Ruth Fox

For fans of parliamentary procedure *and* those nostalgic for the Brexit era, there are a pair of interesting opposition day motions on the Commons order paper today - a humble address (Andrew M-W) & a motion to set aside SO No14 for the day to consider a Bill (online services (age restrictions)

Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 23-27 February 2026 MPs will debate the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; changes to the Charter for Budget Responsibility; student loan repayments; support for bereaved children; and St David’s Day.…

📅 TUESDAY: What’s coming up in Parliament today?

Today's events include a Lib Dem Opposition Day, a motion relating to OBR assessments, Health & Social Care questions, and the Bank of England governor at a select committee.

Full details 👇

🔗 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...

Parliament Matters Bulletin: Our weekly analysis of what’s coming up in Parliament Latest edition: 9-12 February 2026 Westminster is always buzzing with political drama and rumours, but whatever the daily gossip or latest crisis, law-making and parliamentary scrutiny carries on…

🚨 Parliament returns on Monday — are you ready?

Tomorrow we publish our latest Parliament Matters Bulletin — your essential weekly briefing on what's happening in Westminster.

🔎 What’s topping the agenda
⚖️ Key legislation to watch

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Recommended Options Discounted Options Full decant EMI + Continued Presence EMI Total Programme duration 19–24 years 38–61 years 33–45 years 52–84 years Total Programme cost (including optimism bias and risk but excluding inflation and opportunities) £8.4–11.5bn £11.8–18.7bn £9.7–13.7bn £12.0–19.4bn Average annual cost (excluding opportunities) £440–490m £310–310m £290–300m £230–230m Highest annual cost (including opportunities) £600–760m £430–530m £460–620m £360–410m Total Programme cost (including optimism bias and risk and inflation but excluding opportunities) £11.1–15.6bn £19.5–39.2bn £14.4–22bn £23.3–56.3bn Net present cost £4.2–5.7bn £5.1–6.6bn £4.6–6.4bn £4.5–5.5bn House of Commons Chamber decant period 8–10 years For up to two years to the House of Lords Chamber 11–15 years to the House of Lords Chamber The Chambers are not expected to be decanted. House of Lords Chamber decant period 12–15 years 8–13 years 24–33 years Parliamentary business Delivered with changes in the location and proximity of spaces and services which will require consideration of new ways of working. Delivered with changes in the location and proximity of spaces and services which will require consideration of new ways of working. For areas of continued occupancy there is a risk of later need for an unplanned decant, including for core parliamentary business functions (such as the Chambers or services directly supporting them) if disruption becomes intolerable.

And here's the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal. Two options recommended: full decant and EMI+. Full decant will be cheaper and quicker - staying in the Palace during the works will means it takes up to 61 years and costs up to £18.7bn. Full link committees.parliament.uk/publications...

NEW: Can the #AssistedDying bill be forced through Parliament using the Parliament Act?

With the Lords facing nearly 1,200 amendments and time running out, Lord Falconer has raised the stakes.

🎧 Our new episode of Parliament Matters explores how it could work.

buff.ly/ldf3eFZ

What is a Ten Minute Rule Bill? Ten Minute Rule Bills are essentially policy aims put into legislative language in order to secure a 10-minute speaking slot during 'primetime' in the House of Commons Chamber after Question Time on…

This afternoon, independent MP @shockatadam.bsky.social will seek to present a Ten Minute Rule Bill to make provision about the detection, treatment and monitoring of glaucoma.

What is a Ten Minute Rule Bill and how do they become law? Our guide explains🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...

Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 19-23 January 2026 Labour MPs may stage a backbench rebellion in the Commons over amendments to the Hillsborough Law (the Public Office (Accountability) Bill). MPs will also debate changes to four other bills. The…

TUESDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today?

🌍 Foreign Secretary faces oral questions
📜 Diego Garcia Bill returns to the Commons
🪖 Former Defence Secretaries give evidence on Afghan data breach

Read more below 🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...

WEDNESDAY: What is coming up in Parliament today?

🪖 Debate on Ukraine, replacing re-scheduled debate on Hillsborough Law
❓ Prime Minister's Questions
🎓 Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill begins Lords Report Stage

Read more below 🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...

The Select Committee Chairs’ letter below highlights the @electoralcommission.org.uk's concerns about cryptocurrency donations. Its Chair, John Pullinger, discussed these and wider risks in the upcoming Elections Bill on our latest @hansardsociety.bsky.social podcast.
🎧 Listen: buff.ly/j3jZKbV

Written Parliamentary Questions - Committees - UK Parliament Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) are an important tool for Members of Parliament to obtain detailed and targeted information to aid in the scrutiny of Government policy and operations. The long-...

