News

Budget rules explained, parliamentary etiquette tips, and Layla Moran MP gears up for action as Health and Social Care Committee chair - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 50

25 Oct 2024
©House of Commons
©House of Commons

Next week marks Labour’s first budget in over 14 years, but how exactly do MPs debate the Government's taxation plans, and how much influence do they really have over public finances? With many new MPs unfamiliar with Westminster’s quirky traditions, we ask: what are the ‘Do’s and Don'ts’ of parliamentary etiquette? Plus, the new Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran MP, talks NHS reform, social care, ‘assisted dying’, and the challenge of leading a committee of newly-elected MPs.

With Labour’s first Budget due next week, Ruth and Mark walk through the elaborate process which sets the parameters for Commons debates on the Government’s taxation plans – and which may set limits on MPs’ ability to amend them. They also explore whether a better system is needed to scrutinise both tax policies and government spending.

Amid reports of MPs quaffing cartons of milk and munching apples in the Commons Chamber, they offer a guide to parliamentary etiquette, the ‘Do’s and Don'ts’ that Honourable Members must observe to stay in Mr Speaker’s good books and maintain good-tempered debate. Don’t wear jeans or chinos. Don’t call other MPs “you”. Keep speeches short and to the point and tell the Chair if there’s a good reason why you should be called to speak in a particular debate. And Mark has a warning for MPs scrolling through messages on their phones at the back of the Chamber.

Plus, the new Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Layla Moran MP, discusses NHS reform, outlines how she plans to highlight the costs of neglecting social care reform, and suggests that her committee won’t need to revisit its earlier reports on 'assisted dying'. With a majority of newly elected MPs on her committee she also describes her plans to build a cohesive and effective team to scrutinise this key area of government policy.

©UK Parliament

Layla Moran MP

Layla Moran is the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, a seat she has held since 2017. She was elected Chair of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee in September 2024. In 2020, Layla ran for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, finishing second to current leader Ed Davey. Following the leadership race, she became the party's Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Development, a role she held for four years. Prior to that, she was the Education Spokesperson from 2017 to 2020, and she also served on the Public Accounts Committee from 2017 to 2019.

  • The Budget: how is it debated?

  • Government tax and spending plans: how much influence do backbench MPs have?

  • House of Commons chamber: what are new MPs getting wrong and and what are the "do's and don'ts" of etiquette in the Chamber?

  • Health and Social Care: how will the new Select Committee tackle the issue of social care?

  • Will the Health Committee conduct an inquiry into the 'Assisted Dying' Bill?

Hansard Society

House of Commons

Health and Social Care Committee

Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There are consequently minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above.

You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Ruth Fox: Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/pm. Finally, it's really here. 118 days after the general election, the first budget of this Labour government will be delivered next week. So we'll take you through what happens in one of Parliament's more complicated events.

Mark D'Arcy: Are you embarrassing yourself with these basic mistakes in parliamentary etiquette? Our guide for new MPs on what they're getting wrong in the Commons Chamber.

Ruth Fox: And the new chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran, stops by to talk NHS reform, assisted dying, and getting new MPs up to speed for life on the committee corridor.[00:01:00]

Mark D'Arcy: But first, Ruth, let's talk about the budget. It's finally here. You can argue that there's been a huge political vacuum left in the absence of Labour having an immediate Budget as soon as they took office, but finally next week, it's going to arrive. An all singing, all dancing financial statement with details of tax and spending plans for the coming year and probably for time beyond that as well.

And all sorts of incredible intricate. technical complexities about how the budget is debated, what the parameters of the debate are, how the documents around the budget are extracted from Exchequer, and much, much more. And it can look quite opaque to people watching from outside, as all sorts of slightly strange rituals are enacted.

Ruth Fox: Yeah, so should we take listeners through it step by step, Mark, so that when they're watching next week, they can follow. And some of this actually happens at quite a bit of speed. So it's quite tricky.

Mark D'Arcy: It's, it's all very rapid. [00:02:00] But the first thing that happens is that the Speaker leaves the chair to be replaced by the senior deputy speaker, the Chairman of Ways and Means.

And this is a historical oddity that goes back to, I think, the Restoration Era, where at one point the Speaker was seen as a tool of the monarchy. And so when the Commons wanted to discuss money matters, it resolved itself into a committee of ways and means that was not chaired by Mr Speaker. And that has persisted pretty much ever since through the ensuing centuries.

It's the one big parliamentary event that the Speaker doesn't chair as of right....

Subscribe to Parliament Matters

Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 30 June - 4 July 2025

MPs will vote on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. Motions objecting to ratification of the UK–Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos Archipelago will be debated by Peers. MPs will debate the proscription of Palestine Action. Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces MPs’ oral questions and the Defence Secretary John Healey MP faces select committee scrutiny. MPs will formally approve the continued existence of the armed forces for the next 12 months, as required annually. Consideration of the Bill to create an Armed Forces Commissioner may also be completed this week. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill returns to the Lords for Report Stage while Peers will also scrutinise the Renters’ Rights and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

29 Jun 2025
Read more

News / What Westminster gets wrong about the NHS - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 98

We are joined this week by two guests who bring invaluable insight into the intersection of health policy and parliamentary life. Dr. Sarah Wollaston and Steve Brine – both former MPs, health policy experts, and co-hosts of the podcast Prevention is the New Cure – share their experiences of how the House of Commons handles health and social care. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

27 Jun 2025
Read more

News / Assisted dying bill: Special series #14 - MPs back assisted dying bill in historic vote - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 97

This week, we reflect on a landmark moment in UK parliamentary history: the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons, moving one step closer to legalising assisted dying in England and Wales. We are joined once again by former House of Commons Clerk Paul Evans to examine how this Private Member’s Bill navigated the political and procedural obstacles in its path and to explore what lies ahead in the House of Lords. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

21 Jun 2025
Read more

Guides / How does Parliament approve Government spending? A procedural guide to the Estimates process

In order to incur expenditure the Government needs to obtain approval from Parliament for its departmental spending plans. The annual Estimates cycle is the means by which the House of Commons controls the Government’s plans for the spending of money raised through taxation.

16 Jan 2023
Read more

Blog / What role does Parliament play in the Spending Review?

The UK Spending Review outlines how Government funds will be allocated over several years. Unlike the Budget, which raises revenue, the Review decides how it is spent. But how is it approved? What role does Parliament play if it doesn’t vote on the Review itself? This blog explores how the Spending Review works, how it differs from the Budget, and how Parliament holds the Government to account through the Estimates process.

09 Jun 2025
Read more