The Week in Parliament - Labour International

10th October, 2026

Parliament Weekly — 10 October 2026

Parliament Weekly

Saturday 10 October 2026

Recess round-up, and Parliament returns Monday 12 October

Recess notice

Neither House has sat for the past few weeks. The Commons rose for conference recess on Tuesday 15 September and the Lords on Thursday 17 September; both return at 2.30pm on Monday 12 October. This edition therefore looks back at what happened outside the chambers and previews the return week.

📰 The Past Few Weeks

With no chamber business, the political action moved to the party conferences: the Liberal Democrats met in Brighton (19–22 September), Labour in Liverpool (27–30 September) and the Conservatives in Birmingham (4–7 October). The headline moment was Andy Burnham's first conference speech as Prime Minister on 29 September. Pledges reported from the speech included a National Care Service free at the point of use, an end to the pensions triple lock from 2030, repeal of the Thatcher-era ban on public ownership of water companies, further housing and leasehold reforms, and a new National Commission on Electoral Reform. These are conference announcements rather than measures currently before Parliament.

Other developments over the break: Chancellor John Healey's first Budget is confirmed for Wednesday 28 October, with the Office for Budget Responsibility publishing its latest forecasts the same day. On Thursday 8 October, Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The UK–Germany Kensington Treaty was formally ratified on 8 October, and the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a joint public session with its Bundestag counterpart on it next week. On 9 October the government opened a consultation on extending Awaab's Law (legal deadlines for fixing damp, mould and other hazards) to private rented homes.

Select committees kept working outside the chamber, publishing reports and launching inquiries (see section 4). The return week is a heavy one: the Lords begin Second Reading of the Health Bill, which would abolish NHS England, on Tuesday; the Commons take the remaining stages of the Courts and Tribunals Bill the same day; the Sovereign Grant Bill completes its passage through the Lords on Wednesday; and MPs debate the Highways (Financing) Bill on Thursday.

✅ Bills Passed in the Past Week

None. No bills were passed because both Houses were in recess. The most recent legislative milestones came in the final sitting days before the break:

Sovereign Grant Bill — completed all Commons stages on 14 September; Lords stages are now scheduled for Wednesday 14 October.
Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] — passed Lords Third Reading and had its Commons First Reading on 15 September; a Commons Second Reading date has not yet been announced.

📋 Overview of Active Bills

Health Bill — Lords Second Reading Tue 13 October; Lords Committee Stage (7 days scheduled) begins Wed 28 October. Would abolish NHS England and Healthwatch, move the Health Services Safety Investigations Body into the CQC, and create a single patient record.
Railways Bill — Lords Grand Committee, day 4 of 7 on Mon 12 October; further days on 19, 21 and 26 October. Implements rail nationalisation through Great British Railways.
Public Office (Accountability) Bill (the "Hillsborough Law") — Lords Committee Stage begins Mon 12 October (3 days: 12, 19 and 21 October).
Sovereign Grant Bill — Money Bill; all remaining Lords stages on Wed 14 October.
Courts and Tribunals Bill — Commons remaining stages Tue 13 October; Lords Second Reading pencilled for Tue 27 October.
Highways (Financing) Bill — Commons Second Reading Thu 15 October.
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill — Commons carry-over extension motion Tue 13 October.
Armed Forces Bill — Lords Report Stage Tue 20 October; Third Reading Tue 27 October.
Commercial Payments Bill [HL] — Lords Third Reading Tue 20 October.
Cyber Security and Resilience (NIS) Bill — Lords Committee Stage finished on 7 September; Report Stage is scheduled for Mon 26 October.
Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] — now in the Commons, awaiting a Second Reading date.
Social Housing Bill [HL] — in the Commons after Second Reading; a call for evidence for the Public Bill Committee was issued on 16 September.

🎥 Committee Activity (Recess)

I found no public evidence sessions held in the past week, as committees paused with the recess. What they did publish:

Justice Committee (7 Oct) — welcomed the government's response on jury trial reform but warned that the plan to expand magistrates' court capacity must be deliverable. Read →
Science and Technology Committee (7 Oct) — launched a "Tech Abuse" inquiry into digital technologies used for stalking, harassment, coercive control and image-based abuse. Read →
Treasury Committee (1 Oct) — wrote to HMRC's Permanent Secretary about possible tax implications of the Premier League's investigation into Manchester City. Read →
EFRA Committee (1 Oct) — opened a survey of farmers' experiences of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Read →
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (9 Oct) — its Chair welcomed the new consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private rented homes. Read →

Catch up on the last sessions before recess (video)

Home Affairs Committee (15 Sept) — Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on police reform, immigration and asylum. Watch / details →
Lords Economic Affairs Committee (15 Sept) — Fiscal devolution in England. Watch / details →
Public Accounts Committee (14 Sept) — Delivering HS2 and Euston. Watch / details →

All recordings are also available via parliamentlive.tv.

