The House

New beginning

THE Queen's Speech opening the new session of Parliament will be on Tuesday 24 November.

The session is expected to include a Bill to abolish hereditary peers' rights to sit and vote in the Lords.

School bonus

CHRIS WOODHEAD, the Chief Inspector of Schools, received a bonus of more than pounds 8,600 earlier this year, it was confirmed yesterday.

Urban renewal

THE Government came under cross-party pressure yesterday to boost urban regeneration and curb the spread of new housing estates into the countryside.

n The House will not be sitting today.