Parliament and Government Summary — 1 July 2026

MPs and peers took up a mix of high-profile legislation and policy questions today, while Ofsted and Parliament’s committees added further scrutiny on SEND inspections, rail spending and cyber security governance.

Key points

• Commons committee-stage votes advanced the Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill through separate divisions on new clauses.
• Peers debated legislation affecting public ownership and oversight, including a steel nationalisation bill and financial services regulation.
• Ofsted published statistics on outcomes for area SEND inspections, alongside committee scrutiny on Northern Powerhouse Rail and cyber security.

Main development

In the Commons, MPs progressed the Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill at committee stage, holding a sequence of divisions on proposed new clauses. The votes (numbers 46, 47 and 48) were explicitly on amendments tied to the bill’s tax provisions in areas of energy and vehicles—topics Parliament typically treats as closely linked to household and business costs. MPs also raised accountability and policy questions at PMQs, alongside debates ranging from flooding insurance reform to safeguarding children online. [1] [2] [3] Vote result × Division 2397 New Clause 2 Motion negatived 1 July 2026 at 15:35 MPs voted on whether to add New Clause 2 to the Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill, which would require a review of the approved mileage allowance rate paid to care workers who use a personal vehicle for work. 80 Ayes 281 Noes View vote details [4] Vote result × Division 2398 New Clause 4 (Electricity Generator Levy: review of rate) Motion negatived 1 July 2026 at 15:49 MPs voted on whether to add New Clause 4, which would require the Treasury to review the impact of increasing the Electricity Generator Levy rate to 55% and report to Parliament by 31 March 2028. 173 Ayes 282 Noes View vote details [5] Vote result × Division 2399 New Clause 5 Motion negatived 1 July 2026 at 16:01 MPs voted on whether to add New Clause 5 to require a Treasury review of the temporary goods vehicle VED (road freight tax) rates and reporting to Parliament. 177 Ayes 308 Noes View vote details [6] [7]

In the Lords

• Peers debated the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, engaging on proposals to nationalise the steel industry—an ownership and control issue with major public-interest implications. [8]
• In Lords business, peers discussed the Defence Investment Plan, focusing on how the UK allocates resources for defence capability and related spending decisions. You can view our overview of the Defence Investment Plan here. [9]
• Peers considered the Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] in Grand Committee, taking forward scrutiny of legislation aimed at changes to the financial services and markets regulatory framework. [10]
• The Lords also debated the Draft Conversion Practices Bill, a legislative measure about rules governing “conversion” practices. [11]

Government announcements

• Ofsted published official statistics on area SEND inspections and outcomes in England as at 31 December 2025, covering inspections of local area services for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. [12]

Committee reports

• The Public Accounts Committee published its 8th Report on Northern Powerhouse Rail, focusing on the project and bringing value-for-money and public-expenditure scrutiny to its delivery. [13]
• The Lords Constitution Committee published its 3rd Report on the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, addressing the bill’s governance and constitutional implications for cyber security regulation. [14]

Sources used

1. Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill — Hansard
2. Engagements — Hansard
3. Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 2 — Votes in Parliament
4. Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 4 — Votes in Parliament
5. Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5 — Votes in Parliament
6. Flood Insurance: Reform of Flood Re — Hansard
7. Online Safety: Children — Hansard
8. Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill — Hansard
9. Defence Investment Plan — Hansard
10. Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] — Hansard
11. Draft Conversion Practices Bill — Hansard
12. Area SEND inspections and outcomes in England as at 31 December 2025 — GOV.UK
13. 8th Report – Northern Powerhouse Rail — UK Parliament Committees
14. 3rd Report – Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill — UK Parliament Committees

Licensing

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

Last updated

First published on 1 July 2026. No corrections at the time of publication.