The Record Review

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Parliamentary correspondent Alicia McCarthy looks back at the main events in Westminster since the summer break.

Economy

The economy has dominated all other topics of debate in the Commons in recent months.

Mr Darling unveils the PBR, with reaction from shadow chancellor George Osborne and Lib Dem spokesman Vince Cable

With the global situation worsening, the prime minister and the chancellor have announced a string of proposals to try to ease the financial crisis.

When Parliament returned from its summer break on 6 October, Chancellor Alistair Darling said that the government would do "whatever it takes" to weather the storm.

Mr Darling launched a £50bn bail-out for Britain's banks, and announced in his pre-Budget report (PBR) on 24 November that VAT would be cut by two-and-a-half percentage points.

Opposition leader David Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg challenge the PM

But Mr Darling also revealed that the government was set to take on record borrowing.

The party leaders locked horns over the plans at prime minister's questions two days later.

Opposition leader David Cameron claimed that the government had considered increasing VAT to recoup the money being borrowed.

Meanwhile Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg argued that the VAT cut would only benefit "big spenders".

42 days

Away from the financial crisis there were troubles for the government on other fronts.

In order of appearance: Lord Dear, Baroness Neville-Jones, Lord Thomas of Gresford, Lord Falconer, Lord Carlile of Berriew, Lord West of Spithead

In the Lords, peers defeated the government over proposals to extend the time terror suspects can be held without charge from 28 to 42 days.

One of those leading the opposition to the plan, the Crossbench peer and former Inspector of Constabulary, Lord Dear, rejected government safeguards which had been inserted into the Counter-Terrorism bill - including allowing parliament to debate extending the detention period in each case.

The government's reaction to the defeat

The government suffered a heavy defeat - and there seemed little prospect of the Lords changing their minds.

So shortly after that vote, the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, came to the Commons Despatch Box to explain what the government was planning to do next.

Speaker

The Queen's Speech was overshadowed by a big row over the arrest of a senior Conservative, Damian Green, as part of an inquiry into the leaking of documents from the Home office.

Speaker's statement and reaction from Labour's David Winnick, Lib Dem Ming Campbell, the Conservatives' Michael Howard, and Tory MP Damian Green

Mr Green's computer files were confiscated during police raids on his homes and offices.

The episode produced a furious reaction from some MPs who claimed it was a breach of parliamentary privilege.

The Speaker told MPs what he had known and when.

The following week MPs debated what had happened, with much of the discussion centring on whether an inquiry by a committee of MPs could start before the police investigation had finished.

In the end they voted to delay any internal inquiry until after the police had finished their investigations.

Modernisation

In November the government suffered a rare defeat in the Commons over plans for new committees for the English regions.

In order of appearance: Labour backbencher Andrew Mackinlay, Commons Leader Harriet Harman, Tory MP Sir Patrick Cormack, Lib Dem David Heath

Commons Leader Harriet Harman wanted the eight committees to have paid chairmen who would receive 14 thousand pounds on top of their MPs' salary, the same as chairman of select committees.

But a Labour MP, Andrew Mackinlay, proposed that because they wouldn't do as much work, they should receive no extra money.

The government lost the vote by a slender margin of two, but its other modernisation plans got the green light.

BBC Parliament's Mark D'Arcy interviews Harriet Harman

For example, MPs approved proposals for a "Speaker's Conference" to look at how to encourage more women and members of ethnic minority communities to enter Parliament.

We asked the leader of the Commons, Harriet Harman, if she was disappointed by the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the new English regional committees.