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 touch with their brothers and sisters, and this amendment helps protect those vital relationships.
Another key change is amendment 105B, which puts allergy safety in schools on a statutory footing. It requires every school to have an allergy safety policy, review it regularly, and make it publicly available. Regulations will also set out expectations on stocking adrenalin devices, providing allergy awareness training, and reporting incidents. This is known as Benedict’s Law, in memory of Helen Blythe’s son Benedict, who tragically died after an allergic reaction at school. This amendment is an important step in ensuring that every child with allergies can attend school safely.
On amendment 38, concerning social media bans for children, the Government explained that the proposal was too narrow and that its ongoing consultation covers a wider range of online services and features. I welcome the Government’s amendment in lieu, which requires the Secretary of State to update Parliament on progress within six months of the Bill passing, if action has not already been taken by then.
Amendment 106 focuses on mobile phones in schools. The Government has said that this amendment is unnecessary because it has already been clear that phones should not be used at any point during the school day. I welcome the strengthened guidance and the expectation that Ofsted will check whether bans are being enforced. The Government has also committed to making this guidance statutory if the consultation shows that this would be helpful.
The Government did not accept Lords amendment 41B on school uniform costs, saying it could create uncertainty for schools and parents. On amendment 102, relating to school admissions, the Government has already committed to regulations that make clear that school quality and parental choice will be central to decisions about admission numbers. The Government’s amendment in lieu reflects this and gives parents a choice of high-quality school places close to home.





motion relating to Lords Amendment 38             Ayes 256, Noes 150




motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 41B   Ayes 254, Noes 144








motion relating to Lords Amendment 102           Ayes 259, Noes 136










motion relating to Lords Amendment 106           Ayes 248, Noes 139

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 Bill operates as intended, alongside more substantive amendments. These include measures to ensure that superfunds are not required to wind up where they continue to provide a high level of security, and provisions to introduce value-for-money reforms through regulations, allowing for more precise design and consultation.
The House considered a range of Lords amendments, including those relating to the Local Government Pension Scheme. I agree with Ministers that legislative change is not the most appropriate way to achieve their aims in this instance. I welcome the strong consensus on the need to act on small pension pots. One proposal to extend the dormancy period for automatic consolidation from 12 to 36 months would leave savers facing multiple charges for longer and could generate losses of up to £50 million per year.
On asset allocation, the evidence is clear that better outcomes for savers require greater investment diversification. While the industry is making progress, competitive pressures can drive a narrow focus on minimising headline costs rather than maximising returns. The reserve power is intended to address this. That is why I opposed Lords amendments to remove it. It is also why the Government introduced amendments in lieu to make clear that the power can only be used to support the industry’s view of what is in savers’ interests. The reserve power will also remain entirely neutral between asset classes, ensuring it is tightly focused on savers’ interests and cannot be misused.
There were 8 votes: 




motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1     Ayes 278, Noes 158


motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 5     Ayes 269, Noes 103








motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 15   Ayes 276, Noes 155


















motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 26   Ayes 269, Noes 162













motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 35   Ayes 275, Noes 159












motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 43   Ayes 273, Noes 159










motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 77   Ayes 271, Noes 95















motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 78   Ayes 277, Noes 150


With these changes, the Pension Schemes Bill will build a resilient, efficient and fair pension system to deliver both for savers and the economy as a whole. It will now return to the House of Lords.

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 Chaplin said prayers to remember their lives. The congregation then sang the Liverpool FC anthem " You will never walk alone."

 

 

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 independent pornography review.
To go further, Lords amendments 255, 256, 258 to 260 and 505 all looked to further tackle the proliferation of demeaning and degrading intimate images online. Intimate image abuse is completely unacceptable, and I am glad that amendment 255 will criminalise the making, adapting and supplying of nudification tools. This includes the use of artificial intelligence to create deepfake, non-consensual intimate images, and criminalises the developers making and supplying these tools.
As part of the Government’s aim to make all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence, I am pleased that it has commended Lords amendment 301. This amendment rightly extends the existing racially and religiously aggravated offences to cover hostility based on sex, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity.

These are the other amendments which were voted on . There were 8 in total.


Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 2     Ayes 307, Noes 176






Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 11   Ayes 291, Noes 174




Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 311  Ayes 300, Noes 101









Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 333  Ayes 301, Noes 157











Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 334  Ayes 356, Noes 90





Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 342  Ayes 281, Noes 70








Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 357  Ayes 278, Noes 73






Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 359  Ayes 277, Noes 158















Crime and Policing Bill: motion to agree with all remaining Lords Amendments  Ayes 247, Noes 21


The Commons has informed the Lords of our position. We wait to hear from the Lords if they send the amendments for further consideration in the Commons.  

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 for meeting energy costs. The  Government proposes to use this power to extend its 'Renewable Obligation to Exchequer' policy, by which it subsidises 75% of the cost of domestic energy suppliers meeting the Renewables Obligation.

The legislation was passed and the regulations will come into effect on 24 April 2026.