Business of the House
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, I thought it would be helpful if I updated the House on the plan for the consideration of the National Security (State Threats) Bill tomorrow. I will email all noble Lords with this information shortly to save a rush to write it down, and to help colleagues not currently present in the Chamber.
Committee and all remaining stages will take place tomorrow. A Marshalled List has been issued and the Whips’ Office is preparing groupings today in the usual way. Committee will take place as normal, with debates on groups of amendments. However, given that the Bill has been fast-tracked, the usual channels have agreed that issues should be resolved in Committee and that Report could potentially be taken formally. This means that, if noble Lords feel that they need to press amendments, Divisions should take place in Committee. I know the Minister has been engaging positively across the House to address concerns.
If the Bill is unamended in Committee, we will proceed to a formal Report stage and Third Reading. After that, we will debate the statutory instrument and the associated Motion on the Order Paper before taking a Statement on steel trade measures as the last business.
If the Bill is amended, it will need to be reprinted and prepared for Report. Once the Bill is reprinted and in the Printed Paper Office, there will be a 30-minute window for noble Lords to table amendments for Report, which I expect to be debated in one group. I will make a further announcement tomorrow, and the today’s list document will be reissued and precise deadlines will be advertised on the annunciator. Given the time needed for reprinting the Bill, the tabling windows and the other preparations, the SI and the Statement would need to be taken after Committee and before the remaining stages, but hopefully no amendments will be tabled before Report and it will be taken formally.
My noble friend Lord Hanson of Flint remains happy to discuss the details of the Bill ahead of tomorrow’s debates, and noble Lords should find that useful.