Week ahead

The last full Westminster week before the summer break is a pretty busy one, with plenty of important action in both houses.

MPs have the conclusion of the Budget debate, what promises to be a highly-charged debate on EVEL - English Votes for English Laws - and a chance to revisit a golden oldie controversy, in the shape of hunting.

Over in the Lords, peers have a series of contentious report stage votes and two important statutory instruments to debate.

Select committees are back - and ready for business

And - glory be - they're back! The Commons select committees will swing into action this week and practically all of them will manage a decent hearing or two before the summer recess.

The Home Affairs Committee will take its first evidence of the new Parliament on the immigration situation in Calais; Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee takes evidence on the touchy issue of government "purdah" in the EU Referendum campaign; Lord Chancellor Michael Gove is in front of the Justice Committee, and the Public Accounts Committee has an interesting session on the financial viability of police authorities.

Here's my rundown of the week ahead:

Monday

The Commons meets 2.30pm for defence questions - after which expect the usual collection of post-weekend ministerial statements and urgent questions. Next is a ten minute rule bill on protecting public parks and playing fields from being sold off, from Tory newcomer, Tom Pursglove.

The main event is the continuation of the Budget debate.

In the Lords (2.30pm), the main legislating is a report stage day on the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill - key issues, with some likely votes, include devolution-test, optionality of mayors for further devolution, devolution of health regulators, and an overview and scrutiny committee for a combined authority. One interesting strand to the debate will be the performance of the Communities Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford who had rather a torrid time during committee stage, when questions were raised over responsibility on the NHS in Manchester under the so-called 'devo-Manc' proposals.

Watch out, too, for a possible vote on the Universal Credit (Waiting Days) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 - which introduces seven "waiting days" for new claims for Universal Credit, while exempting some vulnerable groups. They will mean that the first UC payment will be made six weeks after making the claim, in a change that will save £150m a year. The Social Security Advisory Committee is concerned this will lead to families having rent arrears. The political byplay is interesting; the Lib Dems have a fatal motion and Labour a "regret" motion down for debate. Is a pattern emerging of the Lib Dems going in harder against their former government partners than Labour?

Tuesday

The Commons meets at 11.30am for Foreign Office questions; the Conservative, Philip Hollobone, has a ten minute rule bill on Civil Enforcement Officers and Traffic Wardens (Integration of Duties and Powers) (England) after which MPs move on to the conclusion of the Budget debate. They will consider the resulting Finance Bill on Monday 20 July.

In Westminster Hall debates include the rent-to-own sector (9.30am) led by the Conservative Paul Maynard, and in the afternoon, Labour's Chi Onwurah raises the subject of diversity in public sector broadcasting (2.30pm).

In the Lords (2.30pm), the main business is the first report stage day on the Psychoactive Substances Bill (a further half-day is scheduled). The key issues include the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, legal highs in prisons, public education, revised definitions, and appeals.

During the dinner break there will be a short debate on the future of the BBC - led by Lord Fowler, the Conservative former Cabinet minister who chaired the Lords Communications Committee. Baroness Neville-Rolfe replies for the government.

Wednesday

The Commons sits at 11.30am for Scotland questions, followed at noon by prime minister's questions. Then the Green MP Caroline Lucas has a ten minute rule bill on Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education.

The next business is more technical fallout from the Budget - proceedings on the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bill. But the day's big debates will follow. The first will be on a statutory instrument under the hunting laws. Depending on who's talking, this is either a modest adjustment, to bring English and Welsh law into line with that in Scotland, allowing more dogs to be used to flush out foxes -or it's an attempt to un-ban hunting with hounds by stealth. It should be lively.

Then comes EVEL: a consultative debate on standing order changes relating to English votes for English laws. The government has drawn back from holding a vote on this issue, and, instead, MPs will discuss the content of draft standing order changes, allowing the government to mull over their proposals during the summer. A further debate, and vote, will follow in the autumn.

