House of Commons
Parliament

The Parental Bereavement Bill is given its second reading - MPs do not divide but show their approval by voicing "aye".

The House moves onto the Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Bill, external which is proposed by Conservative MP Peter Bone.

There is little time to discuss the bill, however, and at 2.30pm, MPs move on to the adjournment debate, which is on memorial plaques to World War I servicemen, from Conservative MP David Morris, external.

That's where we'll leave our coverage of the week's business in Parliament.

We'll be back on Monday afternoon, when the Commons and Lords meet at 2.30pm.

With the non-appearance of the EU Withdrawal Bill, focus turns to the ways parties can make waves over Opposition Day debates.

House of Commons
Parliament

We're now onto the Parental Beareavement (Leave and Pay) Bill at second reading.

The bill makes provision about leave and pay for employees whose children have died.

Conservative Kevin Hollinrake is introducing the bill and he says it has cross party support.

The government is supporting this bill.

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Parliament

MPs do not vote on the second reading of the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill - it's passed without the House dividing and progresses to committee stage.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, hoc

Justice Minister Sam Gyimah notes that the public supported Chris Bryant bringing forward this private member's bill.

He too says his parents were emergency workers and he knows how it would have felt to hear his parents were attacked. He says emergency workers are "owed a debt of gratitude" and deserve the protection of the law.

"I am humbled by the stories of bravery we have heard today," he says, also paying tribute to PC Keith Palmer, as well as other frontline emergency staff.

He speaks about the "calmness and professionalism" of prison staff, who, he says, he sees dealing with situations regularly and he says he wants to see them protected under the bill.

Courts do see an offence against those serving the public as more serious, Mr Gyimah says, but this bill provides a safeguard for emergency workers, assaulted simply for carrying out their duties, he says.

The sentence proposed in the bill may be seen by some as too low, he says but the bill deals with common assault - the lowest form of assault - and actual and grevious bodily harm will attract higher sentences.

He finishes by saying this is not a party political issue and "tougher sentences for despicable acts" sends a message that they will not be tolerated.

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Parliament

Image source, HOc

Speaking from the Labour frontbench, Louise Haigh congratulates Chris Bryant and Holly Lynch for the work they have done.

The shadow policing minister says the emergency services have been under particular pressure this year, as she mentions terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire.

"So it's not too much to ask we protect them in law," she says, saying it is clear that the legislation is necessary.

She goes on to outline the pressures the police are under, saying they need more resources to deal with the many and varied situations thrown at them.

She thanks the government from supporting the bill; and asks the justice minister to promise more resources for the service from the Budget next month.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Commons library has produced a research briefing on the bill and many MPs have referenced the figures.

The research says:

You can read a summary of the briefing and follow links to the full document here, external.

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Parliament

Image source, hoC

Conservative MP Tom Pursglove says there is a personal dimension to the bill - both his parents were police officers.

I can't imagine how I would have felt if my mum and dad had come home to tell me they had been assaulted, he says.

He says there is one issue which he hopes Chris Bryant will consider for the bill at committee stage. He recounts an incident in his area, where a police officer was verbally abused by someone in a domestic setting, but because it was not in a public place, no offence took place under current law.

Mr Pursglove says officers should be protected from racist or sexist abuse and he wonders if Mr Bryant will consider that.

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Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick says he was a member of London's fire brigade for 23 years.

He notes that November 5 is approaching, and says that all too often fireworks are used as a weapon.

Mr Fitzpatrick says that there seem to be barriers for all the assaults taking place being reported and he believes there could be more assaults on emergency workers than are shown in the figures.

He says the data on assaults on firefighters in England and Wales are not published by the Home Office, as it is in Scotland.

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Parliament

You can read more about the bill on the Parliament website and follow its progress through the Commons and Lords.

Click here for the description of the bill, external.

Here's the summary of the bil:

Image source, HoC

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Gareth Johnson says these attacks undermine the fabric of society, and are not just "disrespectful".

He says it is positive that there is cross party and government support for the bill and says that he hopes lawyers at the Ministry of Justice work on potential loopholes; and that the definition of emergency workers covers, for instance, a nurse on a minor injuries unit.

Chris Bryant assures him those issues will be addressed in committee stage.

Mr Johnson says the bill includes emergency workers who are off duty - someone who steps in to help in an emergency - and that needs looking at to make sure workers are protected.

He also says the Public Order Act needs to come under the scope of the bill - for instance, if someone threatens an emergency worker with a knife.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Hoc

Holly Lynch, the Labour MP who represents Halifax, was the MP who began the Protect the Protectors campaign after spending a night out with police officers and watching an attack unfold, external.

She says emergency workers are depressed that the sentences handed down for the offences do not address the severity of the crime and do not serve as a deterrent.

This is not a new issue, she says, and recounts how both her mother and father - an NHS worker and a police officer - were attacked at work.