Commons Rejects ECHR Withdrawal and Inheritance Tax Abolition

High-Level Summary

The day included questions to the Attorney General on economic crime, whistleblowing, international law, stalking, victims’ access to justice, violence against women and girls, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and jury-trial reform. Prime Minister’s Questions covered Ukraine, social care, welfare, energy, national security, mental health, local services and public safety, with tributes to Sir David Amess and other individuals. The main debates concerned proposed asylum accommodation at MOD Bicester and withdrawal from the ECHR, and inheritance tax; both Opposition day motions were defeated. The House also presented Bills, considered delegated legislation, heard a petition on North Devon maternity services and debated the treatment of military compensation in pension-credit assessments.

Detailed Summary

Attorney General questions: economic crime, victims, international law and the ECHR

Andrew Slaughter, answering as Solicitor General, reported that the Crown Prosecution Service had completed more than 8,000 fraud and forgery prosecutions in the last financial year and that, between 2020 and 2025, it had recovered more than £530 million through confiscation orders, including £102 million paid to victims. He also described a Government consultation on whistleblowing, including a proposed scheme to reward people who report economic crime to the Serious Fraud Office. On the Financial Conduct Authority’s inquiry into the case raised by Ben Maguire, he expressed condolences to Simon Andriesz’s family and said it was appropriate to await the inquiry’s outcome. He described the consultation as “the widest consultation on the most comprehensive Government review of the whistleblowing framework since its introduction in 1999”.

Ellie Reeves, the Attorney General, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to international law and the ECHR, supported the International Criminal Court in opposing sanctions, and said revised legal-risk guidance required domestic and international law to be treated alike: “domestic law and international law should be treated in the same way”. Other answers covered a forthcoming review of the criminal law on stalking, new multi-agency guidance, the national roll-out of enhanced CPS services for domestic-abuse victims, specialist rape and serious sexual-offence courtrooms, and a CPS action plan on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. In the exchange on jury trials, Andrew Slaughter said the Government had decided not to establish the Crown court bench division and would proceed with other reforms intended to reduce the backlog; the transcript does not record a separate formal decision in those terms about retaining all jury trials.

Speaker’s Statement

Before Prime Minister’s Questions, Lindsay Hoyle marked the fifth anniversary of the death of Sir David Amess and referred to the continuing work on the security of Members, their families and staff. He also referred to the deaths of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess and urged Members to help end attacks on people in public life. He said: “No Member should fear carrying out their democratic duties.”

Prime Minister’s Questions

Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to Sir David Amess and said further work on Members’ security would continue. He listed meetings with President Zelensky, including preparation of further military and financial support for Ukraine, and with Archie Goodburn; he also paid tribute to Councillor Pat Karney. In exchanges with Kemi Badenoch, he defended his statements about interference in democratic processes, said decisions on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields would be set out shortly, and said the House would have to wait for the Budget on defence spending. He also said the Government would bring forward a response to the Milburn review and reduce the welfare bill.

On social care, Burnham said: “We will create a national care service.” He later undertook to arrange a new round of cross-party talks “certainly before the end of the year, but hopefully within the next month”. Other exchanges included a request to the Department for Education to address a school-access issue involving a disabled child; four new community mental-health centres in Hertfordshire as part of 159 nationally; expanded free school meals and breakfast-club investment; possible co-operation with Scottish bodies on safety in Glasgow; and a meeting concerning community use of Udney Park playing fields. Burnham also condemned a motion described in the debate as antisemitic and said Labour could not support a partnership with a party holding that position, supported work on a national oversight mechanism for inquiries and inquests, planned to visit Aberfan for its 60th anniversary, reaffirmed support for the Lobular Moon Shot Project and said the Falkland Islands were British and would remain so.

Bills presented and the Wet Wipes (Labelling, Sale and Marketing) Bill

Three Bills received First Reading: the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill, which was scheduled for Second Reading tomorrow; the Flooding Bill, scheduled for Second Reading on Friday 4 December; and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pension Scheme (Report) Bill, scheduled for Second Reading on Friday 13 November. David Burton-Sampson then obtained leave to introduce the Wet Wipes (Labelling, Sale and Marketing) Bill. He argued that wet wipes contribute to sewer blockages, while stressing that responsibility for water infrastructure rests with water companies. He said: “biodegradable does not necessarily mean flushable”.

