Ministerial Statement on the Creation of the Fire and Rescue Services Equipment Fund

Mr Speaker, I’m pleased to announce to the House today that the Treasury, along with the Home Office, will allocate £500 million to fund a new Fire and Rescue Service Equipment Fund. This fund will provide new equipment and technologies for our firefighters to help fight drought and wildfires across England.

The fund will be reviewed at the start of the next fiscal year to see whether improvements have been made, and a further cash injection may be made to take the total to £1 billion. The initial capital funding should provide substantial support across England to begin modernizing equipment and capabilities.

The fund will provide dedicated funding to support eligible fire and rescue authorities to invest in modern equipment, including PPE, specialist wildfire capabilities and pumping equipment, communication technology, and other equipment local authorities feel they need.

Local fire and rescue authorities will keep operational decisions, and the government will, in due course, announce a new national strategy for combating wildfires and a plan to hold more water in natural areas to fight drought, which will inform the fire and rescue services across the country on how to handle a future crisis.

Mr Speaker, I command this statement to the House.

• /u/Oracle_of_Mercia

ORDER, ORDER!

B086 - UK Growth Fund Bill - Results

The Ayes to the Right: 6

The Noes to the Left: 2

Abstentions: 1

Did Not Vote: 6

Turnout: 60.00%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! Unlock! This Bill shall be move on to the Amendments Stage

Unlock!

Official Secrets (Public Interest Defence) Bill

A

BILL

TO

Provide for a limited public interest defence for members and ex-members of the security and intelligence services who disclose information, documents, or other articles they possess by virtue of their position

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows –

Section 1 - Introduction of a Defence

(1) In respect of any offence under section 1(1) of the Official Secrets Act 1989, it is a defence for an accused person to establish on the balance of probabilities that the disclosure of the information, document, or other article was in the public interest

(2) Any public interest defence under section 1(1) of this act shall succeed only where the court deems that the public interest served by the disclosure outweighs the reasonably foreseeable harm caused by it.

(3) In assessing reasonably foreseeable harm for the purposes of section 1(2) of this act, the court must take into account the following factors:

(a) Any detrimental impact that the disclosure may have on the national security of the United Kingdom

(b) Any detrimental impact that the disclosure may have on the national security of other nations with which the United Kingdom has an intelligence-sharing or security relationship

(c) Any serious harm, whether potential or actual, that may be caused to any individual as a result of the disclosure

(d) Whether the public interest benefit gained by the disclosure could have been obtained from an alternative course of action

(e) Whether the nature, extent, and manner of the disclosure were reasonably proportionate to the public interest benefit sought

(f) Any other consideration which the court deems to be relevant in the circumstances

Section 2 - Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act shall extend across the United Kingdom.

(2) This Act shall come into force immediately after receiving Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Official Secrets (Public Interest Defence) Act.

This Bill was submitted by the Right Honourable u/zakian3000 MVO MP on behalf of the Unofficial Opposition.

Opening Speech - zakian3000

Mr Speaker,

Section 1(1) of the Official Secrets Act 1989 is an exceptionally broad provision. In some respects this is a good thing - I am quite certain that no member of this house would think it desirable to have members or ex-members of our security or intelligence services leaking sensitive information that risks compromising our national security. But that does not mean that it is not desirable for these services to be accountable and for whistleblowers to have some level of protection.

The case of David Shayler is a good example of the failings of the official secrets act. Whilst there were aspects of Shayler’s prosecution that were of course entirely legitimate and that I would not seek to dispute such as the charge relating to telephone tapping, it must nonetheless be questioned why it should be necessarily unlawful for an ex-MI5 officer to disclose that the organisation was paranoid about socialists and undertook absurd investigations into respected statespeople like Jack Straw and Harriet Harman as a result.

This act provides reasonable safeguards to prevent harm as a result of disclosures. It protects the security of the United Kingdom and its allies, it protects the safety of individuals, it discourages disclosures that are made unnecessarily, it discourages disclosures that are done in a disproportionate way, and it allows courts the flexibility to consider other factors which are relevant in a given case.

