Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

And they're off! In some MPs' cases, rather more permanently than they would wish. This morning some rather mournful-looking old stagers could be seen taking a last nostalgic look around the Palace of Westminster. This afternoon sees the final lobby briefing at Downing Street, before the official civil service machine goes into election purdah. And everywhere, cardboard boxes and black plastic sacks are the order of the day.

But Parliament goes on for a few days yet. According to , setting out how the government plans to deal with legislation that is half-way through the Westminster sausage machine, MPs will process the controversial Digital Economy Bill (DEB), with a second reading today, and all the remaining stages tomorrow.

The Finance Bill, some version of which has to be passed, or the government will not be able to collect taxes, will be rushed through along with a fusillade of other outstanding bills.

Two widely supported private members' bills on third world debt and sustainable communities will be debated, and if passed, will go on to the Lords, where they will be considered on Thursday, alongside Dr Brian Iddon's Mortgage Repossessions Bill and Julie Morgan's Sunbeds Bill.

Of course, all this depends on how much time is available, which in turn depends on how quickly the long list of remaining legislation is processed.

But missing from the list are the changes to Standing Orders needed to create a Commons Business Committee - the key reform recommendation of the Commons Reform Committee, chaired by Dr Tony Wright. Amendments have been put down to the orders making the changes, by Labour's Alan Meale, which means they can't simply go through on the nod.

Harriet Harman has not allocated time for a debate to settle the matter, and she's just told MPs that the reforms would have to be left to the next Parliament - which, of course, may mean that we don't get them at all, because the next Parliament won't exactly have an empty in-tray.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes the parties will be negotiating the "washup" - the agreed form for bills to be rushed through, and loud complaints have already been raised about the very limited time that will be allocated for the Digital Economy Bill, especially given the concerns around its proposals to allow suspected copyright pirates to be disconnected from the net.

One concession that has already been offered is that the really controversial bits will be dealt with in the next parliament under the "super-affirmative statutory instrument" procedure, but that may not satisfy critics, and there is always the possibility that they may mobilise to try and scupper the DEB in the Lords.

Finally, there's the Constitutional Renewal and Governance Bill (CRAG for short) with its proposals for a referendum on changing the electoral system. That is now before the Lords, and I hear hints that there may be some attempt to avoid ditching the referendum on switching to the Alternative Vote (AV) system. But, again, getting something controversial past determined critics in the Upper House is never easy.

All the outstanding business has to be agreed on Thursday, and Parliament will stay in business until it is. A couple of long nights and breakneck days lie ahead.

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