The Bill would provide for clearer labelling, including a visible indication that wipes should be disposed of in a bin unless they passed rigorous flushability testing. Burton-Sampson said consumers should be encouraged to flush only “the three Ps: pee, poo and paper”. Leave was granted, the Bill was presented and read the First time, and Second Reading was scheduled for Friday 13 November.

Opposition day: MOD Bicester asylum accommodation and the ECHR

Joy Morrissey moved a Conservative motion condemning the Government’s plan to use MOD Bicester for asylum accommodation and calling for the UK to withdraw from the ECHR. Conservative Members raised concerns about the proposed accommodation of more than 1,200 asylum seekers near Piddington and other villages, citing safety, infrastructure, environmental and cost issues. Calum Miller, the constituency Member, opposed the proposal while distinguishing that position from the question of ECHR membership. Greg Smith cited claimed costs above those of asylum hotels and concerns about utilities and environmental assessment. The shadow Home Secretary argued that leaving the ECHR was necessary, though not sufficient, for the proposed removal policy: “Leaving the ECHR is a necessary, but not sufficient, step.”

Government speakers argued that large sites could reduce reliance on hotels, provide on-site services and support safeguarding. Anna Turley said that, although a planning application had been submitted, “no final decision has been made”. Jo White said the proposal included 24-hour security and closed-circuit television, and that the Government remained on course to end asylum-hotel use during the Parliament. She rejected withdrawal from the ECHR, stating: “We do not need to leave the ECHR to restore order to our immigration system.” The Liberal Democrat spokesperson opposed the proposed site but rejected the ECHR element of the motion. The motion was negatived, with Ayes 113 and Noes 309.

Opposition day: inheritance tax

Andrew Griffith moved a Conservative motion calling on the Government to cut public spending to abolish inheritance tax on family homes, farms and businesses. Conservative Members argued that the tax could disrupt family succession and investment, particularly where farms and businesses were asset-rich but generated limited cash income. They supported abolishing inheritance tax on family homes, restoring agricultural and business property relief, and funding the measures through reductions in welfare and other public spending. Griffith said that “people who work hard and save hard should keep the rewards”.

Government and Liberal Democrat Members opposed the motion on fiscal and distributional grounds. James Murray said inheritance tax was forecast to raise almost £15 billion in 2030-31 and that the existing rules provided 100% relief on the first £2.5 million of qualifying agricultural and business assets, with further relief above that level and interest-free payment over 10 years. He said the Conservative proposal could cost up to £10.8 billion a year after behavioural effects. Daisy Cooper supported reform of inheritance tax but favoured income-tax reductions funded through economic growth rather than abolition without identified savings. Government speakers said inheritance-tax receipts contributed to public services and that the motion did not identify specific spending cuts. Dan Tomlinson described the proposal as “tax cuts for those in £10 million homes being paid for by cuts to our public services”. The motion was negatived, with Ayes 99 and Noes 291.

Delegated legislation, North Devon maternity services and veterans’ compensation

The House approved delegated legislation on overseas prudential requirements, over-the-counter derivatives and building societies. Approval of the draft Railways (Interoperability in Northern Ireland) regulations was challenged and the division was deferred until Wednesday 21 October. The final Deferred Divisions record reported approval of the trade-union time-off code by 328 votes to 114, the right-to-access-workplaces code by 329 to 115, the related regulations by 326 to 115, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism regulations by 319 to 115.

Ian Roome presented a petition signed by more than 15,000 people seeking the safe reinstatement of births at North Devon District Hospital and improved maternity staffing and resilience. The petition called for maternity services to be urgently reinstated when safe and for stronger recruitment and local NHS resilience. Roome also raised conflicting communications about when a decision on reopening the maternity unit would be made; the Deputy Speaker said the point had been placed on the record. In the adjournment debate, Josh Babarinde argued that military compensation should be fully disregarded when assessing pension-credit entitlement, citing Pauline Cole’s pension-credit reduction from £77 to £11 a week. He said: “No one should be penalised for serving their country”. Pensions Minister Torsten Bell explained the distinction between regular income and lump sums, confirmed that the first £10 of specified compensation was disregarded, and said: “the Government are not in a position to change the regulations”. The debate ended without a change to the regulations, and the House adjourned.