🙅‍♂️ Business without Debate

Commons Chamber

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In a dramatic session of Parliament, multiple bills faced objections and were deferred for later readings. Key bills such as the Public Health Act amendment, Debt Relief for developing countries, and Arms Trade suspension were among those postponed. Other notable bills, including those related to pension rules, heritage pubs, and vaccine damage payments, also met with objections. The session was marked by a unanimous push to delay decisions on these critical pieces of legislation until future dates in March, April, May, and July.

Summary

  • Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (Amendment) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 11 July.
  • Arms Trade (Inquiry and Suspension) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 16 May.
  • Pension (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 25 April.
  • Heritage Public Houses Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 25 April.
  • Statutory Instruments Act 1946 (Amendment) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (Amendment) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Domestic Energy (Value Added Tax) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • BBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Quantitative Easing (Prohibition) Bill: Deferred to 28 March by the Member in charge.
  • Pets (Microchips) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Payments Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Anonymity of Suspects Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Children’s Clothing (Value Added Tax) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Highways Act 1980 (Amendment) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • British Broadcasting Corporation (Privatisation) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Illegal Immigration (Offences) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Vaccine Damage Payments Act (Review) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • NHS England (Alternative Treatment) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Terminal Illness (Relief of Pain) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.
  • Sentencing Council (Powers of Secretary of State) Bill: Scheduled for second reading on 28 March.

All bills faced objections during their motion for second reading, leading to their deferral to the specified future dates.

Divisiveness

The session is characterized by a high level of disagreement as demonstrated by the repeated objections to each bill being moved for a Second Reading. Every single bill proposed in the session faced objection from the Honourable Members, indicating a consistent level of dissent across a wide range of topics. This level of objection suggests a high degree of contention and disagreement on the proposed legislation. Below are examples of the disagreements noted in the transcript:

  1. Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (Amendment) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  2. Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  3. Arms Trade (Inquiry and Suspension) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  4. Pension (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  5. Heritage Public Houses Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  6. Statutory Instruments Act 1946 (Amendment) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  7. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (Amendment) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  8. Domestic Energy (Value Added Tax) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  9. BBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  10. Quantitative Easing (Prohibition) Bill - The Member in charge deferred the bill, but this too was part of the systematic objection to moving forward on bills.
  11. Pets (Microchips) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  12. Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Payments Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  13. Anonymity of Suspects Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  14. Children’s Clothing (Value Added Tax) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  15. Highways Act 1980 (Amendment) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  16. British Broadcasting Corporation (Privatisation) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  17. Illegal Immigration (Offences) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  18. Vaccine Damage Payments Act (Review) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  19. NHS England (Alternative Treatment) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  20. Terminal Illness (Relief of Pain) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  21. Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  22. Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  23. Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.
  24. Sentencing Council (Powers of Secretary of State) Bill - Objection by Hon. Members.

The uniform objection to every bill implies a high level of disagreement, surpassing a moderate level but stopping short of extreme discord, as no further debate or confrontational language was recorded. Hence, a rating of 4 out of 5 for disagreement is justified.