Commons Balances Energy, Farmers’ Demands and Antisemitism Action
High-Level Summary
The House examined Northern Ireland legacy arrangements, veterans’ support and accountability, followed by Prime Minister’s Questions on energy, the economy, public services and international matters. Ministers announced consent for the Jackdaw gasfield and a £2 billion North Sea energy wealth fund, while Members debated the project’s implications for energy security, prices, jobs and climate commitments. The Government accepted all 27 recommendations of Sir David Bell’s review of antisemitism in schools and colleges; a Bill on multi-academy trust governance was introduced, and the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill was passed. An Opposition day motion on support for farmers was defeated by 57 votes to 279, while a later debate sought further changes to mineworkers’ pension arrangements. Three deferred statutory instruments were also approved.
Detailed Summary
Northern Ireland: car dealerships, legacy justice and veterans
Sarah Owen said that Ministers and officials were engaging with the Department for Transport on dual approvals for passenger vehicles and Northern Ireland’s automotive sector. In response to Gregory Campbell, she undertook to answer correspondence from the National Franchised Dealers Association by the end of the week: “I will ensure that that is rectified by the end of the week, and it will get a response.” Chris Bryant said the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill would provide a reformed independent legacy commission, repeal the immunity scheme and lift the bar on civil claims. He also rejected the suggestion of political interference in prosecutorial decisions: “there will be no political interference in any of these decisions.”
Members also raised the use of language concerning lawyers, the Attorney General’s role, judicial-review proceedings concerning Drumcree, veterans’ safeguards and access to evidence held by the Irish Government. Bryant declined to comment on documents produced in the judicial review, while the Speaker said that “the sub judice rule does not apply to judicial review proceedings that relate to a ministerial decision”. Bryant confirmed that he would continue working with veterans’ organisations and said that “no veteran will be cold called” and that processes would not be repeated unless essential. He also said that co-operation from the Irish Government was essential to obtaining answers for families affected by the Troubles: “It is absolutely essential that the Irish Government fully co-operate with the process.” The Government cited the armed forces covenant and a £1 million award to Brooke House’s health and wellbeing centre in Northern Ireland.
Speaker’s Statement
The Speaker welcomed the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe and a cross-party delegation. He also marked the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, noting that it had killed 116 children and 28 adults, and paid tribute to those who died, their families and the wider community. He said: “I know that the whole House will join me in paying tribute to those who lost their lives, their families and the whole community in Aberfan and the surrounding area.”
Prime Minister’s Questions
Prime Minister’s Questions covered the Jackdaw gasfield, public finances, welfare, social care, the European Union, Gaza, Ukraine, health services, Royal Mail, Northern Ireland’s budget and constituency matters. On leasehold reform, the Prime Minister said: “We will bring forward the leasehold reform Bill as soon as possible—hopefully this year.” On the economy and welfare, he said that further plans would be set out at the Budget and referred to reforms based on the Milburn report. He also defended the Government’s approach to social care and said that the mental health strategy would set standards and support new community services.
The Prime Minister said that the UK-EU summit on 20 November could address food producers, farmers, Northern Ireland’s energy costs and illegal migration: “It is an opportunity to take an important step back to secure growth in the British economy and more control of migration.” On Palestine Action, he said that its proscription followed “a rigorous and evidence-based process” endorsed by Parliament, but declined further comment because of live legal proceedings. Other responses included commitments to ministerial discussions on parent-carer suicide prevention and probation visa rules, and continued efforts to secure the return of Craig and Lindsay Foreman from Iran.
Jackdaw gasfield and the North Sea transition
Michael Shanks announced that the Energy Secretary had approved the Jackdaw project after the relevant decisions were retaken with the environmental impacts, including greenhouse-gas emissions, taken into account. The North Sea Transition Authority had granted consent for production, and Shanks said that “the project will therefore start to supply gas to British homes and businesses by as soon as the end of this month”. The Government said the decision was consistent with the UK’s legally binding carbon limits and its 2050 net-zero target. It also announced a North Sea energy wealth fund with an initial £2 billion capital injection: “This will start with an initial £2 billion capital injection of funding.” Other announcements included consideration of limited interim arrangements for urgent tieback projects, the restart of the Brent decommissioning programme and discussions on refreshing the North Sea transition deal.
The Opposition welcomed the consent but called for further measures, including a decision on Rosebank, more exploration and changes to the energy profits levy. Other Members questioned Jackdaw’s effect on prices, energy security, jobs and climate commitments. Shanks said: “this decision will not take a penny off bills”. He said the project would provide around 5% of domestic gas production, while the developer estimated 27 direct jobs and the safeguarding of 273 existing jobs. He stressed that Rosebank was a separate decision to be considered on its own evidence. The Government also said that the North Sea future jobs service should launch early the following year and that the removal of gas standing charges was being examined.
Antisemitism in schools and colleges
Lucy Powell presented Sir David Bell’s review and said that the Government accepted all 27 recommendations: “That is why this Government accept all 27 recommendations from Sir David’s review.” She reported that almost three in five Jewish young people and half of Jewish teachers had experienced or witnessed antisemitism. Proposed actions included writing to schools and colleges about adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition, strengthening safeguarding guidance, recording antisemitic incidents as a specific category, providing training and resources, improving Holocaust education and supporting engagement with Jewish culture. An implementation group would begin work immediately, and Sir David would conduct a one-year review.