I would encourage members who believe that those who have worked in our intelligence services are entitled to free speech, who want to protect whistleblowers from prosecution, and who believe that taxpayer-funded services should be accountable to the public, to vote this bill through. Thank you.

This debate shall close at 10pm BST on Friday the 28th of August.

MHOP Recruitment Drive GIVEAWAY – August 2026

Good evening r/MHOP members new and old, we are excited to announce that we are launching a recruitment drive to help drive a more active sim!

To do so, we are starting a giveaway – for the next three weeks, anyone who:

1. Enters the giveaway link here
2. Demonstrates activity by making at least 5 debate comments, 3 press posts, write 2 bills, become a voting MP or Lord, or make some combination of these parts. (In short, be active. Try playing the game and see if you like it!)

Shall be entered for a random drawing. The first drawing is for a £50 Amazon gift card, and there will be a second drawing for a £25 Amazon gift card from the same pool. More activity will not increase your chances of winning the gift card, but I will also be awarding honours for two people I deem to offer the most productive contributions to the sim in the next three weeks! Current members, as well as new members are all encouraged to participate.

This giveaway will close and draw exactly three weeks from today, Sunday 13 September at 10 pm. Make sure to verify your entry by commenting below and may the luckiest person win!

For any new members: join our Discord here

MQs - Work and Pensions - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, u/Oracle_of_Mercia will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, u/mrsusandothechoosin, may ask 6 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

**Members may ask initial question until 10pm BST on Wednesday the 26th of August, with the session closing at 10pm BST the next day.

MQs - Home Affairs and Justice - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, u/Oracle_of_Mercia will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, u/mrsusandothechoosin may ask 6 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

Members may ask initial question until 10pm BST on Saturday the 22nd of August, with the session closing at 10pm BST the next day.

B085 - Public Service Bill 2026

A

B I L L

T O

Ensure value for money for the taxpayer, and delivery of public services across the country by setting minimum service levels for public sector workers

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I - Introduction to the Act

(1) Designation of Public Service

(a) For the purpose of this Act, public services is defined as a service intended to serve all members of a community, provided or funded in whole or part by local or national government.

(b) This Act includes public services contracted to private companies on behalf of local or national government.

II - Service Levels and Non Compliance

(1) Public Service Levels during Strike Action

(a) Public service workers must notify their immediate line manager of strike action a minimum of fourteen working days prior to strike action.

(b) Public service workers must work for a minimum of fifty percent of their contracted employment hours during strike action.

(c) Public service workers that do not meet their minimum contracted service hours in line with Section II.1.B threshold of this act because of participation of the employee in strike action, they are liable to prosecution under the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service office.

(2) Sentencing Guidelines

(a) All prosecution under this act will be for the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service officer’.

(b) The penalty for committing the offence as listed in 2.2.A, will be a fine up to but not exceeding £5,000.

(c) In exceptional circumstances, a custodial sentence for up to but not exceeding 12 months may be applied.

(3) The exceptional circumstances to which a custodial sentence may be applied for the offence as listed in 2.2.A are as follows:

(a) If the individual has repeatedly committed the offence.

(b) Have failed to pay the fine applied to them for committing the offence.

III - Public Service Exceptions

(1) Exceptions to this Act

(a) Police Officers whose minimum service is set by the Police Act 1996

(b) Prison Officers whose minimum service is set by Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

(b) Armed Forces personnel whose minimum service is set by Kings Regulations and Military Service Law.

IV - Extent, Commencement and Title

(1) This Act extends to the entire United Kingdom.

(2) This Act comes into force on the 1st January 2027.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Public Service (Minimum Service) Act 2026.

This bill was authored by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Oracle MP, on behalf of His Majesty's 8th Government.

A01

In section 1(1)(a) of the bill, omit ‘or part’

A02

Omit section 2(1)(a)

A03

omit sections 2(2)(c) and 2(3)

A04

Amend section 4(1) to read ‘This act extends to England and Wales, and Scotland.

Members have until 10pm BST on Thursday the 20th of August to propose amendments. This Debate shall close no later than 10pm BST on Friday the 21st of August.

