A parliamentary committee is expected to approve the provisional programme for the 2025 winter session in advance of the King’s Speech at the state opening of Parliament. This will allow for a more flexible agenda and aligns with the government’s plan to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
INDIA bloc MPs will continue to protest the Electoral Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging voter disenfranchisement. The protests have led to clashes with police, resulting in the detention of several opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The government is preparing to ask Parliament to approve changes to mining laws, aimed at allowing state funding for acquisition of mineral assets overseas.
Parliament will debate the draft ‘Protected Areas (Cross Border Security) Bill’ which proposes extending protections to areas across borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. This will include extending the law on illegal immigration, increasing penalties and creating new offences.
MPs will question the Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Defence Secretary John Healey in select committees while the House of Lords will scrutinise the Renters’ Rights Bill and the Housing and Children’s Wellbeing Bill. It is also possible that the government will seek a formal amendment to the Parliament Act 1911, enabling money bills to be passed without the approval of the Lords, so they can receive royal assent earlier in the year. This is known as the Salisbury Convention and would be an exception to normal parliamentary procedure.