Laura Trott welcomed the review but asked about enforcement, accountability for unions and whether a similar exercise should be undertaken for universities. Powell said that implementation would be measured through reporting, data collection, teacher standards and safeguarding inspections. Members also discussed political impartiality, online conspiracy theories, media literacy, Jewish cultural experiences and faith officers in local policing. Powell agreed to consider including sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 in correspondence to schools: “I will look at including those sections as an annexe because he is absolutely right.” She also said that new funding and resources would be available for training and implementation.
Multi-academy trust governance
Dave Robertson obtained leave to introduce a Bill concerning financial transparency, expenditure approval limits and governance of multi-academy trusts. He referred to financial problems at the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership and proposed that trusts publish information about amounts taken from school budgets, the use of reserves and their spending plans. He also proposed additional approval for significant purchases and statutory guidance on local governing boards and board competencies. He said the Bill was intended to prevent other communities experiencing similar problems: “it exists to help ensure that no other community goes through what families at Arthur Terry Learning Partnership schools did.”
The motion for leave was agreed to. The Bill was presented, read the First time and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 15 January 2027; it was ordered to be printed as Bill 164. The Bill was therefore introduced but had not progressed beyond First Reading in the proceedings recorded here.
Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill
The Bill was presented as removing statutory restrictions that prevented people professing the Roman Catholic or Jewish faiths from advising the sovereign on Church appointments, or from making appointments where their office conferred a right of patronage. Hamish Falconer said that the restrictions had a practical effect because the Prime Minister had temporarily transferred responsibility for advising the sovereign on Church appointments to the Lord Chancellor. Members broadly supported the principle, although Edward Leigh questioned whether the measure would have much practical effect because the Prime Minister’s role in selecting bishops had largely become formal. Other Members argued that political input into appointments remained constitutionally relevant.
The Opposition and Liberal Democrats supported the Bill while asking that the wider constitutional relationship between the Crown, the Government and the established Church remain unchanged. The Government confirmed that it was “a narrowly focused Bill without knock-on consequences” and that the temporary Lord Chancellor arrangement would end once the Bill had been passed. The allocation-of-time order provided two hours for Second Reading and three hours for Committee, Consideration and Third Reading. Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to in Committee, and the Bill was passed at Third Reading: “Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.”
Opposition day: support for farmers
Tim Farron moved a motion criticising the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) application window, the phase-out of direct payments, changes to Agricultural Property Relief, trade agreements and agricultural funding. He called for long-term funding for eligible SFI26 applicants, reversal of the family farm tax and an additional £1 billion a year for environmental land management schemes. Members debated the first-come, first-served system, the short application window, climate and input-cost pressures, food security and the risk that farmers might abandon environmental measures. Conservative Members also criticised changes to tax reliefs and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, while Government Members attributed the original SFI design and previous underspending to the former Government.
The Government acknowledged the disappointment caused by the closure of the second SFI26 window after around six hours. Ministers said that the first-come, first-served approach would be scrapped, that work on SFI27 was under way and that the new offer would be made available as soon as possible: “we plan to make an SFI27 offer available as soon as possible.” They also referred to £11.8 billion allocated across the Parliament for sustainable farming and food production, drought support and water-management grants, and said that domestic food production would be maintained at least at current levels. The motion was defeated by 57 votes to 279.
Point of order, committee changes and civil service pension petition
Sorcha Eastwood raised a point of order about reports concerning a live police investigation involving a former Member and asked how parliamentary staff affected by the reports could be supported. The Chair said that the Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service could advise on available support and that criminal allegations should be reported to the appropriate authorities: “Any criminal allegations should, of course, be made to the appropriate authorities.”
Orders were made changing membership of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, the Scottish Affairs Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee. Sarah Dyke then presented a petition about delays in administering the civil service pension scheme. The petition called for urgent action including publication of the Government’s assessment of Capita’s performance, action following missed deadlines and prioritisation of bereavement cases: “The petitioners request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take urgent action to restore a reliable pension service for current and former civil servants.”
Mineworkers’ pension schemes: Nottinghamshire
Steve Yemm called for further changes to the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme, including the use of available surpluses for bonus pensions, protection of existing bonus pensions and arrangements for future surpluses. He said that the Government had already returned investment reserves of £1.5 billion and £2.3 billion to the respective schemes, resulting in pension increases. He asked the Government to resolve surplus-sharing arrangements and act promptly because many scheme members were elderly.
Blair McDougall said that both schemes remained guaranteed by the Government and that discussions with the trustees on future surplus arrangements were progressing. He said: “The Government will make an announcement once that agreement has been formally reached.” No further decision on the requested arrangements was recorded. The motion to adjourn was agreed and the House adjourned.
Deferred divisions
The House approved three deferred statutory instruments. The draft Railways (Interoperability in Northern Ireland) (Convention on International Carriage by Rail) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were approved by 345 votes to 108. The draft Code of Practice on Access and Unfair Practices During the Recognition and Derecognition Process was approved by 295 votes to 111. The draft Withdrawal Agreement (Windsor Framework and Governance) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were approved by 345 votes to 108. In each case, the question was accordingly agreed to.