Week ahead in the Commons

Some MPs would probably prefer to be still on the beach...

A lot of MPs rather resent their September sitting, complaining that it's a sop to media complaints about their long summer break rather than a useful fortnight of legislating and holding ministers to account.

But they do seem to have a lot of detailed work ahead of them, in a week dominated by the detail of the government's Lobbying Bill - which they'll pick up again as soon as they return from the party conference season.

On Monday, the Commons convenes at 2.30pm for Education Questions. After that MPs will be invited to approve a "Humble Address" to the Queen, expressing their collective pleasure at the birth of Prince George of Cambridge.

And then David Cameron will report back on the outcome of the St Petersburg G20 summit - and given the barbed exchanges over Syria and the world importance of these small islands, this may be more lively statement than usual.

Then MPs move on to the first of three days of Committee of the Whole House devoted to the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill - this is the government's response to a new round of "sleaze" allegations and there are concerns around each of its three main sections.

The Bill gets the normal treatment for "constitutional" measures, by being taken in front of the whole House.

But I suspect the real action will take place not this week but in October, when the Commons reconvenes after the conference break.

There are two days of Report Stage scheduled - and the debates and amendments in these Committee Stage will probably be mere preliminary manoeuvring.

Monday

Day One of the Committee Stage will be devoted to the proposed register of professional lobbyists and a Registrar of lobbyists to supervise and enforce the registration requirements, with Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith leading for the government.

The day's Adjournment Debate is on Spousal visas - led by the Conservative, Andrew Percy.

Over in Westminster Hall there's a debate triggered by an E-Petition on Age related Tax Allowances (4.30pm - 7.30pm) led by Labour's Kelvin Hopkins.

The campaign to restore these allowances says many pensioners are struggling to make ends meet and often have extremely limited opportunity to make good lost income, so their removal was allowances is grossly unfair.

It calls on the Government to reinstate them in the next Budget.

Tuesday

On Tuesday business begins at 11.30am with Treasury Questions, followed by a Ten Minute Rule Bill on Access to Mental Health Services - presented by Lib Dem Michael Thornton.

Then it's Day Two of the Committee Stage of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill which is devoted to changes the legal requirements for people or organisations who campaign on particular issues in elections but are not standing as candidates. Deputy Leader of the House Tom Brake leads for the government.

There are a series of backbench debate in Westminster Hall, starting at 9.30am with one on sexual entertainment licence exemptions.

Cornish Lib Dem Stephen Gilbert will highlight a loophole in the Policing and Crime Act that allows business premises to hold sexual entertainment events once a month without requiring them to have a Sexual Entertainment Venue Licence.

There is a worry, he says, particularly in place like Newquay in his constituency, that some people own three or four bars and so could put an event on almost once a week all without being subject to SEV licensing that offers protection to the entertainers, the customer and the local community.

London Conservative Mark Field (11am - 11.30am) will be raising his concerns about a proposal that the 33 pension funds for London local authorities should be merged, creating a huge pool of assets against which London local government, under the leadership of the mayor, could borrow to fund big infrastructure projects.

It's an idea being toyed with by Labour, the Lib Dems and Boris Johnson, he says, and given the fiasco over PFI he doesn't like the idea at all.

Also on the batting order, Welsh Select Committee chair David T. C. Davies (2.30pm - 4pm) discusses the future of the Climate Change Act 2008, Gareth Johnson (4pm - 4.30pm) leads a short debate on the First World War centenary commemorations, and Labour's Ian Austin (4.30pm - 5pm) discusses the future of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry.

Wednesday

Business opens at 11.30am on Wednesday, with questions to the Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and then, at Noon, it's Prime Minister's Questions.

Conservative MP Michael Ellis presents a Ten Minute Rule Bill on Medical Innovation - interestingly this gives the Commons a chance to debate a private members bill from the House of Lords - where it was introduced by Conservative peer Lord Saatchi.

The aim is to encourage responsible innovation in medical treatment and to deter reckless departure from standard practice. And the Bill states that it is not negligent for a doctor to depart from the pre-existing range of accepted treatments for a condition (standard practice) if the decision to innovate is taken responsibly.

Then it's on to Committee Day Three on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill; the section under the microscope deals with changes to the legal requirements on trade unions, to keep their membership list up to date. BIS Minister Jo Swinson leads for the government.

After that the House will debate Opposed Private Business and the Salisbury MP John Glen has an Adjournment debate on the future of Public Health England at Porton Down - he's backing calls for a science park at the centre.

One to watch in Westminster Hall is James Gray's debate (9.30am - 11am) on the future of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, of which he is chairman - this was a very popular initiative which allowed MPs to spend time with the Army, Navy and RAF and thus become better informed at the work of the services.

But there have been concerns about its governance - one line of complaint was that it was funded by sponsorship from defence contractors - and the Speaker stepped in. It is now being reshaped into a charitable trust to bring it "in line with modern standards of scrutiny and operation," I'm told.

The scheme has not put through its normal number of MPs and peers for a couple of years, but will now be re-launched. This is quite an in-house tale, but an interesting one.

Other subjects raised by backbenchers include Simon Hart on Planning policy and National Parks (11am - 11.30am).

He argues a tax on new buildings in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is hitting the local economy, leaving developments un-built and putting tradesmen out of work.

He will suggest elected local authorities should be able to challenge planning decisions by National Park authorities. Planning Minister Nick Boles will reply for the government - it will be interesting to see if he offers any concession.

Rotherham's Sarah Champion will talk about human rights in the Commonwealth (2.30pm - 4pm) and the former Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe raises the failure to pay a British company, Satellite Information Services, for providing the coverage for the Commonwealth Games in India (4pm - 4.30pm).

And finally, Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson discusses regeneration in Brierfield and Nelson (4.30pm - 5pm).

Thursday

And so to Thursday, when MPs meet at 9.30am for Transport Questions. That's followed by the weekly Business Statement, in which the Leader of the House, Andrew Lansley, will set out what the Commons will be doing when it returns from the break for the party conference season.

After that, MPs turn to two debates chosen by their Backbench Business Committee.

First, former Children's Minister Tim Loughton and Labour's Ann Coffey lead a backbench debate on Child Protection in the UK, then then Labour former minister Michael Meacher and new MP Andy Sawford lead a debate on Employment Rights.

Over in Westminster Hall, the Conservative Daniel Kawczynski leads a debate on UK Trade and Investment - the organisation promoting British exports. (1.30pm - 4.30pm)

Friday

Friday is devoted, as usual, to private members' bills, starting with the second reading of the Conservative Jonathan Lord's Citizenship (Armed Forces) Bill.

Next on the agenda are bills from the Lib Dem Sir Robert Smith on Delivery Surcharges - a big issue in his Scottish constituency, and on Drug Testing in Prisons - proposed by the Conservative Margot James.

The day ends with 30 minute adjournment debate on G20 membership reform, led by the Conservative MP Henry Smith.