What's happening in Parliament next week?

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A man walks with a sign past police officersImage source, Reuters

By Mark D'Arcy

Parliamentary correspondent

No gentle winding down for MPs as Parliament heads for its Easter break.

The government is moving fast to get its Illegal Migration Bill through the Commons, with Monday and Tuesday devoted to detailed debate in the committee stage of its parliamentary journey.

This will allow the Lords to get weaving on the bill fairly soon, although there's still a lingering fear that a slow-motion process in the Upper House could cause problems later.

Even with the parliamentary year extended to November, a leisurely debate by peers, and an extended bout of "ping pong" to deal with what will probably be a considerable number of Lords amendments, could see ministers negotiating against a deadline.

There is a prospect that the whole bill could be lost if it it's not passed before Parliament is prorogued, so watch out for a carry-over resolution, which would punt the bill into the next parliamentary session.

It is too early to know what recommendations will flow from Boris Johnson's Privileges Committee appearance on his Partygate statements to MPs. They're expecting to take more paper evidence (further live hearings are not planned) and Mr Johnson gets two weeks to comment on whatever they decide.

That means nothing is likely to emerge before mid-May at the earliest. There is a slight twist here, in that any motion comes from the Privileges Committee, not the Standards Committee, which is the normal source of disciplinary motions against MPs.

Standards motions are now voted on without debate, but, as a matter of privilege, this would be debatable. And were there a debate, I'm pretty sure Mr Johnson could speak in it.

There's plenty more action brewing. The election of a new SNP leader next Monday will reverberate through the party's contingent at Westminster. The SNP may have to absorb a new political strategy, testing the once legendary, but now somewhat frayed party discipline on their benches.

Also on Monday, a seven-strong selection panel of senior MPs, led by the Speaker, will interview candidates (I'm told there are four hats in the ring) to replace Sir John Benger as the new clerk of the Commons, the House's top official. It might be a while before white smoke emerges.

Commons (14:30): Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Questions, with any urgent questions or government statements following at 15:30.

Main debate: This is the first of two days of Committee of the Whole House on the Illegal Migration Bill. Day one covers the meat of the bill, the clauses limiting the ability to suspend deportation under the European Convention of Human Rights and capping the number of entrants to the UK under safe and legal routes.

Perhaps the key amendment is Conservative veteran Sir Bill Cash's proposal to stop judges granting injunctions to stop the deportation of illegal migrants - it's signed by Sir John Hayes, who chairs the Common Sense Group of Tory MPs, the hot new(ish) backbench pressure group on the government benches.

There are also Conservative amendments to exclude unaccompanied children from the bill, to guarantee there are safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to enter the UK, and to allow refugee family reunion (from former Lord Chancellor Sir Robert Buckland and former Children's Minister Tim Loughton).

Labour plan to use the debates to set out an alternative migration policy, with calls for more international co-operation to tackle migration and people smuggling, more staff to process asylum cases, and more resources for the police and Border Force.

Amendments are still appearing, as I write. The Lib Dems are seeking to strike out the key chunk of the bill, clauses 21-28, which would remove protections for victims of modern slavery; and Human Rights Committee Chair Joanna Cherry (SNP) wants to ensure the Bill does not override the UK's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Westminster Hall: MPs debate two e-petitions against the compulsory registration of home-schooled children (16:30).

Committees: Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (16:15) questions Secretary of State Michael Gove on co-ordination with the devolved administrations, in a session expected to range across the impact of the Retained EU Law Bill, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill, and a second independence referendum.

Lords: From 14:30, another day in the marathon committee stage on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (which has attracted the nickname the "Life, the Universe and Everything" Bill).

Tuesday 28 March

Commons: Justice Questions from 11:30.

Ten-minute rule bill: Conservative Dean Russell wants to require consultation before changes to bus services.

Main debate: Day two of Committee of the Whole House on the Illegal Migration Bill - including clauses permanently banning people from the UK if they've entered illegally.

Westminster Hall: An interesting offering from Lib Dem Christine Jardine (14:30), looking at creating a register for bereaved children to help them deal with potentially lifelong trauma.

Committees: Health and Social Care (10:00) opens a new inquiry carefully entitled "Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide," with a panel of peers who have attempted to legalise it, including the Labour former Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer. Then they hear from experts on palliative care. In February, the committee visited Oregon to look at the working of its Death with Dignity Act.

Lords: From 14:30, the first of two days of the report stage consideration of the Energy Bill, another bill that has been in hibernation, having last been debated in September. The government has decided to rewrite much of it, and there is also a Labour amendment to introduce a social tariff for vulnerable energy customers.

Commons: Scotland Questions (11:30), followed at midday by Prime Minister's Question Time.

Ten-minute rule bill: Labour and Co-Op MP Gareth Thomas wants to enable co-operatives to issue permanent shares

Main debate: Second reading of the Finance Bill, which implements the measures announced in the Budget. The detailed scrutiny stage follows after Easter.

Westminster Hall: Conservative Peter Bone leads a debate on modern slavery (09:30) which, although intended as a general look at the issue, will inevitably cover the interaction between the legal protection for modern slavery victims and the Illegal Migration Bill.

Committees: Science and Technology (09:30) looks at artificial intelligence in education with teachers and education leaders. They will cover the pros and cons, including increased cheating and plagiarism, and quicker marking and better research.

Lords: Peers consider the Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations (15:00) approved by MPs the previous week. Then they resume their look at the detail of the highly controversial Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill - which was last seen in January.

Commons: Environment Food and Rural Affairs Questions (09:30), followed by a mini-question time for the attorney general, and then by the weekly update on the forthcoming Commons agenda, from the leader of the House.

Main debate: A government debate marking the 25th anniversary of the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement.

Westminster Hall: A general debate on Christianity in society led by Conservative Nick Fletcher, followed by the debate on the adjournment for the Easter recess - this year bumped from the chamber to Westminster Hall. It is a rather amorphous affair, where any MP can make a speech on any subject they choose.

Committees: Public Accounts (10:00) looks at the troubled Court Reform Programme with Ministry of Justice, officials. Justice Committee Chair Sir Bob Neill joins them as a guest inquisitor.

Lords: Debates (11:00) on subjects chosen by Labour peers - first Lady Andrews on the future of adult social care, then former education minister Lord Knight on the financial pressure on higher education.

Friday 31 March

Both the Commons and the Lords are on their Easter recess - they return to Westminster on Monday 17 April.

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