In the first of a quarterly series, Council chair and former MP David Burrowes reflects on some of the latest developments in Parliament.
The Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford became one of the latest politicians to fall foul of technology during prime minister’s questions (PMQs) in January. Ian’s screen cut out the very moment after the Speaker called his name, inviting him to challenge the PM. It was much to the amusement of the MPs sitting in London, 600 miles away, and a moment of light relief that points to a more serious issue.
It is proving difficult to conduct debates in the traditional fashion, under the modern rules and in an ageing building. Trying to catch the Speaker’s eye when one wishes to speak in a debate is not that easy on Zoom. Similarly, making a speech from the Dispatch Box whilst scanning a Zoom screen to see if anyone wishes to intervene is quite a skill!
But Parliament continues to operate in this modified form. The Standing Orders have been amended to allow Select Committees to operate in this way, until the end of April. Meanwhile, debates in Westminster Hall have been suspended because there’s no facility to hold them virtually. Parliament is not a modern building!
Life in Parliament remains anything but normal in these strange times, but that’s not to say business does not carry on.
Parliament was recalled on 30 December so that MPs and Peers could debate and ultimately approve the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill, following the deal brokered with the EU. And Commons was recalled on 6 January to hear the measures being taken to cope with the new Covid-19 variant which, as we know, resulted in another lockdown.
Equity release was mentioned very favourably on more than one occasion during a Lord’s Debate on Social Care Funding, on 28 January. Some of the Lords present at the debate argued that they believe equity release schemes should not be off the table when it comes to funding adult social care. In addition, some suggested the government should drop its political principle that no one should be forced to sell their homes to fund the later stages of their lives. More details are in the formal report available below.
More generally, the flavour of the weekly PMQs sessions has, of course reflected the latest Covid-19 developments. They have included the new lockdown measures, the content of food parcels, roll out of the vaccination process, and the tragic milestone of 100,000 deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test. Other issues concerns the loss of records from the Police National Computer and congratulating the newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden
With the Budget due next month, as is usual, speculation is rife on what might be in it. Some of it is fuelled by journalists and some by the government itself ‘flying kites’ to see what the reaction might be. One thing is for sure, the Chancellor has the difficult job of finding a way to raise taxes without stifling business or spending.
On the housing front, the speculation that the government may undertake a wholesale reform to Council Tax and Stamp Duty by replacing both with a single tax based on a proportion of property value looks like it may be overstated. Experience shows that previous governments from both parties have tended to shy away from fundamental change. While there is a strong lobby in support of an extension to the Stamp Duty holiday, the treasury is thought to be reluctant to review the forthcoming deadline. It has been reported that the treasury sees the housing market as being relatively healthy in the current circumstances and it feels that other areas of the economy require more urgent support.
Our formal monitoring reports are available to members by clicking here. However, if you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or our public affairs manager at [email protected].
Best wishes,
David Burrowes,
Chair of the Equity Release Council.