7/ The Commons Procedure Committee @commonsproccom.parliament.uk announced an inquiry into written parliamentary questions before Christmas. So if you have research evidence and ideas do submit. Deadline is soon: 16 Jan.
committees.parliament.uk/work/9454/wr...

6/ Some questions could be resolved with a basic online search. But that points to another problem: the government website is inadequate for researchers trying to access data and reports, particularly if it's historic, pushing some MPs to use PQs instead.

5/ Across all parties, written questions are also used strategically - including putting the same question to multiple/ all depts - to gather data that can be deployed in later campaigns to scrutinise or challenge the government, not just for immediate answers.

4/ The rise in independent and minor party MPs matters too. Many lack access to large research teams, yet must cover multiple departments in Parliament and constituency issues. Written questions help fill that gap.

3/ One issue is the quality of answers. Too many are frankly poor. There’s also a growing habit of not answering MPs’ questions at all, only for the information to surface later via an FoI request.

Parliament Matters: A podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy Join two of the UK’s leading parliamentary experts, Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox, as they guide you through the often mysterious ways our politicians do business and explore the running controversies abou...

2/ We discussed this on our @HansardSociety podcast Parliament Matters months ago. AI may explain some of the rise in written parliamentary questions but it's really far more complex.
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...

Number of written questions to government departments doubles in a year A senior government source has suggested MPs may be using AI to submit written questions to ministers.

🧵Sky News has a piece running today about a big increase in written parliamentary questions. @samcoatessky.bsky.social says a
senior government source has suggested MPs may be using AI to submit written questions to ministers.
news.sky.com/story/number...

8/ This isn’t about Parliament revisiting Brexit. It’s about MPs being able to scrutinise decisions that affect their constituents’ jobs, prices and protections. If EU policy still shapes our rules and markets - and it does - Commons scrutiny has to catch up.

7/ It would also improve transparency. At present, major EU-related choices often emerge piecemeal, with little debate about alternatives or the overall direction of travel.

6/ A dedicated House of Commons Select Committee would provide horizontal scrutiny: testing coherence, tracking cumulative impacts, and forcing this and future Governments to explain and justify trade-offs and long-term intent.

5/ Regulatory alignment is not a minor detail. It will shape market access, growth, investment, consumer protection and our long-term economic direction – policies emerging from and affecting multiple departments at once.

4/ That siloed scrutiny means ministers can bury controversial choices on alignment or divergence as technical departmental decisions, avoiding joined up political scrutiny and democratic accountability.

3/ UK policy towards the EU cuts across major areas of government - trade, standards, energy, security, research.... Yet parliamentary scrutiny is fragmented across departmental select committees.

2/ One of the Labour government’s first acts was to abolish the Commons EU Scrutiny Committee. Its remit had been overtaken by events. But that was an argument for reform, not abolition. Scrutiny should have evolved as our policy towards the EU evolved.

🧵If the Government goes ahead with legislation granting "sweeping powers" to align parts of the UK economy with EU rules - dynamically or otherwise - MPs should insist on a dedicated EU select committee to hold Ministers to account. 1/

@darcyxtip.bsky.social & I want a photo with our top Canadian listener 😃

NEW: How much power does the monarchy really have today? 🤔

We are joined by author & former royal correspondent Valentine Low to explore the Palace, Parliament and power - from Queen Victoria to Boris Johnson. 🎧

Listen now 👉 buff.ly/opCKZCu

Lots of people don’t know the difference between Government and Parliament. Disappointing to learn US State Department officials are among them.

Constitutional literacy: still an existential security concern.😉

Absolutely! Back when BBC Parliament did wall-to-wall, serious coverage, Christmas Day regularly pulled in its best ratings of the year. Proof that we’re happily indulging the political nerd instinct - even (especially?) on one of the biggest holidays
of the year. And it really was great fun.

🎙️ NEW: Is being Prime Minister now an impossible job? 🤯

We are joined by historian @robertsaunders.bsky.social from the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social to unpack why recent PMs burn out so fast: Brexit, COVID, new media pressure, and a broken leadership pipeline.

🎧 Listen: buff.ly/bhvHQf6

Interesting development on the #AssistedDying bill.
Lord Falconer, the bill's sponsor has a motion listed on the House of Lords Order Paper for Thu 8 Jan (the day before the next Cmtt stage debate) calling for "further time" for consideration of the Bill.