Tuesday 29th April
Committee stage of the Finance Bill continued, with Jeremy Browne proposing amendments to support home energy efficiency. Norman Lamb obtained a Westminster Hall debate on Zimbabwe and the application of sanctions. Noting that “[w]e are dealing with a brutal regime, whose leader has defied the international community and the results of elections” he concluded by asking the Government: “what are we doing in an effective way to bring about change?” Edward Davey also spoke in the debate, pressing the case for improving the sanctions regime, particularly with respect to the arms embargo.

Wednesday 30th April
Michael Moore led for the Liberal Democrats at international development questions, asking about rising food prices worldwide. At PMQs Nick Clegg challenged Gordon Brown over the doubling of the 10p tax rate and post office closures. Steve Webb spoke during debate on the day's main business, the remaining stages of the Energy Bill. He said it was striking that only a short section of the Bill dealt with renewables, but the overwhelming majority of the amendments tabled to it focused on the subject. “That demonstrates that the measures on renewables in the Bill do not go far enough,” Steve concluded. In Westminster Hall Lynne Featherstone spoke on teenage knife crime, advocating an approach based on “the three Ps: prevent, protect and punish.”

Thursday 1st May
On local and London elections day the main political action was outside the Palace of Westminster. But business went on, with Alan Reid participating in a debate on child poverty in Scotland. “To assist the take-up of credits and benefits and help people find work, said Alan, the Liberal Democrats would replace Jobcentre Plus with a single, one-stop shop for all benefit and tax credit claims. In Westminster Hall, Malcolm Bruce, chair of the International Development Committee, introduced a debate on the committee’s report on Sanitation and Water. He spoke about what he had seen in South Africa, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Michael Moore said the situation was appalling. He acknowledged that the UK had invested significantly in this area, but said the report highlighted that there were still significant areas for improvement.

Tuesday 6th May
Following the Bank Holiday, MPs returned to discuss a long list of amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill made by the House of Lords. David Howarth spoke in support of Lords amendments on suspended sentence orders, but supported the Government on proposals for an offence of hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, and welcomed government concessions in response to a Lords amendment to strengthen data protection laws. Probably the most significant decision of the day, though, was a vote to back a Lords amendment to abolish the law of blasphemy. David Howarth and Evan Harris both spoke in support of the move. Evan described it as the removal of a law “that is chilling of freedom of expression and that provides an example of an unnecessary religious privilege.”