Commons Rejects Lords Changes, Sets Under‑16 Online Curbs

High-Level Summary

The House of Commons sat for Work and Pensions questions, an urgent question on the Dunmurry police station attack, a Government update on the Mandelson Humble Address, and significant Lords “ping‑pong” on multiple Bills. Ministers were questioned on state pension age communications, departmental response times, apprenticeships, the Child Maintenance Service, disability benefits, statutory sick pay and unemployment. On legislation, MPs accepted “rural affairs” and “coastal communities” into the English devolution framework, rejected Lords’ “brownfield first” and “agent of change” amendments, and backed the Pensions Schemes Bill reserve power with added safeguards. The House agreed carry‑over motions for the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and the Public Office (Accountability) Bill. On children’s online safety, Ministers committed to act after consultation, with a statutory timetable and a clear statement that under‑16 restrictions will be introduced.

Detailed Summary

Business before Questions: appointments and private bills

The Vice‑Chamberlain reported that the Address for appointing Rashik Parmar as an Electoral Commissioner had been presented to His Majesty, “who was graciously pleased to comply with the request”. Consideration of the Royal Albert Hall Bill (Lords) and the Malvern Hills Bill (Lords) was opposed and deferred following objections recorded as “Object.”. Proceedings on the Cheltenham Borough Council (Markets) Bill were made suspendable to the next Session under Standing Order 188A.

Speaker’s statement: proposed privilege motion on PM’s answers

The Speaker confirmed multiple requests to give precedence to a matter of privilege regarding the Prime Minister’s answers about the appointment of Peter Mandelson. He explained his gatekeeper role and said he had “decided to allow the House to come to a view on whether the Committee of Privileges should look at the matter,” with a debate the next day, after urgent questions, statements and any ten‑minute rule Bill.

Oral Answers to Questions: Work and Pensions

On the state pension age/WASPI, Ministers said the Government decided the case on 29 January 2026, with reasons set out in a Library response. It is “unusual but not unprecedented for the Government to take a different view from the PHSO”. The Minister added that “it was the ombudsman itself… that… set out that the women affected did not suffer direct financial loss” and the issue assessed was communication, not the original policy decisions. He cited wider pensioner support including the triple lock, “set to increase it by up to £2,100”.

On departmental performance, DWP answered 43 million calls in 2024‑25 with an 86% answer rate and shorter waits, with Ministers apologising for delays and inviting case referrals.

On apprenticeships, the Government will fully fund youth apprenticeships for small businesses and introduce a £2,000 hiring incentive for non‑levy payers. An ambassador network has reached “97% of the state‑funded secondary schools and colleges”, and Ministers stressed “apprenticeships are paid” when asked about benefit interactions. They reported apprenticeship starts and achievement rates are up.

On the Child Maintenance Service, Ministers cited performance metrics—“96% of applications were cleared within 12 weeks”—and said improvements continue, with further reforms “when parliamentary time allows”. They rejected curfew orders due to “significant safeguarding concerns” and noted existing powers up to imprisonment. Redundancy payments are not counted in standard maintenance calculations, though assets can be considered via variation rules, and HMRC data constraints were acknowledged.

On disability and sick pay, the DLA for children target—90% cleared in 45 days—was met in March and an online evidence portal is being rolled out. Statutory sick pay now has no lower earnings limit or waiting days, meaning “up to 1.3 million more people will be covered”. “Right to try” regulations allow steps toward work without triggering reassessment, with a decision pending on delaying access to the UC health element for under‑22s until after a wider review. Access to Work reform is being developed to reduce backlogs, and reform of Disability Confident is planned, with “19,000 employers” signed up.

On unemployment, the rate fell to 4.9% in February. A youth guarantee will offer training, work experience and hiring incentives for SMEs. Face‑to‑face assessments, which “collapsed” after the pandemic, are being increased again, and youth hubs will expand “to more than 360 locations”. In Topical Questions, Ministers highlighted reviews of carers’ overpayments, rebutted a claim on foreign nationals and UC as a “significant overestimation”, said a state pension age communications action plan will be published “in the coming months”, and that a Pensions Commission interim report is due “in the coming months”.

Urgent Question: Dunmurry police station attack

The Northern Ireland Secretary described how a vehicle hijacked in Twinbrook was driven to Dunmurry PSNI station, where police evacuated residents—including “two babies”—before a device exploded; “It is incredibly fortunate that nobody was killed or injured”. He linked it to a similar attempted attack on Lurgan police station on 30 March, for which the New IRA claimed responsibility. He urged information sharing and outlined support, including “the first increase in the additional security funding in more than a decade; it will be £130 million over three years”. He noted the threat level “remains substantial. It was previously severe” and that JTAC reviews the threat level twice yearly.

