The Week Ahead

The House of Representatives will not be sitting on Monday - but the lame duck session continues on Tuesday. The "Weekly Leader" from the current Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer - is available here. The Senate looks as if it will continue to be deadlocked by the minority Republicans policy of threatening to filibuster everything until the majority (yes, the Democrats still have a majority) capitulates.

In the House of Commons an Opposition Day on Monday will consist of a debate on local government finance. Tuesday will see the 2nd Reading of the European Union Bill , so expect to see the temperature rise! On Wednesday, after PMQs (Prime Minister's Question Time) there will be the 1st Estimates Day, which will involve debates on (i) Police Funding 2011/12 (ii) Department for International Development’s Assistance to Zimbabwe. The big day at Westminster will be Thursday - where two contoversial motions will be discussed and voted on

1 To approve resolution on increasing the higher amount which is to be applied under the higher Education Act 2004
2 motion relating to the draft Higher Education Basic Amount (England) Regulations

These would increase tuition fees. A day of protest is planned - and tempers are likely to flare, both within and outside the House of Commons.

The Lords plans to hold two further days of the committee stage of the controversial Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill . On Tuesday 2nd Reading of the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill is due. This was declared to be a money bill, which severely reduces the role the House of Lords can play. So some of their Lordships will be an angry mood.

Labour gets two debates in the Lords on Thursday (each party is allocated a particular Thursday for debates)

1 The role of sport in the health and wellbeing of children and young people - Lord Pendry
2 The impact of cuts in grants to local authorities on the provision of social care and other public services - Baroness Thornton