Parliament and Government Summary — 29 June 2026

Parliamentary business in the Commons and House of Lords ran alongside three major government announcements on immigration removals, sentencing for domestic killers and defence drone investment.

Key points

• MPs used Westminster Hall to debate NHS breast screening and raised child poverty in Work and Pensions oral questions.
• Peers considered a Lords Chamber bill on steel nationalisation alongside debates on Covid fraud and food security.
• The Government announced plans on removals of foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers, longer sentences for domestic killers, and a £5 billion-plus drone transformation.

Main development

The Government set out a package of measures aimed at security and enforcement, backed by quantified figures and specific legal changes. In immigration enforcement, the Home Office said more than 45,000 foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers are expected to be removed over the next decade through expanded detention capacity. Separately, the Ministry of Justice announced that people who kill a partner or ex-partner would face a 25-year sentencing start point, under a change described as having been announced by the Deputy Prime Minister. In defence, the Prime Minister announced a “drone transformation” to strengthen the Armed Forces, described as backed by more than £5 billion in the Defence Investment Plan. [1] [2] [3]

In the Commons

• In Westminster Hall, MPs held a debate on NHS breast screening, focusing on how the service supports timely diagnosis as part of publicly provided healthcare. [4]
• In the Commons chamber, MPs questioned the Government on child poverty during Oral Answers to Questions on Work and Pensions, using welfare-related questioning to press for progress on reducing poverty affecting children. [5]

In the Lords

• Peers considered the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, dealing with proposals that would involve state ownership of the steel sector and the wider economic and financial implications of such a change. [6]
• In Grand Committee, the Lords examined the Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] through bill scrutiny, reflecting the primary-legislation changes aimed at reforming or adjusting regulation of financial services and markets. [7]
• In the Lords Chamber, peers took up Covid fraud, with the focus on safeguarding public money and ensuring accountability where alleged fraud involves public funds. [8]
• Also in the Lords Chamber, peers debated food security, centring on the UK’s resilience in maintaining access to food and the reliability of supply. [9]

Sources used

1. Illegal immigrants and foreign criminals to be removed — GOV.UK
2. Justice for victims as domestic killers to face longer behind bars — GOV.UK
3. UK drone transformation to strengthen Armed Forces backed by more than £5 billion — GOV.UK
4. NHS Breast Screening — Hansard
5. Child Poverty — Hansard
6. Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill — Hansard
7. Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] — Hansard
8. Covid Fraud — Hansard
9. Food Security — Hansard

Licensing

Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Last updated

First published on 30 June 2026. No corrections at the time of publication.