Parliament updates
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, parliaments face a number of sometimes conflicting imperatives: they must make decisions quickly but well; ensure continuity of constitutional governance and the balance of powers required by representative democracy; enable their own continued functioning including through innovative solutions such as virtual sessions; provide governments with necessary powers to protect public health; and set an example as institutions through observing health requirements like social distancing; and finally, learn lessons from the crisis that can feed into better planning and decision-making in future. This new Primer from the INTER PARES project, published by International IDEA and based on a survey of actions taken by parliamentary institutions worldwide during the pandemic, explores the various ways in which these four challenges have been addressed by parliamentary systems in different contexts.
This week, the Assisted Dying Bill completes its Commons stages, while the Chancellor and Defence Secretary are among those to face questions in the House of Commons. MPs will also debate two e-petitions, while peers examine bills on renters’ rights, bus services and pensions. In the Lords, Lisa Nandy appears before the Culture Committee and there is a pre-appointment hearing for the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. The Assisted Dying Bill and the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill reach their final stage, while peers also debate Statutory Instruments on media mergers, murder sentencing and energy costs, as well as extending interest registration rules for parliamentary staff.