"The spy scandal around the American diplomat will be short-lived in my view, " according to a post from the Twitter account of Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of the International Affairs Committee in Parliament, who is known for his often critical statements on U.S. policy.

WSJ: Russia Expels U.S. Diplomat

"Anything that would keep Saakashvili further away from the instruments of power is a plus for Russian-Georgian relations, " said Vyacheslav Nikonov, deputy head of the Russian parliament's international affairs committee.

BBC: Georgia election: US and Russia hail parliamentary vote

Conservative MP Richard Ottaway, who is chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, questioned whether the US president ought to "interfere in the operations of an international overseas company".

BBC: BP criticism not about nationality, says Obama

Then there is a debate on a European Union Committee report on Sovereign Credit Ratings - peers will ponder the findings of their the their Economic and Financial Affairs and International Trade EU Sub-Committee recently published report on those mysterious but all-powerful bodies, the credit ratings agencies.

BBC: Viewing guide: The pick of the week ahead in Parliament

For example, the international affairs panel assesses the candidate for secretary of state, and the Judiciary Committee reviews potential judges.

CNN: Senate's advice and consent

An economist by training, Mr Padoa-Schioppa has climbed almost to the top of Italy's central bank, managed the European Commission's economics and financial affairs division and chaired a prestigious international committee of bank regulators.

ECONOMIST: Italian securities

The Quadripartite Committee - comprising members of the defence, foreign affairs, international development and trade and industry select committees - is demanding the same powers of prior scrutiny afforded to their counterparts in the US and Sweden.

BBC: You are in: UK Politics

This is a joint committee of members of the Business and Enterprise, Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees which, every year, scrutinises the government's annual report on the control of strategic exports, including weapons.

BBC: Week ahead

The committee is made up of members of the Business, Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees.

BBC: Debate on arms export controls