Backbench debates announced for 15, 17, 21 and 22 July

Backbench debates, Chamber, Westminster Hall

Following its public meeting on 8 July, the Backbench Business Committee has scheduled Backbench debates for Tuesday 15, Thursday 17, Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 July 2014.

The Committee has determined that the following business will take place in backbench time:

Tuesday 15 July in Westminster Hall

The Committee has recommended the following business to the Chairman of Ways and Means:

9.30am - Youth employment (Member in charge: Chloe Smith) (90 minutes).

Representation for this debate was received at Committee meeting on 1 July.

Thursday 17 July in the Chamber

Select Committee Statement on the publication of the Second Report from the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, A new Magna Carta?, HC 463 (Member in charge: Mr Graham Allen)
Select Committee Statement on the publication of the Second Report from the Education Committee, Safe and suitable: 16-plus care options, HC 259 (Member in charge: Mr Graham Stuart)
Debate on a motion relating to the Universal Postal Service Obligation (Member in charge: Katy Clark)
General debate on provision of education for children with autism: (Member in charge: Gordon Birtwistle)

The following debate was also originally scheduled for 17 July but following the Committee meeting on 15 July, it has been rescheduled for 1 September 2014.

General debate on the position of Hazaras in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Member in charge: John Denham)

Thursday 17 July in Westminster Hall

General debate on the Middle East and North Africa (Member in charge: Alistair Burt)

Representation for this debate was received at Committee meeting on 8 July.

Monday 21 July in Westminster Hall

General debate on an e-petition relating to making Eid and Diwali public holidays (Member in charge: Bob Blackman)

Tuesday 22 July in the Chamber

General debate on matters to be raised before the forthcoming adjournment

Representations for debate received – 8 July meeting

At its public meeting on Tuesday 8 July, the Committee heard, in addition to the bid for a debate on the Middle East and North Africa from Alistair Burt and Jim Shannon, representations from the following:

Ian Austin, Dr Julian Huppert and Steve Brine for a debate on progress on the All-Part Cycling Group’s report 'Get Britain Cycling'
Yasmin Qureshi, Nick de Bois and Jacob Rees-Mogg for debate on oral hormone pregnancy tests
Nick Smith for a debate on physical inactivity in the UK
Roger Williams, Mary Glindon, Jim Shannon and Glyn Davies for a debate on food fraud, traceability, and labelling.
Pauline Latham for a debate on refugee camps and the quality of life for refugees around the world

The next meeting of the Backbench Business Committee will take place at 3pm on Tuesday 15 July.

Backbench Business Committee meetings

The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays at 3pm to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.

An MP must make a representation before the Committee for an e-petition or petition to be debated; e-petitions exceeding the Government's 100,000 signature threshold are not automatically allocated backbench time.

The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. The Committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.