📅 Coming Week: 12–16 October

Commons

Mon 12: Work and Pensions Questions (2.30pm); Select Committee Statements on the Procedure Committee's report on written parliamentary questions and the International Development Committee's report on UK climate finance; general debate on Baby Loss Awareness Week; Westminster Hall e-petition debate (4.30pm) on the UK rejoining the EU
Tue 13: Energy Security and Net Zero Questions (11.30am); Ten Minute Rule Motion on hares (Ruth Jones MP); Courts and Tribunals Bill — remaining stages; Northern Ireland Troubles Bill — carry-over extension
Wed 14: Attorney General Questions; PMQs at 12 noon; Ten Minute Rule Motion on wet wipes (David Burton-Sampson MP); Opposition Day (subject to be announced)
Thu 15: Business, Innovation, Science and Technology Questions (9.30am); Business Questions to the Leader of the House; Highways (Financing) Bill — Second Reading
Fri 16: Private Members' Bills (9.30am); adjournment debate on critical transport infrastructure in Surrey Heath

Lords

Mon 12: Public Office (Accountability) Bill — Committee, day 1; Railways Bill — Grand Committee, day 4. Oral questions through the week include weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, devolving housing powers to local authorities, and reducing the number of foreign national offenders in prisons
Tue 13: Health Bill — Second Reading; Grand Committee on draft statutory instruments including the British Steel property transfer regulations and the union recognition code of practice
Wed 14: Sovereign Grant Bill — all remaining stages; regret motions on three trade union-related instruments (industrial action detriment protections, ACAS code on time off, and workplace access rights); Grand Committee debate on the UK–Poland security and defence treaty
Thu 15: debate on democratic accountability, public participation and electoral reform in local government; question for short debate on family businesses; debate on threats to UK food security; Grand Committee debate on the UK–EU competition law cooperation agreement
Fri 16: the Lords is not expected to sit

Select Committee Hearings

Public Accounts Committee (Mon 3.30pm and Thu 10am) — resilience of the UK's food supply to disruptions; Thursday's session hears from Defra's Permanent Secretary. Details →
Foreign Affairs Committee (Tue 10.10am, Wilson Room) — joint public session with the German Bundestag's foreign affairs committee on UK–German cooperation and the Kensington Treaty. Watch live →
Lords Communications and Digital Committee (Tue 2.30pm) — the Online Safety Act: implementation and impact. Details →
Lords Industry and Regulators Committee (Tue) — evidence from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP on the relationship between government and the defence industry. Watch →
Health and Social Care Committee (Wed 9.30am) — children and young people's mental health. Details →

Further ahead

Mon 26 October: Lords Report Stage of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
Wed 28 October: Budget (John Healey's first as Chancellor), with the OBR forecast; Lords Committee Stage of the Health Bill begins
From 4 November: short November recess (Commons returns 10 November, Lords 9 November)

Business is subject to change; urgent questions and statements are announced on the day.

🗳️ Consultations Closing in the Next 4 Weeks

Conditional cautions for fly-tipping offences — proposed new powers for local authorities. Closes 16 October. (Defra) Respond →
Law Commission: homicide offences, and kinship care — two separate consultations on reform of homicide law and the law on kinship care. Both close 16 October. (Law Commission) Homicide → · Kinship care →
Standard planning agreements for medium sites — four standard section 106 templates. Closes 20 October. (MHCLG) Respond →
Leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates — rates to be set under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. Closes 21 October. (MHCLG) Respond →
Land use statistics: methodology changes — a new methodology for the Land Use in England and Land Use Change statistical series. Closes 28 October. (MHCLG) Respond →
Teachers' Pension Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2027 — proposed changes to the scheme regulations. Closes 30 October. (Department for Education) Respond →
Sentencing Council strategic objectives 2027–2030 — proposed objectives for the next three years. Closes 30 October. (Sentencing Council) Respond →

Newly opened

Extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and licences — opened 9 October, closes 18 December. (MHCLG) Respond →

A selection drawn from the main departmental consultation hubs (MHCLG, Defra, DfE, MoJ); check GOV.UK's consultation finder for the complete list across all departments.

Compiled from UK Parliament business papers and news, the House of Lords Library, committees.parliament.uk, and GOV.UK consultation hubs. Sources: parliament.uk, lordslibrary.parliament.uk, committees.parliament.uk, whatson.parliament.uk, parliamentlive.tv, consult.communities.gov.uk, consult.defra.gov.uk, consult.education.gov.uk, consult.justice.gov.uk.