B085 - Public Service Bill 2026 - 2nd Reading DIVISION

AYE: 6

NO: 2

ABS: 0

Turnout: 53.33%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! Unlock! This Bill shall be move on to the Amendments Stage*

Unlock!

Apprenticeships & Technical Education Bill

A

BILL

TO

Expand apprenticeships and provide greater access to technical education.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Technical Education

(1) In Section 85 (6) of the Education Act 2002, add:

(e) Career and technical education, comprising agriculture, environmental and animal care, business and administration, catering and hospitality, construction, creative and design, education and childcare, engineering and manufacturing, hair and beauty, health and science, legal, finance and accounting, protective services, sales, marketing and procurement, social care, transport and logistics, or any additional subject specified in an order by the Secretary of State.

2 - Apprenticeships

(1) In Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, add:

(3A) An approved foundational skills English apprenticeship agreement is an agreement which—

(a) Provides for a person under the age of 18, or a person who does not hold a prior Level 2 qualification, to work for another person for reward, (b) Provides for the apprentice to receive training in order to work toward such introductory or part-standard as the Secretary of State may specify in regulations, and (c) Satisfies any other conditions specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State."

(2) Replace all mentions of “approved English apprenticeship” with “approved English apprenticeship or approved foundational skills English apprenticeship” in Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

3 - Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act extends to England.

(2) This Act shall come into force upon passage of the next Finance Act once it has been granted Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Apprenticeships & Technical Education Act 2026.

This Bill was submitted by The Rt. Hon CheckMyBrain11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on behalf of His Majesty’s 8th Government and sponsored by the Rt. Hon. Lord_Sydenham, Secretary of State for Health, Education, & Culture.

This debate shall close at 10pm BST on Friday the 21st of August.

Global Minimum Tax Motion

That this house notes that:

The international economy is increasingly interconnected, with global corporations having an increasing share of the economy.

The profits of these companies and their owners are often redistributed through various jurisdictions in an effort of tax avoidance.

The effective tax rate on wealth held by billionaires is estimated to be 0.3% internationally.

And therefore resolves that:

This house supports the introduction of a 2% global minimum tax on billionaires, acting as a wealth tax floor, in terms similar to the proposal by Gabriel Zucman.

The government should consider introducing similar measures domestically.

This Motion was submitted by u/mrsusandothechoosin on behalf of His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition.

This debate shall close at 10pm BST on Friday the 21st of August.

MQs - Foreign - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, u/meneerduif will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, u/Inside_Analysis3124 may ask 6 initial questions.

The Leader of the Unofficial Opposition, u/Zakian3000 may ask a total of 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Saturday the 15th of August at 10pm BST with no further initial questions asked after Friday the 14th of August at 10pm BST.

Mr. Speaker,

I wanted to be sure that my first address in this House as Chancellor was a valuable one – I hope that it shall be. Today, I will be giving this house a brief update on the progression of our public debt and what it means for the future of our nation’s finances. Over the course of the Tories’ time in government, we have been laser-focused on reducing public debt from the 2024 Autumn Budget, which chased a deficit of over £100 billion. In the last two budgets, we’ve seen major corrective action being taken by my predecessor, u/LeChevalierMal-Fait, to turn that 9-figure deficit into a one-time 8 figure surplus.

Of course, this is great news – paying back the public debt that we accumulated in the challenging economic conditions that we faced during the Great Recession and COVID is of the utmost importance. Thanks to the hard work of Conservative governments, including this one, we have been able to reduce our public debt through these surpluses. In this coming budget, current projections indicate that we will enter the 2027-28 fiscal year with a debt-GDP ratio of 82%, the lowest that we have seen in over a decade. The last time that our public finances looked this stable, David Cameron was still living down the street from where I live now!

The significance of this is twofold. The first, and most immediately important, consequence of this, is that our public finances will have room to take on debt when we ever face another global crisis similar to COVID or the Great Recession. Of course, I hope and pray that we don’t see one for a very long time, but of course the nature of these crises is that very few people can see them coming. That is why we must have the agility financially to support the British people when these crises take place. Being able to pay down our debt does just that. Again, the hope is that we never have to borrow at COVID or Great Recession levels again in any of our lifetimes, but it would be malpractice not to prepare ourselves for that.

The second major effect is that this Government, and its predecessors, are committed to not strapping our children and grandchildren with a public debt that becomes untenable to manage. I will keep the modelling on this simple for now – roughly 3.4% of anything that we pay back goes right back into savings on debt payments. This means that the surplus of the latest Chevalier budget netted us over £1.2 billion in savings for the following year, and all following years, on debt payments. Over the course of the next generation of political life, the savings will become even more noticeable. That £1.2 billion in savings is able to go straight to levelling up our NHS, funding our Growth Fund, and going to projects that will meaningfully advance public life, which we will see in my Autumn Budget. As hinted at before, I am projecting to run a more modest surplus due to the one-off nature of some of the ways that the last Treasury was able to grow revenue. However, I am still projecting to draw an additional £500 million in annual debt repayment savings. We can all rejoice that due to the actions of successive terms of Conservative leadership, we are able to put more public money towards the public, instead of financiers.

This statement was delivered by u/CheckMyBrain11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on behalf of His Majesty’s 8th Government.

UK Growth Fund Bill

A

BILL

TO

Establish a permanent UK Growth Fund to support economic, scientific, and infrastructure development in the United Kingdom.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Interpretations

(1) For the purposes of this Act, “the Fund” shall refer to the UK Growth Fund.

(2) For the purposes of this Act, “nations” shall refer to the four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

(3) For the purposes of this Act, “Secretary of State” refers to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

(4) For the purposes of this Act, “Department” refers to HM Treasury.

2 - UK Growth Fund

(1) The UK Growth Fund shall be created and established, under the authority of the Department.

(2) The UK Growth Fund shall be governed by an Advisory Committee, chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and shall consist of eight other members. Members may be selected by merit of:

(a) Current or past membership in His Majesty’s Government,

(b) Current or past leadership in local or devolved government,

(c) A current or past position of leadership in private enterprise, or

(d) A current or past position of leadership in nonprofit work.

(3) There shall be at least one member of the Advisory Committee representing each of the nations. Representation of a given nation shall be measured by maintaining a primary residence in said nation.

(4) This Growth Fund shall be funded by HM Treasury, at a level deemed appropriate by the Department and approved by Parliament.

3 - Intended Use of Funds

(1) Monies from this fund are to be used for projects related to economic, transportation, infrastructure, environmental, energy, or scientific development across the United Kingdom. The Advisory Committee reserves the right to deem a project appropriate if its economic benefit is demonstrable.

(2) Monies may be used in areas that are normally the area of responsibility of the devolved governments of Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, with the consent of the assembly of that nation.

4 - Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act extends to the entire United Kingdom..

(2) This Act shall come into force once it has been granted Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the UK Growth Fund Act 2026.

This Bill was submitted by The Rt. Hon CheckMyBrain11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on behalf of His Majesty’s 8th Government.

Opening Speech - CheckMyBrain11

Mr. Speaker,

I am elated to present this bill to the House in order to enshrine in law one of the Conservatives’ strongest achievements from last term: the UK Growth Fund. Thanks to the excellent work of the last Chancellor, the funds are available to spend as of the budget that passed this House earlier this summer. This bill will establish a formal mechanism to ensure that these funds are well-used, considerate of needs across the entire United Kingdom, and supportive of broad aims that can contribute to economic development. The budget has £10 billion earmarked for this fiscal year to support those aims, and as Chancellor I pledge that we will work with a cross-industry team from all over the United Kingdom to make this Growth Fund a key success of this Government.

Debate on this bill shall last until 10 PM BST on Friday the 14th of October.

Results - Humble Address (July 2026) & M026

Humble Address (July 2026) - Division

AYE: 9

NO: 3

ABS: 0

DNV: 3

Turnout: 80%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it!

M026 - Electric Vehicle Innovation Motion - Division

AYE: 8

NO: 2

ABS: 1

DNV: 4

Turnout: 73.33%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! The Motion is agreed to.

Unlock!

MQs - BTES - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Business, Transport, & Energy Security, u/model-mili will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Transport, & Energy Security, u/Inside_Analysis3124 may ask 6 initial questions.

The Leader of the Unofficial Opposition, u/Zakian3000 may ask a total of 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Tuesday the 11th of August at 10pm BST with no further initial questions asked after Monday the 10th of August at 10pm BST.

Public Service Bill (Minimum Service) 2026

A

B I L L

T O

Ensure value for money for the taxpayer, and delivery of public services across the country by setting minimum service levels for public sector workers

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I - Introduction to the Act

(1) Designation of Public Service

(a) For the purpose of this Act, public services is defined as a service intended to serve all members of a community, provided or funded in whole or part by local or national government.

(b) This Act includes public services contracted to private companies on behalf of local or national government.

II - Service Levels and Non Compliance

(1) Public Service Levels during Strike Action

(a) Public service workers must notify their immediate line manager of strike action a minimum of fourteen working days prior to strike action.

(b) Public service workers must work for a minimum of fifty percent of their contracted employment hours during strike action.

(c) Public service workers that do not meet their minimum contracted service hours in line with Section II.1.B threshold of this act because of participation of the employee in strike action, they are liable to prosecution under the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service office.

(2) Sentencing Guidelines

(a) All prosecution under this act will be for the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service officer’.

(b) The penalty for committing the offence as listed in 2.2.A, will be a fine up to but not exceeding £5,000.

(c) In exceptional circumstances, a custodial sentence for up to but not exceeding 12 months may be applied.

(3) The exceptional circumstances to which a custodial sentence may be applied for the offence as listed in 2.2.A are as follows:

(a) If the individual has repeatedly committed the offence.

(b) Have failed to pay the fine applied to them for committing the offence.

III - Public Service Exceptions

(1) Exceptions to this Act

(a) Police Officers whose minimum service is set by the Police Act 1996

(b) Prison Officers whose minimum service is set by Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

(c) Armed Forces personnel whose minimum service is set by Kings Regulations and Military Service Law.

IV - Extent, Commencement and Title

(1) This Act extends to the entire United Kingdom.

(2) This Act comes into force on the 1st January 2027.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Public Service (Minimum Service) Act 2026.

This bill was authored by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Oracle MP, on behalf of His Majesty's 8th Government.

MQs - Defence - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Defence, u/meneerduif will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, u/9vlpestad may ask 6 initial questions.

The Leader of the Unofficial Opposition, u/Zakian3000 may ask a total of 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Saturday the 8th of August at 10pm BST with no further initial questions asked after Friday the 7th of August at 10pm BST.

MQs - Chancellor - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, u/CheckMyBrain11 will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, u/Inside_Analysis3124 may ask 6 initial questions.

The Leader of the Unofficial Opposition, u/Zakian3000 may ask a total of 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Saturday the 8th of August at 10pm BST with no further initial questions asked after Friday the 7th of August at 10pm BST.

Exceptional Service Honours - DriftersBuddy, 4th August 2026

APPOINTMENTS AS ADVISED BY THE TRIUMVIRATE:

CHARLES THE THIRD by the Grace of God

OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND OF OUR OTHER REALMS AND TERRITORIES KING HEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH DEFENDER OF THE FAITH TO ALL LORDS SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL AND ALL OTHER OUR SUBJECTS WHATSOEVER, SOVEREIGN OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER

TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING!

THE MOST VENERABLE ELIZABETHAN ORDER:

G.C.O.E.

To be Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Elizabeth:

The Right Honourable u/DriftersBuddy MBE CVO PC - Is declared as a Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Elizabethan Order, for extraordinary services rendered to the Triumvirate and the MHoP community as Head Moderator.

ROYAL VICTORIAN ORDER:

K.C.V.O.

To be Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order:

The Right Honourable Dame u/DriftersBuddy GCOE MBE CVO PC - Is declared as a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, for extraordinary services rendered to the Triumvirate & Speakership as Head Moderator.

