Parliament: The House

Coalition fear

THE DISTINCTION between the executive and the legislature has been blurred because the Government seems to have set up a "private coalition" with the Liberal Democrats, Tony Benn, the Labour MP for Chesterfield, complained.

Bug theory

THE MILLENNIUM Bug is more likely to neutralise other countries' weapons systems than to set them off in a nuclear holocaust, said the Defence Procurement minister, Lord Gilbert.

Today's Business

The Commons: the Queen's Speech debate on Foreign Affairs and Defence, and a short debate on engineering advice for the alleviation of poverty in the Third World.

The Lords: Not sitting.