Licence to scrutinise: spooks, hereditary peers and assisted dying

News

Licence to scrutinise: spooks, hereditary peers and assisted dying - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 60

13 Dec 2024

In this week’s episode the ‘assisted dying’ bill takes centre stage as the newly chosen members of the Public Bill Committee gear up for detailed scrutiny of the legislation. With 23 members, including two ministers, this committee promises a mix of seasoned voices and first-time MPs debating a very difficult issue. We are joined by Hansard Society researcher, Matthew England, who breaks down the committee’s composition, party balance, and the strategic dynamics that will influence the bill’s trajectory.

LISTEN

We also explore the ongoing debate over hereditary peers in the House of Lords. Ruth and Mark dissect the Second Reading of the bill to abolish their voting rights, highlighting the passionate arguments on both sides. From constitutional principles to fiery rhetoric about political assassinations, the debate reveals deeper tensions about the future of Lords reform.

Meanwhile, the Intelligence and Security Committee is back, with a new lineup tasked with overseeing Britain’s intelligence services. We discuss the significance of this committee’s work in ensuring transparency and accountability in the shadowy world of national security.

Finally, the Liaison Committee prepares for its first grilling of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. What themes will emerge, and can select committee chairs hold the PM to account effectively? Ruth and Mark consider the challenges of this high-profile session.

Join us for sharp analysis and behind-the-scenes insights into the workings of Parliament. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform.

← Back to Parliament Matters homepage

Listen on our YouTube channel (captioned)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Our guest

Matthew England

Matthew England

Matthew is a Researcher at the Hansard Society whose work focuses mainly on delegated legislation and parliamentary procedure. Matthew recently produced the Society's briefing on the Assisted Dying Bill and the Private Member's Bill process, which analyses each of the parliamentary stages that the Bill will need to pass through to become law. Before joining the Hansard Society, Matthew worked in the office of a Member of Parliament, focusing on scrutiny of legislation.

Resources

Hansard Society

Transcript

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.

Intro: You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/PM.

[00:00:17] Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox.

[00:00:24] Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark Darcy. Coming up this week.

[00:00:27] Ruth Fox: The cast list is announced for the detailed scrutiny of the bill to legalise assisted dying.

[00:00:32] Mark D'Arcy: The tumbrils roll as the hereditary peers bewail their impending exclusion from the House of Lords.

[00:00:38] Ruth Fox: And license to scrutinise. The parliamentarians who are to keep an eye on our spooks have been chosen by the government.

[00:00:52] Mark D'Arcy: But first Ruth, once again, the first item on our agenda is the Assisted Dying Bill. It's probably the most eye catching action going on in Parliament at the moment. And this week's development is, as you were just saying, they've announced the cast list for the Public Bill Committee that is going line by line, as they say, to trawl through the wording of the bill, to look at the policy issues it brings up.

[00:01:14] And it's quite an interesting lineup that they've got, a mixture of experience, but quite a lot of first time MPs in there. And our colleague Matthew England from the Hansard Society has been combing through the membership of the committee, and he's come in to brief us about what he's learned. So Matthew, first of all, looking at that cast list, which are the names that caught your eye?

[00:01:34] Matthew England: Thanks for having me on the podcast, it's quite strange to be on this end of the microphone. So the names that stand out first are the fact that there are two ministers on the committee. That's quite normal with a government bill to have ministers on the committee, but with a Private Member's Bill there is usually a minister, but in this case we have two ministers whose portfolios cut across the relevant areas.

[00:01:54] So we have Stephen Kinnock, who is the Minister for Care in the Department for Health and Social Care, and part of his portfolio is end of life care. And we also have Sarah Sackman, who is the former Solicitor General, and is now Minister for the Courts.

[00:02:08] Mark D'Arcy: She was actually quite a short lived former Solicitor General, because she only came into Parliament in July, and she was immediately made Solicitor General by Keir Starmer then, one of the law officers.

[00:02:17] And now she's taken over a portfolio in the Ministry of Justice, and that's the reason that she's now in this committee, in this line up.

[00:02:24] Ruth Fox: So Matthew, it's actually quite a big committee, isn't it?

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.

Apple

YouTube Podcasts

Spotify

More ways to subscribe

Parliament Matters homepage

Latest / Highlights

Blog / The Backbench Business Committee 15 years on: Has it given backbench MPs a stronger voice in the House of Commons?

Fifteen years after its creation, the Backbench Business Committee has become an important mechanism through which MPs can secure debates and raise issues in the House of Commons. Drawing on new research analysing debate transcripts and interviews with MPs, Ministers and officials, this blogpost analyses the Committee’s impact on parliamentary agenda-setting and cross-party campaigning. It highlights how the Committee has transformed opportunities for backbenchers while identifying ongoing challenges around participation, transparency and the Committee’s potential role in representing backbench interests more broadly.

News / Starmer, Iran, and Parliament’s role in war powers - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 134

What role does Parliament play when the UK is involved in military action? In this week’s episode, we explore the evolving practice of parliamentary war powers, sparked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to recent developments in Iran and the Middle East. We discuss the royal prerogative, the uncertain post-Iraq convention on war powers, and proposals to codify Parliament’s role. Plus, we discuss the return of the Hereditary Peers Bill, proposals to increase MPs’ pay, scrutiny of defence spending, and the Spring Statement and wider economic outlook. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 9-13 March 2026

The Treasury Committee questions Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the OBR, and the IFS, on the Spring Forecast. The Chancellor also faces MPs’ oral questions. MPs will for the first time debate the legislation – the Courts and Tribunals Bill – that proposes to abolish jury trials. They will also consider proposed Government powers to restrict children’s access to social media, complete the final stages of the Bill to implement the Autumn Budget, and hold a debate to mark International Women’s Day. In the Lords, the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill returns for consideration of amendments. Peers also continue their scrutiny of the Crime and Policing, Victims and Courts, Tobacco and Vapes, and National Insurance Contributions Bills, while the assisted dying bill reaches its eleventh day in Committee.

Submissions / Written Parliamentary Questions - Our evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Committee

The use of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) is rising sharply. Since July 2024, MPs have tabled questions at unprecedented levels. By late 2025 MPs were tabling over 600 per sitting day, more than double the long-term average. WPQs are a cornerstone of parliamentary scrutiny, helping MPs obtain information, challenge government policy and put issues on the public record. But this surge raises important questions about how Parliament balances transparency and accountability with the practical limits of the system. The House of Commons Procedure Committee is now examining the issue and has just published our submission containing our latest data and analysis.

News / The forgotten pioneer: Who was Margaret Bondfield, Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 132

Why is Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister largely forgotten? Historian Nan Sloane discusses her new biography of Margaret Bondfield, the trade unionist who became the first woman in the British Cabinet. Rising from harsh shop-floor conditions to national prominence, Bondfield took office as Minister of Labour in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression. As economic crisis split the Labour Party, her reputation never recovered. Was she a pioneer, pragmatist, or unfairly judged? Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS