2026 April

On Wednesday 15 April 2026 the Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill returned for further consideration in the Commons. The Government agreed to some important amendments from the Lords. For example, amendment 17B strengthens the right of children in care to maintain contact with their siblings, including half and stepsiblings. Too many children in care lose

On Wednesday 15 April 2026, the Pensions Scheme Bill returned to the Commons as amended by the Lords.  As the Pensions Minister noted, this is a complex piece of legislation with one simple goal: higher returns for pension savers. The Government made a number of technical changes in the House of Lords to ensure the

There was a memorial held on 15 April 2026 in St Mary Undercroft, the Chapel in the Palace of Westminster to remember the 97 children women and men who died on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough.  The names of the dead were read out by the MPs. There was a minute silence and the Speakers

The Bill returned to the Commons on 14 April 2026 and Lords amendments 261 and 262 give effect to the Government’s commitment to criminalise the possession and publication of pornographic images that depict strangulation and suffocation. This is a key part of the violence against women and girls strategy and was also highlighted by Baroness Bertin’s

I chaired the second Delegated Legislation Committee on Tuesday 14 April 2026: The Draft Energy Prices Act 2022 (Extension of Time Limit) Regulations 2026.  The purpose of this instrument is to extend by six months (to October 2026) the power granted to the Secretary of State by the Energy Prices Act 2022 to give support