Board to be trivial, frivolous; or

(b) to relate to matters which fall to be determined by a tribunal concerned with the assessment of compensation.

(5) A project that has commenced following the procedures laid out in subsections (3) may not be halted, unless there has been a gross dereliction of duty in mitigating the effects of the construction.

####Chapter 2: Modernisation Works

#####2 Electrification

(1) All existing railway rights of way in the England are to be converted to 25kV Alternating Current overhead wire electrification at a frequency of 50Hz, unless—

(a) They are part of the London Underground, Glasgow Subway or the underground rights of way of the Wirral and Northern Lines of Merseyrail.

(2) This electrification shall, as far as is reasonably practicable, proceed according to the timetable included with this legislation.

#####3 Resignalling

(1) All existing railway rights of way in the England are to be converted to using the European Train Control System Level 2, unless—

(a) They are part of the London Underground or the Glasgow Subway.

(2) This resignalling shall, as far as is reasonably practicable, be carried out alongside electrification under section (2) of this act.

(3) For those railway lines which are already electrified, but which will not be converted to a different voltage, the British Railways Board shall create a reasonable timetable which achieves a full network-wide rollout by 2040.

#####4 Loading Gauge

(1) All existing railway rights of way in the England are to be converted to UIC GB+ loading gauge, unless—

(a) There is no reasonable expectation of freight use on the line, and the line has already been electrified; or

(b) They are part of the London Underground, Glasgow Subway or the underground rights of way of the Wirral and Northern Lines of Merseyrail.

(2) These adjustments to loading gauge shall, as far as is reasonably practicable, be carried out alongside electrification under section (2) of this act, or alongside resignalling under section (3) of this act.

#####5 Level Boarding

(1) All existing station on railway rights of way in the England are to be converted to correspond to existing level boarding standards, unless—

(a) They are part of the London Underground or the Glasgow Subway.

(2) These adjustments to enable level boarding shall, as far as is reasonably practicable, be carried out alongside electrification under section (2) of this act, or alongside resignalling under section (3) of this act.

#####6 Ticketing

(1) The British Railways Board is tasked with creating a new ticketing system for use on its services, based on the following principles—

(a) ending the use of seat reservations, except on exceptionally busy lines;

(b) flexible tickets, with all tickets usable on any service on the same line;

(c) flat fares based on distance travelled, as well as an optional base fare per trip of no more than £1;

(d) Pay As You Go ticketing on all services; and

(e) reasonably priced season tickets at local, regional and national levels.

(2) This new ticketing system is to be implemented no later than 1 January 2029.

#####7 Commencement, full extent and title

(1) This Act extends to England.

(2) This Act shall come into force immediately upon Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Railways (Modernisation) Act.

This Bill was introduced by the Prime Minister, /u/Inadorable, on behalf of his Majesty’s Government.

Explanatory Note:

This legislation has been costed at £37 billion pounds over the next 16 financial years.

Electrification Schedule for MHOC 2.0

Opening Speech:

Deputy Speaker,

Today I introduce to this house an intensive bill to bring about significant modernisations on Britain’s railway network, ones that have been long overdue. I don’t think it is a secret, after all, that our trains have been ageing, ailing and suffering for many years now, with reliability taking a nosedive, ticket prices continuing to spiral out of control and vital maintenance and modernisation works being delayed where they should have been brought forward and given a much clearer path towards approval. This bill does exactly that.

In Section 1 of this bill, we lay out an adjusted approval process for certain improvements to existing rights of way in our country. Because where people have tried to eliminate bureaucracy for many things in our country before, one of those places where this hasn’t happened is planning law. Making changes, even reasonable ones, to existing structures has become a legal and political quagmire where these changes really ought to be able to be done by right, without the involvement of a Secretary of State directly. This bill makes it so that many improvements can be made by right through a process initiated by the British Railways Board, preserving public involvement but limiting the period of time it has to be set up and shrinking the immense planning and administrative costs associated with our planning system as it stands today.

Section 2 sets out a plan to convert all of England’s railways to be electrified under 25kV AC overhead wire electrification. This is the current standard under British law, and a global standard for railways as well. It allows for a perfect balance between efficiency and the power that an engine can draw upon, and allows for fast, rapidly-accelerating and high capacity electric service between all of Britain’s towns, cities and villages.