Statement: Lord Mandelson Humble Address – Government update

The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister said the first tranche of material had been published and that, by the end of the day, “the Cabinet Office will have passed to the ISC all the material… judged to be prejudicial to national security or international relations… over 300 individual documents”. He explained that in‑scope documents are either with the Government for the second tranche, with the ISC, or with the Metropolitan Police, and that he could not list documents given to the police. On redactions, he confirmed that the agreed process with the ISC stands and that the ISC determines national security/international relations redactions via its process. He also said legislation “will be introduced shortly” concerning reforms related to the peerage issue raised, and confirmed non‑corporate communications are in scope. He assured Members that “redactions are in black” and that the Government aim to publish the second tranche “as soon as possible” after the state opening and the ISC’s conclusion.

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: consideration of Lords amendments

Ministers accepted the addition of “rural affairs” and “coastal communities” to areas of competence, reflecting concerns about non‑urban areas. They reaffirmed a bottom‑up approach and committed not to commence ministerial powers of direction for two years, “removing the power for the Secretary of State to establish a mayor in an area without local consent”. The Government asked the House to reject a statutory “brownfield first” duty, arguing that the NPPF is the right place and that the Lords’ approach “would risk undermining effective plan‑making”. They also opposed mandating committee governance while recognising the role of parish councils—requiring engagement and enabling parish representation in neighbourhood governance—and preferred strengthening national policy/guidance over statute on the “agent of change” principle.

Outcomes: The House disagreed with Lords’ brownfield amendments (Ayes 273, Noes 167); insisted on its position on local authority governance (Ayes 270, Noes 170); disagreed with “agent of change” amendments (Ayes 269, Noes 170); and agreed other consequential motions (Ayes 271, Noes 171). A Reasons Committee was appointed.

Pension Schemes Bill: consideration of Lords message

The Government again resisted Lords amendments removing the reserve power on asset allocation and set out constraints: the reserve power is capped at 10% in qualifying assets and 5% in UK‑specific assets, applies only to main default funds, “can be used only once, and, if unused, lapses entirely in 2032,” and “falls out of effect… at the end of 2035”. Ministers detailed four changes to the savers’ interest test: lowering the test to “would be likely to cause” material detriment; making exemptions mandatory when the test is met; requiring regulators to have “due regard” to schemes’ analyses; and obliging regulators to give reasons for refusal. The Opposition argued that “mandation is the wrong lever” and could undermine fiduciary duty and trust. The House insisted on its disagreement with the Lords: Ayes 279, Noes 164. The Government cited external comments, including that the TUC said it is “vital” the Bill passes and Age UK said its measures “will help both today’s and tomorrow’s pensioners”.

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: carry‑over

The carry‑over motion was introduced to allow progress on legislation “essential to remedy the failure of the previous Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023”. The Secretary of State said the Act’s immunity provisions lacked support and had been found incompatible with obligations. He highlighted proposed protections for veterans—“no repeated investigations; an end to cold calling; requiring consideration to be given to the age and welfare of veterans; and enabling any veteran asked to give evidence to do so remotely and anonymously”—and argued that without the Bill, “all those new protections… would not be there”. The motion was agreed: Ayes 279, Noes 176.

Public Office (Accountability) Bill (Hillsborough law): carry‑over

The Government moved to carry over the Bill so remaining Commons stages can be completed in the next Session. The Opposition supported carry‑over but criticised delays. The responsible Minister reiterated the commitment to the legislation and said there will be “no carve‑out for the security services,” who “will be covered by the legally binding duty of candour” and new criminal offences. She confirmed continuing engagement with families and the security bodies and said the Bill will return early in the next Session with amendments to reflect agreed safeguards.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: consideration of Lords message

Ministers confirmed agreement with the Lords on restricting mobile phone use during the school day and set out a strengthened approach to under‑16 access to social media. The Bill now requires that the Secretary of State “must, rather than ‘may’, act following the consultation,” with a statutory report within three months of Royal Assent and regulations to be laid within 12 months, with a six‑month backstop only in “exceptional circumstances”. Ministers also stated, “we are clear that under any outcome we will impose some form of age or functionality for children under 16,” and that curfews would be “in addition to that, not instead of it”. The House insisted on its position with Government amendments in lieu: Ayes 272, Noes 64. Ministers also highlighted breakfast clubs, uniform cost controls and safeguarding reforms that “ensure ‘safety and opportunity for every child’”.