Next week's business
Monday will see Defence Secretary Liam Fox on his feet to answer questions about the Strategic Review during Defence questions and the House will be considering the report stage and third reading of the Finance (No 2) Bill - few controversial parts of this otherwise technical exercise.
Meanwhile, their Lordships will be discussing the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Bill at second reading - this is the bill that sets up the new watchdog body, the Office for Budget Responsibility. Earlier (and not for the first time in Westminster) a question will arise about those demonstrating in Parliament Square. A further exercise in navel-gazing occurs on committee corridor, where the Administration Committee will be discussing catering services provided to those who work in the Palace of Westminster.
Tuesday will see an Opposition Day debate in the Commons - and the choice of subject is proposed changes to housing benefit. Over in the Lords, the second reading of the Public Bodies Bill will occupy peers' time - this is the bill which gives ministers "Henry VIII-style powers" to abolish quangos at the stroke of a pen - and it could take quite a lot of time, given the number of peers who're also quangocrats. Some worry that the whole debate could be taken up with declarations of interest.
Plenty going on on committee corridor on Tuesday: former PM Gordon Brown will be helping the with its inquiry into Millennium Development Goals; Lin Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔr, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency will be talking to the and Louise Casey, former "Respect tsar", will be talking about the role of the Probation Service.
The will be talking to the splendidly-named Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, the UK's former special envoy in Afghanistan who left his post in June. Sir Sherard has been critical of Nato and US policy, and has said talks with the Taliban should have greater priority. The committee is looking at UK foreign policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.
David Cameron and Ed Miliband will not be facing each other over the despatch box at PMQs on Wednesday. Mr Cameron will be in China - the normal drill is for Nick Clegg to stand in.
Following the weekly knockabout session, MPs will discuss the Equitable Life (Payments) Bill in one huge chunk - committee of the whole house, report stage and third reading. The adjournment debate is one that your correspondent will be watching with some interest: Labour's Ian Murray is introducing a debate on the future funding of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Their lordships will be debating the effect of an elected House of Lords (see posts passim), in a debate introduced by Lord Grocott, who, as Bruce Grocott was PPS to Tony Blair until 2001 - and was also the government chief whip in the Upper House.
Committees on Wednesday include an appearance before the by Minister Chris Grayling, to discuss youth unemployment and jobs, and Sir Stuart Peach before the on operations in Afghanistan. Sir Stuart is Chief of Joint Operations: therefore he's the man who is responsible for the planning and execution of UK-led joint, potentially joint and multinational operations, and for exercising operational command of UK Forces assigned to multinational operations led by others. Further down committee corridor, scientists from the Royal Astronomical Society, the National Grid and the Department for Transport and Energy, will be talking about space weather - and how the government receives advice and evidence in emergencies.
On Thursday, MPs will have a debate on Policy on Growth. This is the latest subject chosen by the Backbench Business Committee - at the urging of former cabinet minister John Redwood. You can get a taste of his economic thinking, .
The Lords will be talking about the quality of life for people with cancer and how to properly resource diplomacy for Britain. Westminster Hall will be hosting a debate on the UN Climate Change Conference and the will move away from its inquiry into the Spending Review to investigate financial regulation with the help of Lloyds of London.
Friday is private members' bill day in the Commons and Lords when Labour's Robert Flello tops the agenda with his Sustainable Livestock Bill. The last Friday session saw Conservative MPs talking out John McDonnell's bill on strike ballots - I wonder if they plan to target anything this time?
It could be the Lords that generate the Friday headlines, though. They're debating defence - and there's almost a tradition now that the phalanx of top admirals and generals on the red benches, many former chiefs of the Defence Staff, bombard the government of the day. Certainly they foreshadowed the current rows over defence overstretch when they debated the Labour government's policies in the last parliament, and gave ministers a fearsome kicking.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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