The House met at half-past Ten o'clock.

1    Education and Skills Bill,—Hugh Bayley reported a Memorandum from the Education and Skills Bill Committee.

Memorandum to lie upon the Table and to be published.

2    Housing and Regeneration Bill,—Mr Joe Benton reported from the Housing and Regeneration Bill Committee:

3    Pensions Bill,—Janet Anderson reported certain Memoranda from the Pensions Bill Committee.

Memoranda to lie upon the Table and to be published.

4    Message from the Lords,—A Message was brought from the Lords, as follows:

Local Transport Bill [Lords],—The Lords have passed a Bill to make further provision in relation to local transport authorities, the provision and regulation of road transport services and the subsidising of passenger transport services; to amend sections 74, 75 and 79 of the Transport Act 1985; to make provision for or in relation to committees which represent the interests of users of public transport; to rename Passenger Transport Authorities as Integrated Transport Authorities and to make further provision in relation to them; to make further provision in relation to charging for the use of roads; to make provision in relation to the acquisition, disclosure and use of information relating to vehicles registered outside the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes; to which the Lords desire the concurrence of this House.

5    Local Transport Bill [Lords],—The Local Transport Bill [Lords], was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow and to be printed [Bill 67].

Ordered, That the Explanatory Notes relating to the Local Transport Bill [Lords] be printed [Bill 67-EN].

6    Standards and Privileges,—Resolved, That this House—

7    Holocaust Memorial Day (Topical Debate),—A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House has considered the matter of Holocaust Memorial Day—(Mr Parmjit Dhanda);

8    National Insurance Contributions Bill,—The House, according to Order, proceeded to consider the National Insurance Contributions Bill, not amended in the Public Bill Committee.

Amendment (No. 8) proposed to the Bill, in page 1, line 5, at the end, to insert the words 'and

(c) in subsection (6), at end insert "and may not include any increase in the upper earnings limit in excess of the increase in the retail price index, in percentage terms, for the year to September of the preceding tax year."'.—(Mr David Gauke.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The House divided.

Tellers for the Ayes, Mr David Evennett, Mr Nick Hurd: 148.

Tellers for the Noes, Liz Blackman, Alison Seabeck: 260.

A Motion was made, and the Question being put, That the Bill be now read the third time;

The House divided.

Tellers for the Ayes, Alison Seabeck, Liz Blackman: 256.

Tellers for the Noes, Mr Simon Burns, Mr Crispin Blunt: 147.

So the Question was agreed to.

The Bill was accordingly read the third time, and passed.

9    Public Petition,—A Public Petition from customers of the Swan Hotel, Bacup, Rossendale relating to the smoking ban (Rossendale) was presented and read.

10    Adjournment.

Michael J. Martin

Speaker

Mr Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Nine o'clock.

APPENDIX I

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1    Disabled Persons,—Draft Rail Vehicle Accessibility (B2007 Vehicles) Exemption Order 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Secretary Ruth Kelly].

2    Local Government,—Draft Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum and Impact Assessment [by Command] [Secretary Hazel Blears].

Paper subject to Negative Resolution:

3    Water Resources,—Water Resources (Abstraction and Impounding) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (S.I., 2008, No. 165), dated 26th January 2008 [by Act], with an Explanatory Memorandum [by Command] [Secretary Hilary Benn].

Other Papers:

4    Agricultural Marketing,—Report of the British Wool Marketing Board Agricultural Marketing Schemes for 2006-07 [by Act] [Secretary Hilary Benn].

5    Education,—Report of Powers to Facilitate Innovation for the period 1st August 2006 to 31st July 2007 [by Act]; to be printed [No. 271] [Secretary Ed Balls].

APPENDIX II

Reports from Select Committees

1    Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform,—Energy Prices: Minutes of Evidence taken before the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee; to be printed [No. 293-i] [Peter Luff].

2    International Development,—Iraq: Minutes of Evidence taken before the International Development Committee; to be printed [No. 319] [Malcolm Bruce].

3    Liaison,—Pre-appointment hearings by select committees: Memorandum laid before the Liaison Committee; to be published [Mr Alan Williams].

4    Welsh Affairs,—Proposed Legislative Competence Orders in Council: charging for non-residential social care: Minutes of Evidence taken before the Welsh Affairs Committee; to be printed [No. 257-ii] [Dr Hywell Francis].

[W.H., No. 26]

Minutes of Proceedings of the Sitting in Westminster Hall

The sitting began at half-past Two o'clock.

And accordingly the sitting was adjourned till Tuesday 5th February.

Sir Alan Haselhurst

Deputy Speaker

CORRIGENDA