On 31 March 2025 the Commons considered the Bill at Third Reading. The Bill was initially introduced in the House of Lords on 9 October 2024 and first read in the Commons on 12 February 2025. 

The Bill will help to introduce Skills England, a new Arm’s Length Body of the Department for Education that will create a better skills system to improve productivity and access to opportunities. There were two new clauses and one amendment selected for debate and votes: There were 4 votes in total. 

New Clause 1: Ayes 168, Noes 302, New Clause 4: Ayes 167 Noes 306, Amendment 6: Ayes 166 Noes 305.

The question was put that the Bill be read a third time and passed with the result: Ayes 304 Noes 62.

 

The Bill returned to the House of Commons on 31 March 2025 with amendments from the House of Lords. 7 amendments were chosen for debate and votes, with the last four grouped together. The amendments were rejected by the Commons with the following results: There were 4 votes in total. 

Lords amendment: 1B: Ayes 296 Noes 170, Lords amendment 2B: Ayes 301 Noes 104, Lords amendment 13B: Ayes 301 Noes 167, Lords amendments 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E: Ayes 302 Noes 167.

The Bill will return to the House of Lords. 

I was pleased to support and open the IKEA Annual Retail Reception at the House of Commons on 31 March 2025.

The title of the reception this year was 'Better Neighbourhoods: Where Our Neighbourhoods Feel Like Home'. Building on their 'Unwelcome Home' campaign with the housing and homelessness charity Shelter, we heard from IKEA's Sustainability Business Partner, Hiliary Jenkins, about the company's commitment to work with neighbourhoods and communities to create a positive impact in society.

The image on the right is of the UNWELCOME HOME doll’s house, created to raise awareness of the real living conditions for many families who have no option but temporary accommodation - from dangerous damp and mould to extreme overcrowding, problems accessing running water and infestations. It was installed in IKEA Birmingham, neighbouring Walsall & Bloxwich.

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I introduced CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA UK and Ireland, Peter Jelkeby, who spoke about the wider retail landscape in the UK, the economic impact of the retail sector and how the sector can be supported.

Mr Jelkeby has over 35 years of retail industry experience, and is ensuring that IKEA remains affordable and is truly people and planet positive.

Here you can read the eNews for March 2025

The Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill had 6 amendments selected for debate and votes: 

This Bill, introduced to the House on 13 November 2024, amends the non-domestic rating system in England to enable the introduction of new tax rates, introducing powers to create new lower tax rates for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure properties, higher tax rates for the high value properties, and removes the eligibility of private schools that are charities for charitable business rates relief.

There were 6 amendments selected for debate and votes .I voted in favour of the following motions to disagree::

I voted in favour of the following motions to disagree: Lords Amendment 1 Ayes 316, Noes 183; Lords Amendment 2 Ayes 322, Noes 117; Lords Amendment 3 Ayes 316 , Noes 180; Lords Amendment 13 Ayes 320 , Noes 180; Amendment 14 Ayes 320, Noes 179; Lords Amendment 15 Ayes 319, Noes 166.



The Bill goes back to the Lords as amended.



The Great British Energy Bill had one amendment selected for debate and votes and I voted in favour of the motion to disagree: Lords Amendment 2 Ayes 314, Noes 198.

The Bills will go back to the Lords as amended.