As explained within the electrification schedule attached with the bill, this electrification will carry on through the South of England, even where current third rail systems are established. We are doing this for two reasons. The first is to improve line speeds on these tracks. The current trains, such as those used by Thameslink, are limited in speed on the third rail sections south of City Thameslink station by the choice of traction. Switching to the more modern and powerful 25kV standard allows these trains to operate at 100 mph speeds for more of the network. Secondly, by standardising our systems, we allow for easier (and thus cheaper) procurement of new rolling stock, can limit the amount of classes of train that are in operation at each moment, and can simplify maintenance of our fleet in the future.

Section 3 makes provision for the implementation of a new signalling system, that being the EU’s standard ETCS Level 2 Train Control system. This is a rather technical discussion, but it essentially means that we will be finishing the shift from lineside equipment to in-cab equipment where it comes to signalling. This limits the scope for human error, allows for trains to operate more closely together, reduces the risks offered by particularly bad mist and other weather events, and allows us to significantly reduce operational expenditures maintaining a complex and vulnerable signalling system across tens of thousands of miles, as we do now.

Section 4 mandates a significant step forward in gauge clearance across the United Kingdom’s railway network. The massive programme of railway electrification already means we will be reworking thousands of structures across our railway, from tunnels to bridges to underpasses, and what implementing a new standard for gauge clearance allows us to do is significantly expand our ability to ship freight by rail across this country, opening up new routes and destinations across the country.

Section 5 is about accessibility on our railway network. As things stand right now, the vast majority of stations in the United Kingdom do not follow existing level boarding standards. This means that the ability to access the railway without assistance for the disabled people who need this ability is significantly limited, and that our railways arguably find themselves falling foul of existing equalities legislation. Indeed, the lack of level boarding is currently the leading cause of unintentional death on the railways, with around six people dying each and every year because of falls caused during the boarding and unboarding process. We have to make great progress, and this bill will ensure that progress will be made over the coming years.

Finally, Section 6 sets out the ground rules for a reform to ticketing that the British Railways Board will be requested to implement. The current British ticketing system is byzantine; we’ve all heard stories of unclear rules for railcards or had to deal with ticket splitting, having to buy a ticket last minute for ridiculous prices, or just the pain of needing multiple tickets to get around. This bill will allow for a major change to happen by the end of the decade, where the entire country will switch to a Pay As You Go system for almost all trains across the country. This means people will always pay the best possible price for their trip at the specific moment they make it, and can also be certain that the price they pay is the same as everyone around them: indeed, that they didn’t get a bad deal as there would no longer be such a thing.

The combination of these changes will lead to a revolutionised British railway network, focused on giving passengers the most consistent, comfortable and useful service we can offer them. I hope this House will pass this bill with due haste.

Members may debate and submit amendments to the Bill until Wednesday the 30th of October at 10PM GMT.

Order, Order!

Housing, Communities and Local Government Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, u/JellyCow99, will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary, u/Buzz33lz, may ask 6 initial questions.

The Unofficial Opposition Spokesperson, u/Zanytheus, may ask 4 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall conclude on 30th October 2024 at 10pm GMT. No further initial questions may be put after 29th October 2024 at 10pm GMT.

ORDER! ORDER!

B029 - Loot Box Regulation Bill - 2nd Reading Division

The Ayes to the Right: 19

The Noes to the Left: 4

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The amendments to the Bill will now be sent for a division!

Abstentions: 0

Did not vote: 14

Turnout: 62.16%

B023 - Right to a Peaceful Death (England & Wales) Bill - 3rd Reading Division

The Ayes to the Right: 19

The Noes to the Left: 4

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Bill shall be sent for Royal Assent!

Abstentions: 2

Did not vote: 12

Turnout: 67.57%

B017 - National Bank Holidays (England & Wales) Bill - Report Stage Run-off

AMENDMENT ONE - u/Yimir_

The Ayes to the Right: 2

The Noes to the Left: 22

Abstentions: 0

Did not vote: 13

Turnout: 64.86%

AMENDMENT TWO - u/LightningMinion

The Ayes to the Right: 23

The Noes to the Left: 1

Abstentions: 0

Did not vote: 13

Turnout: 64.86%

Amendment TWO passes and shall be applied to the Bill at Third Reading!

M006 - Just Stop Oil Motion - Final Division

The Ayes to the Right: 5

The Noes to the Left: 19

The Noes have it! The Noes have it! The Motion shall be thrown out!

Abstentions: 2

Did not vote: 8

Turnout: 76.47%

UNLOCK!