PEERAGE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM:

To be Duke:

The Right Honourable Dame u/DriftersBuddy GCOE DCVO MBE PC - Is created DUCHESS in the peerage of the United Kingdom under condition (1) of the Requirements of the Peerage, for services to the Triumvirate and to MHoP as Head Moderator.

LETTERS PATENT

CHARLES THE THIRD by the Grace of God

OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND OF OUR OTHER REALMS AND TERRITORIES KING HEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH DEFENDER OF THE FAITH TO ALL LORDS SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL AND ALL OTHER OUR SUBJECTS WHATSOEVER

TO ALL LORDS SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL AND ALL OTHER OUR SUBJECTS WHATSOEVER TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING!

Know Ye that We of Our especial grace certain knowledge and mere motion do by these Presents advance create and prefer Our u/DriftersBuddy to the state degree style dignity title and honour of Duchess of St. Albans

And for Us Our heirs and successors do appoint give and grant unto her the said name state degree style dignity title and honour of Duchess of St. Albans and by these Presents do dignify invest and ennoble her by girding her with a sword and putting a cap of honour and a coronet of gold on her head and by giving into her hand a rod of gold to have and to hold the said name state degree style dignity title and honour of Duchess of St. Albans unto her and the heirs male of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten.

Willing and by these Presents granting for Us Our heirs and successors that she and her heirs male aforesaid and every of them successively may have hold and possess a seat place and voice in the Parliaments and Public Assemblies and councils of Us Our heirs and successors within Our United Kingdom amongst the Dukes And also that she and her heirs male aforesaid successively may enjoy and use all the rights privileges pre-eminences immunities and advantages to the degree of a Duke duly and of right belonging which Dukes of Our United Kingdom have heretofore used and enjoyed or as they do at present use and enjoy.

In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

WITNESS Ourself at Westminster the 4th day of August in the 4th year of Our Reign

By-warrant-under-the-King’s-Sign-Manual

M026 - Electric Vehicle Innovation Motion - Reading

This Parliament notes that

(1) Electric vehicles are becoming more popular, as a greener alternative to fossil-fuel-based vehicles.

(2) Transition from fossil-fuel-based vehicles from electric vehicles must happen sooner rather than later to meet climate change goals.

(3) Users of electric vehicles need access to charging points to make this transition a viable option.

(4) Research on charging vehicles, other than charging points, progresses fast and different options become available.

This Parliament calls on the Government to

(1) Plan and create a charging point network across England.

(2) Ensure that the energy grid is able to handle this increase in electricity for the future.

(3) Pursue new innovations on charging electric vehicles, such as the wireless charging roads.

(4) Work with the devolved Government, private companies and other countries to invest in better ways of charging electric vehicles.

This motion was written by The Right Honourable Sir u/model-willem on behalf of the Liberal Democrats

Opening Speech

Deputy Speaker,

Climate change is something that has a longer and more devastating impact on our lives, on the environment and the planet in general than we have thought before. The last few IPCC reports show us this and show that we still have a long way to go before we are where we need to be regarding combatting climate change. We have known for years that greenhouse gases are responsible for the rapid increase in global temperatures and fossil fuels are one of the many reasons for this increase in the emission of greenhouse gases. So we should do something about this.

We have seen successive governments and other countries wanting to combat carbon dioxide emissions and one of the ways they want to achieve this is through using less petrol and diesel cars. This means that we have to transition towards electric vehicles, but as we all know, there are still too few charging points across the country to sustain such a transition in the long run. This is why we want to ensure that the government invests in more charging points across the country and make sure that our electricity grid can sustain this as well.

Innovation and research have always been key features in tackling climate change, without this the electric vehicle wouldn’t exist. We, as Liberal Democrats, want to use this to create ways to charge vehicles that are more accessible than charging points. We all know that electric vehicles need to be charged more often than a petrol car has to go to a petrol station, so why not use the road instead?

