Last week there was a late change to my plans and I was unable to get to the PCP for the Annual General Meeting so will make arrangements to call in and see them as soon as I can. Although, in theory, I was having a few days holiday, whilst the Labour Party Conference took place, I also had a Teams call with the Department for Education, Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation – a non-ministerial department that regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England) and a school team to discuss the educational impact of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) problems. Everyone has done a remarkable job to react to the findings of RAAC and the vast majority of pupils are back in face-to-face learning. However, this does not mean they are not disadvantaged. The disruption to learning for some schools is very significant, whether this is caused by multiple sites of learning or other disruptions and I am challenging Ofqual and Ministers to give some cognisance to the impact when examination results are assessed.
Before heading to Westminster, I had the pleasure of calling in at the Big Club to meet the Scout Leaders and see the Beavers and Cubs receiving some Life Saving Lessons from Joanne Jones of Community Spirit. It’s great to hear that Community Spirit are now a registered Charity. I was also able to catch up with the latest events around the Scout Hall. As I was away, I couldn’t attend the Special General Meeting last week, but events took a significant turn with a new committee now in charge and the Scout group now able to use the building – my thanks go to everyone who stood up to help achieve this outcome.
This week in Parliament, week commencing Monday 16th October, starts with the Prime Minister making a Commons statement on the crisis in Israel and Gaza and there will be debates on Childcare and Knife Crime followed by consideration of Lords Amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which has some contentious issues on planning.
I have meetings with Local Trust about neighbourhood regeneration as well as my usual sessions with the Treasury team and the Transport Select Committee. Local Trust are the Secretariat to the Left Behind Neighbourhoods APPG that I Chair, and together we continue to advocate for the best application of a Community Wealth Fund for the most disadvantaged communities. The Transport Select Committee is focused on the recent Air Traffic Control disruption, but I am sure we will also now look to schedule discussions on the announcements around HS2 and the reallocation of spend. To this end, I have also a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP. Subject to the Whip constraints for votes I also hope to join Hitachi at a reception at the Japanese Embassy celebrating the UK-Japan Railway Friendship.
The King’s speech has been scheduled for 7th of November. This will be more significant than normal as it will be the first King’s Speech since the 31st October 1950 where King George VI opened Parliament. However, in 1951, the King was ill and Lords Commissioners were appointed to open Parliament and the King’s Speech was delivered by the Lord Chancellor, one of the Commissioners. The last time the Nation were addressed by Our King was King George VI’s Christmas address in 1951. Although, as Prince Charles, King Charles delivered the Queen’s Speech for his mother last year, he and Prince William were Counsellors of State, acting on Her Majesty the Queen’s behalf.
The purpose of this speech is for the Monarch to formally open Parliament and, in the King’s Speech, outline the Government’s proposed policies and legislation for the coming parliamentary session. Generally, Bills that have not completed their passage through both Houses of Parliament are lost at the end of a session. However, since the beginning of the 2004–05 session, House of Commons Standing Orders have allowed ministers to carry over a bill from one session to the next by putting motions to the Commons. Some Bills that might be mentioned in the King’s Speech are on the topics of, the sale of tobacco, knife crime, transport issues such as electric vehicles and railways and many others.
As usual, I am back in the Constituency from Thursday with many meetings scheduled, if you would like to catch up, please contact me on Aycliffe 01325 790580 or email: paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk