Order of Business
The Government proposed arrangements for Tuesday and Wednesday business. Opposition Members rejected the proposal and pressed for extra time on Covid-19 restrictions, the eviction ban, and other urgent matters, with the Business Committee suggested as the forum to find additional slots.
It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that today's Order of Business shall consist of the announcement of business and proposals for arrangements for Tuesday and Wednesday only. We are working on an amendment to Thursday's schedule, previously circulated last week, and we will circulate a revised schedule to the Business Committee as soon as possible for discussion with all Members.
Comment on this
We want to see, and I suspect we are not the only ones, a real debate on the move to level 5 that is taking place at midnight on Wednesday. There needs to be a place on the agenda this week for a thoroughgoing discussion on that. There is a debate scheduled for Thursday - and I do not know if that is what the Chief Whip was referring to - where there is due to be two 45-minute discussions on the mental health implications and on the renewal of the sunset clause that is proposed. That is not sufficient time to discuss those issues but there also needs to be a space for the broader issues.
Comment on this
I propose that the Business Committee meets today to see if a space on today's agenda can be found for that and, failing that, at some stage later in the week.