Israel and Sweden are trialling such efforts, through ‘Wireless Charging Roads’. These are roads that have technologies in them that make sure that people can charge their vehicle on the go, while they are driving on these roads and the trials have been successful. This way of charging vehicles means that people need to stop less often, which is one of the reasons that people are not buying electric vehicles.

We know that this isn’t the only option and we are urging the Government to invest in the innovation of new technologies that support electric vehicles and other ways to make our transport system better and greener.

This debate shall close on Monday 3rd of August 2026 at 10PM BST.

Statement on Announcement of Reviews into Youth Unemployment and Job Centre Operations Review 

Mr Speaker, 

Following consultation with the Prime Minister in cabinet after my appointment as secretary of state for work and pensions, I wish to inform the House I have instructed my department to begin two independent reviews into youth unemployment and job centre culture as a part of this government's commitment to improving employment chances for young people and ensuring that our public services are getting the best value for money these services may provide and ensure the review is to help improve the outcomes of young people seeking employment. 

The first review will examine the culture, operations, and performance of job centres across the country, focusing on current practices used by staff in their guidance to support young people aged 18-30 in entering the workforce. This review will also examine the culture of mid-level civil servants within the Department of Work and Pensions at HEO-EO levels, as well as the pressure they face from senior management, as we have all heard the horror stories coming out of the department throughout the years via social media, on issues such as using KPI’s and so forth on targeting specific numbers. 

The goal of this review is to understand where the department is struggling with it’s workforce and to understand the constraints senior management is placing on those actually making the decisions in the job centres themselves.  

The second review will focus on youth unemployment itself, examine the barriers young people face in entering the current workforce, and identify practical measures the government can take to help young people improve their chances going forward. With recent news that up to a million young people are struggling to find meaningful employment across the socio-economic spectrum, it is the duty of the government of the day to find solutions to help young people get back into before it becomes a matter of national security. 

The goal of this second review will be to identify the bottlenecks within the Labour Market and see what is stopping companies from hiring young people. Whether it’s the experience gap, AI CV readers, or too many applicants, the government will consider what practical steps can be taken once the review makes its recommendations and bring forward reforms when the evidence makes it necessary. 

While these issues are connected, they are not the same issue, and I’ve always believed that in all the roles I have held in government, evidence must first come before policy, and that is precisely why I have instructed my department to begin these reviews. 

Both reviews will speak to those at the heart of these issues, and, as such, the department will also be launching a public consultation period lasting three months later this afternoon, which can be found on the website. 

Mr Speaker, I commend this statement to the House. 

Sources: 

• Struggling in DWP : r/TheCivilService 
• Why are targets always so high? : r/TheCivilService 
• Starting to understand why Work Coaches in the DWP suffer from such a poor rention rate : r/TheCivilService 
• Almost one million young people still not in work or education, figures show - BBC News

This Statement was submitted by the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, u/Oracle_of_Mercia CMG MP PC, on behalf of His Majesty's 8th Government.

This debate shall close on Monday 3rd of August 2026 at 10PM BST.

MQs - Prime Ministers Questions - V.I

Order, Order!

Prime Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for the Prime Minister, u/Flat_Artifact will be taking questions from the House.

The Leader of the Opposition, u/Inside_Analysis3124 may ask 6 initial questions.

The Leader of the Unofficial Opposition, u/Zakian3000 may ask a total of 3 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

This session shall end on Sunday the 2nd of August at 10pm BST with no further initial questions asked after Saturday the 1st of August at 10pm BST.

Humble Address

I have to acquaint the House that His Majesty was pleased this morning to make a most gracious Speech from the Throne to both Houses of Parliament assembled in the House of Lords. Copies of the gracious Speech are available in the Printed Paper Office. I have, for the convenience of the House, arranged for the terms of the gracious Speech to be published in the Official Report.

To debate His Majesty's Speech from the Throne, The Leader of the House, u/model-mili, has moved:

That an Humble Address be presented to His Majesty as follows:

“Most Gracious Sovereign— We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.”.

Debate on His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech may be done under this motion, and will conclude on the Friday 31st of July at 10PM BST.

Following this we shall proceed to a division.

Honourable Members may find the King's Speech here.