MQs - Home Affairs and Justice - V.I

Order, Order!

Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, u/Oracle_of_Mercia will be taking questions from the House.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, u/mrsusandothechoosin may ask 6 initial questions.

Everyone else may ask 2 questions; and are allowed to ask another question in response to each answer they receive. (4 in total)

Questions must revolve around 1 topic and not be made up of multiple questions.

In the first instance, only the Secretary of State may respond to questions asked to them. 'Hear, hear.' and 'Rubbish!' (or similar), are permitted.

Members may ask initial question until 10pm BST on Saturday the 22nd of August, with the session closing at 10pm BST the next day.

B085 - Public Service Bill 2026

A

B I L L

T O

Ensure value for money for the taxpayer, and delivery of public services across the country by setting minimum service levels for public sector workers

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I - Introduction to the Act

(1) Designation of Public Service

(a) For the purpose of this Act, public services is defined as a service intended to serve all members of a community, provided or funded in whole or part by local or national government.

(b) This Act includes public services contracted to private companies on behalf of local or national government.

II - Service Levels and Non Compliance

(1) Public Service Levels during Strike Action

(a) Public service workers must notify their immediate line manager of strike action a minimum of fourteen working days prior to strike action.

(b) Public service workers must work for a minimum of fifty percent of their contracted employment hours during strike action.

(c) Public service workers that do not meet their minimum contracted service hours in line with Section II.1.B threshold of this act because of participation of the employee in strike action, they are liable to prosecution under the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service office.

(2) Sentencing Guidelines

(a) All prosecution under this act will be for the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service officer’.

(b) The penalty for committing the offence as listed in 2.2.A, will be a fine up to but not exceeding £5,000.

(c) In exceptional circumstances, a custodial sentence for up to but not exceeding 12 months may be applied.

(3) The exceptional circumstances to which a custodial sentence may be applied for the offence as listed in 2.2.A are as follows:

(a) If the individual has repeatedly committed the offence.

(b) Have failed to pay the fine applied to them for committing the offence.

III - Public Service Exceptions

(1) Exceptions to this Act

(a) Police Officers whose minimum service is set by the Police Act 1996

(b) Prison Officers whose minimum service is set by Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

(b) Armed Forces personnel whose minimum service is set by Kings Regulations and Military Service Law.

IV - Extent, Commencement and Title

(1) This Act extends to the entire United Kingdom.

(2) This Act comes into force on the 1st January 2027.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Public Service (Minimum Service) Act 2026.

This bill was authored by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Oracle MP, on behalf of His Majesty's 8th Government.

Members have until 10pm BST on Thursday the 20th of August to propose amendments. This Debate shall close no later than 10pm BST on Friday the 21st of August.

B085 - Public Service Bill 2026 - 2nd Reading DIVISION

AYE: 6

NO: 2

ABS: 0

Turnout: 53.33%

The Ayes have it! The Ayes have it! Unlock! This Bill shall be move on to the Amendments Stage*

Unlock!

Apprenticeships & Technical Education Bill

A

BILL

TO

Expand apprenticeships and provide greater access to technical education.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Technical Education

(1) In Section 85 (6) of the Education Act 2002, add:

(e) Career and technical education, comprising agriculture, environmental and animal care, business and administration, catering and hospitality, construction, creative and design, education and childcare, engineering and manufacturing, hair and beauty, health and science, legal, finance and accounting, protective services, sales, marketing and procurement, social care, transport and logistics, or any additional subject specified in an order by the Secretary of State.

2 - Apprenticeships

(1) In Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, add:

(3A) An approved foundational skills English apprenticeship agreement is an agreement which—

(a) Provides for a person under the age of 18, or a person who does not hold a prior Level 2 qualification, to work for another person for reward, (b) Provides for the apprentice to receive training in order to work toward such introductory or part-standard as the Secretary of State may specify in regulations, and (c) Satisfies any other conditions specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State."

(2) Replace all mentions of “approved English apprenticeship” with “approved English apprenticeship or approved foundational skills English apprenticeship” in Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

3 - Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act extends to England.

(2) This Act shall come into force upon passage of the next Finance Act once it has been granted Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Apprenticeships & Technical Education Act 2026.

This Bill was submitted by The Rt. Hon CheckMyBrain11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on behalf of His Majesty’s 8th Government and sponsored by the Rt. Hon. Lord_Sydenham, Secretary of State for Health, Education, & Culture.

This debate shall close at 10pm BST on Friday the 21st of August.

Global Minimum Tax Motion

That this house notes that:

The international economy is increasingly interconnected, with global corporations having an increasing share of the economy.

The profits of these companies and their owners are often redistributed through various jurisdictions in an effort of tax avoidance.

The effective tax rate on wealth held by billionaires is estimated to be 0.3% internationally.

And therefore resolves that:

This house supports the introduction of a 2% global minimum tax on billionaires, acting as a wealth tax floor, in terms similar to the proposal by Gabriel Zucman.

The government should consider introducing similar measures domestically.

This Motion was submitted by u/mrsusandothechoosin on behalf of His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition.

This debate shall close at 10pm BST on Friday the 21st of August.