In Westminster Hall, there is a series of important debates - highlights include housing supply in London (9.30am) with Rupa Huq - the average first time buyer would have to save for 16 years to afford a deposit for a home in her area. At 11am, Tom Blenkinsop raises the future of the UK steel industry and at 2.30pm Robert Jenrick discusses regional support for the arts.

In the Lords (3pm), questions to ministers are followed by the final half day of report stage consideration for the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill - where votes may be forced on some key issues. The day's issues include lines of accountability for health devolution, governance to reflect communities, votes at 16, PR for local government and the Bristol mayoral situation where the Lib-Dems may also press a technical amendment relating to mayoral referenda in Bristol.

And watch out for a Lib-Lab amendment to reduce the voting age for local elections to 16, where the government could well be defeated. There will also be a Lib Dem motion to switch the electoral system to the Single Transferable Vote (STV) - this is less likely to get anywhere, but will provide an interesting test of opinion among Labour peers. Has their debacle in Scotland changed views?

Then there's another interesting debate on a regret motion against a statutory instrument, this time the target is the Police Federation (Amendment) Regulations 2015 - which rather clobber the Fed. They give police officers a choice as to whether to be a member of the Police Federation and require the Federation to repay subscription fees if they fail to inform police of this choice, and they also insist the Police Federation must provide more information on its financial arrangements.

Thursday

The Commons opens (9.30am) with transport questions, followed by the final Business Statement of term, from the Leader of the House.

The main debate - unusually not on the final day of term - is the summer adjournment debate. This is a chance for any member to speak on any topic that takes their fancy. Most will use the opportunity to highlight some constituency issue. Threatened A&Es and badly needed by-passes are the stock in trade of these occasions, and speakers will be rewarded with a response from the relevant minister. The debate is being held early because the government will be using the final two Commons days of term to launch its Finance Bill (implementing the tax proposals in the Budget), and the Work and Welfare Bill (implementing the new National Living Wage and the benefits changes).

The summer adjournment will be followed by the day's adjournment debate, which will be an interesting one: Labour's Ann Clwyd raises the role of role of insurance companies in child abuse inquiries. The 1996 Jillings Report into child abuse in North Wales was not published for 17 years due to concerns from the council's insurers about compensation - they commented that "every inquiry is a dress rehearsal for claimants and a further incentive to the bandwagon syndrome" - and warnings that councillors could find themselves personally liable if someone named in the report sued for libel. And Ann Clwyd fought a parliamentary campaign to raise the issue in the 1990s.

In Westminster Hall (1.30pm), the Conservative Mark Spencer raises the issue of sentencing for cruelty to domestic pets - this follows a spate of cat poisonings in the village of Calverton in the MP's Sherwood constituency.

In the Lords at 11am, there are debates led by backbench peers, starting with Labour's Lord McConnell on the Responsibility to Protect and its application by the UK and the UN; the second is on the worldwide violations of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights and priority given by the UK and the international community to upholding freedom of religion and belief; Lord Alton of Liverpool leads.

A solution to the English votes for English laws conundrum will be proposed by the former Cabinet Secretary, Lord Butler of Brockwell, in a topical mini-debate, time-limited to a hour. He will point to an alternative version of EVEL mooted by Ken Clarke's Democracy Commission in 2008, under which detailed debate on a bill in the Commons (committee and report stages) would be limited to English MPs, but the whole House would vote at third reading, so there would be no national veto. The Leader of the Lords, Baroness Stowell, will respond for the government.

Incidentally, in the light of the Chancellor's announcements on planning policy the appearance of two top planning officials from the DCLG before the Lords Select Committee on the Built Environment (10.45am) might prove particularly well-timed.

Friday

The Lords (10am) have their second private members' bill sitting of the new Parliament. On the agenda: the second readings of Lord Faulkner of Worcester's Accessible Sports Grounds Bill , Baroness Howe of Idlicote's Online Safety Bill and Lord Purvis of Tweed's increasingly topical-looking Constitutional Convention Bill.