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Business of the House

With permission, I should like to make a statement about the business for next week. Monday 14 January—Second Reading of the Education and Skills Bill. Tuesday 15 January—Motion to approve a Ways and Means resolution on the Health and Social Care Bill, followed by motion to approve the payments into the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund etc. Order 2007, followed by consideration in Committee of the European Communities (Finance) Bill, followed by remaining stages of the European Communities (Finance) Bill. Wednesday 16 January—Opposition Day [6th Allotted Day]. There will be a debate entitled ““Pensioner Poverty””, followed by a debate entitled ““Human Trafficking””. Both debates will arise on an Opposition motion. Thursday 17 January—Topical debate. Subject to be announced, followed by remaining stages of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Bill. Friday 18 January—The House will not be sitting. The provisional business for the week commencing 21 January will include: Monday 21 January—Second Reading of the European Union (Amendment) Bill. Tuesday 22 January—Second Reading of the Energy Bill. Wednesday 23 January—Opposition Day [7th Allotted Day] (First Part). There will be a debate on an Opposition motion, subject to be announced, followed by remaining stages of the Student Loans Bill. Thursday 24 January—Topical debate, subject to be announced, followed by motions relating to Senior Salaries Review Body report on parliamentary pay, pensions and allowances. Friday 25 January—Private Members' Bills. Next Wednesday, 16 January, the Government will publish the report of the Senior Salaries Review Body on parliamentary pay, pensions and allowances. At the same time, we will issue a written ministerial statement setting out the Government's response and table the relevant motions that will be debated by the House on the following Thursday, 24 January. Because of the difficult decisions that we have taken over the past year to stage the public sector pay awards, inflation has fallen, and that has allowed the Bank of England to keep interest rates down. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, as Members of this House, we too—[Hon. Members: ““This is a business statement.””] As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear—[Interruption.]... As Members of this House, we too are paid from the public purse, and it is right that we should be subject to the same disciplines on public sector pay as the rest of the public sector... I apologise if I have strayed out of order, but I was hoping to explain to the House that we will publish the SSRB report in advance of debating it so that Members will know that they will have adequate time to debate it, and so that they will know that this will possibly be the last time that they will have to go through that exercise because of the review that we intend to set up.