The purpose of the Bill was to modernise the governance of the Royal Albert Hall by updating how annual member contributions are set, giving the Hall more flexible powers to exclude members for events, and allowing the sale of additional seats in Grand Tier boxes with the consent of existing seat‑holders. It amends the 1966 Act and earlier legislation to reflect the Hall’s current operational and financial needs.
The Bill was listed for debate on 15 June 2026  whether this Bill should be brought back into consideration and complete the full legislative process. This Bill was first presented in the House of Lords on 23 January 2023, under the last Government. It passed through all its stages in the House of Lords and through Second Reading and Committee in the House of Commons. 

This would have enabled those who own the seats in the boxes to sell them through ticket touts and not through the Royal Albert Hall itself as a Charity.
The Motion made and Question put, That the promoter of the Royal Albert Hall Bill [Lords], which originated in the House of Lords on 23 January 2023 in Session 2022–23, in the last Parliament, should have leave to proceed with the Bill in the current Session, according to the provisions of Standing Order 188B (Revival of bills).—(First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means.)
This is not Government business. I voted against the Bill.
The House divided:  Ayes: 24 (Tellers: Simon Hoare, Sir Alec Shelbrooke)   Noes: 37 (Tellers: Peter Swallow, Ms Polly Billington)
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On the 10th of June there was a drop in organised by the Booksellers Association celebrating independent bookshops, supporting reading, high streets and communities to highlight Independent Bookshop Week which runs from the 13th to the 20th of June. 

The week is a celebration of the bookshops that bring books, authors, events and reading communities to high streets across the UK.
• Bookshops are High Street anchors.
• They keep in touch with local authors, work with schools and make reading visible in communities.
• 85% of booksellers said they are now less likely to invest in stock staffing events all their premises, as a direct result of business rate changes.
• Fewer than 10% feel more confident about their trading sustainability. Over the next 12 months business rates is an important issue for booksellers and they're asking for reform of small business rates relief and index link. Relief threshold so small shops are not pushed out of eligibility by fiscal drag. They’re also asking for more resources for the valuation office agency so rateable values are accurate and appeals are resolved quickly.

So bookshops matter because:
• 92% of independent book shops run community events.
• Nearly half host 20 plus events annually with average tenants of 43 people.
• 85% engage with primary schools and 76% with secondary schools.
• 99% contribute to town centre attractiveness.

https://www.booksellers.org.uk/

Meryl Halls is the Managing Director of the Booksellers Association.

I was pleased to pick up a copy of The Cultural Role and Value of England's Independent Bookshops, which was produced by the Booksellers Association and the Arts Council England, who make a number of recommendations.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 brought privately operated services back into public hands as contracts expired, this Bill will establish Great British Railways (GBR) – a railway owned by the public that offers a better deal for taxpayers. GBR will take decisions on what constitutes best use in a way that is fair, providing a role for open access operators while also being compliant with its duties, especially in respect of the need to grow rail freight on the network. The Government will also be compelled to set a freight growth target.

The House of Commons met to debate the Bill in its remaining stages on 10 June 2026.

Three amendments were voted on:

New Clause 1, which would have required the Secretary of State to lay a Passengers’ Charter and sets out what the charter should contain, including provision relating to customer amenities, value for money, accessibility and compensation, was rejected: Ayes 77, Noes 271.









Amendment 143 alongside Amendments 144 to 147 would have required GBR to continue to offer discounted rail fares for veterans, members of the UK armed forces and their families, or young people aged 26 to 30, and was rejected: Ayes 167, Noes 266.















Amendment 148, which would have changed the current appeals provision so that appeals can be decided on the merits, was rejected: Ayes 155, Noes 279.


















The Bill passed its Third Reading: Ayes 278, Noes 149, and now goes to the House of Lords. 

I chaired the Seventh Delegated Legislation Committee on 10 June 2026, the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Increase of Borrowing Limits) Order 2026. The Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander MP, moved the debate.

This Order amends the Scotland Act 1998 to increase the resource borrowing limit set out in section 67(2) of that Act from £1.8m to £1.9m, and the capital borrowing limit set out in section 67A(1) from £3.14m to £3.27m. This Order revokes the Scotland Act 1998 (Increase of Borrowing Limits) Order 2025  which has been superseded by this Order. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the voluntary or public sector is foreseen. 

The order was agreed and the regulations came into effect immediately.

As Chair of the APPG on Portugal I was pleased to attend a celebration of the  National Day of Portugal at the Residence of the Ambassador together with other guests who included the Papal Nuncio, the Vatican Ambassador His Excellency Fr Miguel Maury Buendia. (pictured left).

The Ambassador from Portugal to the UK Nuno Brito (pictured with me in the main picture and right) spoke about the long standing relationship between the ULK and Portugal and praised the fact that the Treaty of Windsor 1386, 740 year old treaty signed between the two nations is still in force. It is the oldest alliance still in force by political bi-lateral agreement. 

It recognizes the day of the death of Luis Vaz de Camoes, the poet and national literary icon the author of the Lusiads, Portugal's national epic poem.  The Ambassador said the past has gone, the future is unknown so we  have to live in the present.

As Chair of the APPG, I will continue to ensure good relations between our two countries and longest allies.