The future of the United Kingdom, the economy placed on negative outlook, visits to the Vatican, Paris and Edinburgh – parliament may have been in recess last week but politics continued apace. They return to Westminster today facing a packed parliamentary agenda, not least the ongoing saga of Andrew Lansley’s NHS reforms. The beleaguered health secretary would have read with dismay, but scant surprise, that he is to be replaced ‘by the autumn’. The prime minister, in yet another attempt to shore up his reforms, will hold a health summit today. The invite list makes interesting reading. Lansley faces his tormentors on Tuesday at Health Questions and, in an expression of coalition unity, Andrew George, Lib Dem MP for St Ives, has tabled an amendment helpfully inquiring if the government will withdraw its health and social care bill. That may attract a one word response. But with fresh polling showing that just one in three voters believe David Cameron is a sincere supporter of the principles of the NHS, the row over the government’s health reforms shows no sign of abating.

After a gruelling week on the legislative front line, our Lordships depart for a half-term break, while MPs return, refreshed, to the fray. The greenhorn defence secretary Philip Hammond will hold the line for the government on Monday afternoon’s Defence Questions, tackling questions ranging from the deployment of troops to the Falkland Islands to the role our troops will play in the security operation at the London Olympics. With William Hague warning of a new Cold War era in the Middle East if Iran continues its nuclear ambitions, the main business of the day is given over to a backbench motion imploring a diplomatic solution be sought and rejecting the use of force. The motion is signed by notable political heavyweights, including the former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind, former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell and the Labour’s last defence secretary Bob Ainsworth. In a blatant retaliation for the EU’s decision to ramp up the sanctions designed to pressure Tehran into resuming talks on its nuclear program, Iran announced late last night that it will cease oil exports to France and the UK. Parliament will need the wise heads mentioned above, and many more beside, to navigate us out of this ever-escalating conflict.

In committee-land, 12 years on from its introduction the justice committee examines the Freedom of Information Act and how it has changed governance. One wonders if the committee will summon the man who presided over its introduction and who, in his diaries, describes it as one of his biggest regrets. On Thursday in the committee corridor, David Lidington, minister for Europe, gives evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee, which is concluding its inquiry into the eurozone pact and its impact on the UK. With European Union finance ministers meeting in Brussels the day before with the proposed enhanced monitoring of member nations’ budgetary policies at the top of their agenda, this committee is somewhat timely.

Miliband will return to the fray on Wednesday for his weekly gladiatorial bout with Cameron. The NHS is likely to dominate proceedings, on Labour has pledged to make ‘the defining issue’ of the next general election. Miliband is wrong to assert that, it will be the economy, but right to go for the jugular this week. Lansley is in intensive care, after all. But despite the government’s NHS woes, it has edged ahead in the weekend polls. A ministerial scalp is always welcome but for the sake of the millions of people, who rely on a health service free at the point of use, let’s hope Miliband doesn’t concentrate on Lansley’s career prospects – but the future of our NHS.

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David Talbot is a political consultant, tweets @_davetalbot and writes the weekly The Week Ahead column on Progress

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Photo: NHSE