Parliament has broken up for a week-long break - but not before the Government "took out the trash" by rushing out some tricky announcements.
The House of Commons went into recess last night and MPs aren't due to return until February 20.
It'll be a welcome break for embattled PM Rishi Sunak, whose first 100 days were peppered with gaffes and scandals - much like his Tory predecessors.
And there's plenty of problems piling up in his inbox, including the government's controversial minimum service levels legislation and the need to break the Northern Ireland deadlock.
As is traditional on the last day of term, a number of difficult announcements were made on the last day before recess, with no opportunity for debate in the Commons until the dust settles.
Luckily we're here to make sure nothing gets missed. Here's what you need to know.
MPs given £2,400 pay rise
MPs will be handed a £2,400 pay rise from April, taking their basic salary to more than £86,000 a year.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) revealed the annual pay hike for MPs for 2023-24 today - which amounts to an increase of 2.9%.
The move will bring the overall salary for members of Parliament from £84,144 to £86,584 from 1 April 2023.
It comes as the Government is locked in bitter disputes with unions over pay for public sector workers.
Nurses, teachers and ambulance staff are among the workers going on strike over measly pay hikes which they say have been eaten up by double digit inflation.
MPs’ pay is set by Ipsa, an independent watchdog set up following the expenses scandal, which makes a calculation based on public sector wages.
Probe into NHS failings not expected until next spring
A probe into widespread failings at an NHS trust will take a lot longer and could cost a lot more than expected.
In a written statement Tory MP Maria Caulfield said the long-running probe into Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust may not arrive until Spring next year.
It had initially been expected to be published by the end of 2021.
Ms Caulfield said "challenges related to information governance and electronic document management" had caused the delay.
She also told MPs that NHS England had applied for its standard £50,000 indemnity for fines the Information Commissioner's Office could be imposed to be "topped up" to £500,000.
The Tory minister wrote: "The Treasury has approved the proposal in principle.
"If, during the period of fourteen parliamentary sitting days beginning on the date on which this Minute was laid before Parliament, a member signifies an objection by giving notice of a Parliamentary Question or by otherwise raising the matter in Parliament, final approval to proceed with incurring the liability will be withheld pending an examination of the objection."
'Sacking of nurses bill'
The government released its controversial minimum service level criteria after weeks of wrangling and an outcry from unions.
It would force union members to cross picket lines or face disciplinary action.
The government acknowledges that unions have themselves agreed to put emergency cover in place - prompting questions over whether the "draconian" measure is necessary.
Under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which has sparked a huge outcry, it would be down to employers to determine how many staff are required in each department.
And those who strike despite being told to come in face disciplinary action - prompting Labour's Angela Rayner to brand it the "Sacking of nurses bill".
A document published yesterday said: "If an employee identified in a valid work notice for a strike day takes strike action on that day which does not comply with the work notice, the employee would lose automatic protection from unfair dismissal, provided their employer has notified them (before the strike day) that they are named in and must comply with a work notice and the work which they need to carry out."
Massive £2.3 billion bill to EU over customs fraud
Bungling ministers have paid an eye-watering £2.3 BILLION to the EU after a court ruled Britain had allowed criminal gangs to flood the single market with cheap Chinese goods.
It follows a damning verdict after the European Commission complained importers evaded several customs duties with fake invoices and artificially low-value declarations for textiles and footwear.
Tory MP John Glen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, admitted handing over the massive sum to settle a dispute which has rumbled on for 12 years.
In March last year the European Court of Justice ruled the UK had failed to bring in measures needed to tackle the import fraud between 2011 and 2017, when Britain was still a member of the EU.
Mr Glen said in a written statement that the government had paid up as further wrangling would result in an even larger bill.
Northern Ireland deadlock goes on as elections pushed back
Yesterday the government pushed back a deadline for fresh elections in Northern Ireland after months of deadlock.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the local parties now have until January 18 2024 to form a ministerial executive at Stormont.
The DUP collapsed the devolved Executive last February in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol - saying the Irish Sea trading arrangements need to be sorted out.
Mr Heaton-Harris said: "I very much hope that the parties will recognise the importance of getting back to work, so that a functioning Executive can take the actions needed to address the challenges facing public services in Northern Ireland."
Civil servants are currently running public services in Northern Ireland in the absence of elected ministers.
They have taken the reins at a time when Stormont is facing a financial overspend running to hundreds of millions of pounds.
