Image source, House of Commons

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asks about an independent inquiry into the UK's response to Covid - saying the PM promised this in July. He wants to know if he will commit to it now, "to learn lessons from what's gone so wrong".

Boris Johnson replies that with the NHS under "unprecedented pressure" and the "entire British state" trying to deal with the Covid crisis, it is "not sensible" to use resources to launch such an inquiry now.

"Of course, we will learn lessons in due course," says the PM. "There will be time to reflect and to prepare for the next pandemic."

Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething tells a Welsh government briefing that coronavirus vaccinations are the country's number one priority.

"We remain in a race against the virus, not so with other countries in the UK. When we look though at the pace of vaccination in wales our rate is well above those of most European countries," he says.

He adds the latest figures show almost 176,000 people in Wales have had their first jab - more than 5% of the population.

"More than 10,000 people every day are receiving their first dose of the vaccine - that is equivalent to seven people being vaccinated every minute in Wales," he says.

Rob Butler, Tory MP for Aylesbury, says the national rollout of coronavirus vaccines has been a "tremendous success story" but that over 80s in his constituency have only been getting their first jabs in recent days. Some, he tells the prime minister, fear they have been forgotten or pushed to the back of the queue.

He wants to know if all those in the four most vulnerable groups will be vaccinated by mid-February.

Johnson replies: "We are on track to deliver our pledge, though it is very hard... because of constraints on supply."

He reiterates that the government is on track to vaccinate all four of those groups by the middle of February.

Image source, Reuters

In PMQs, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has asked the prime minister about an audio clip of the home secretary apparently saying she had argued for the closure of UK borders 10 months ago to help to curb Covid infections.

So what actually happened?

• February 2020 - the government had rules in place to make travellers from the Hubei province in China, parts of South Korea, Iran and Italy self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in the UK
• 13 March - this rule was removed and replaced with guidance advising all people in the UK, including arrivals, to self-isolate if they developed symptoms
• June - quarantine rules were introduced for all arrivals in the UK - including British citizens
• July - so-called "travel corridors" were introduced, removing the need to self-isolate when coming to the UK from certain countries
• Monday 18 January 2021- the government closed all travel corridors to "protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains" of coronavirus.

In an audio recording that has come to light today, the home secretary reportedly said: "On 'should we have closed our borders earlier', the answer is yes, I was an advocate of closing them last March."

Labour's shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, called it a "shocking admission" and said the government had "left our doors open to the virus and worrying mutations".

We've had some discussion of non-coronavirus issues, but now Sir Keir Starmer is asking about the home secretary saying the borders should have been closed last March.

In a video call obtained by Guido Fawkes, external, the home secretary told Tory supporters she was an "advocate" of closing the borders 10 months ago.

Sir Keir asks why the prime minister chose to "overrule" the home secretary on this issue.

Boris Johnson says in response that the country is facing a "very grave death toll" and the government is "doing everything we can to protect the British public". The UK has, he says, brought in some of the toughest border control measures in the world.

Sir Keir, in response, says Johnson avoided the question but receives a similar answer - this time with the PM adding that his party is not looking backward, but forward, and wants to "get on with the job".

Image source, House of Commons

Boris Johnson starts today's PMQs welcoming the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington DC later. He says among their shared aims are "building back better" from the coronavirus pandemic.

A further 44 people are reported to have died in Wales with coronavirus, bringing the total to 4,346, the latest Public Health Wales figures show.

There were also 1,283 new Covid infections reported, taking the total number of cases to 183,882.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is starting to speak at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

Stick with us for any updates he gives on coronavirus.

Image source, PA Media

The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to protect against a coronavirus variant which is rapidly spreading across the UK.

The variant has mutations which it is feared may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.

But a study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, has suggested this is not the case.

A lab-made version of the virus, with mutations resembling the variant, was neutralised by antibodies from the blood of 16 people who had received the vaccine, researchers found.

The study said it was "unlikely" the variant would "escape" the vaccine's protection.

A similar study from the pharmaceutical giant earlier this month showed the vaccine to be effective against a key mutation called N501Y.

The mutation is present in the UK variant, as well as another highly transmissible new variant that has emerged in South Africa.

• Variants and mutations: The science explained

Image source, EPA

Boris Johnson will face Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and fellow MPs at his weekly Prime Minister's Questions at midday today.

Questions on coronavirus are bound to be on the agenda. Among them could be the issue of the universal credit top-up during the pandemic.

You can read more about that here.

Join us here at noon for all the latest from the House of Commons.

BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live has been speaking to people who have lost their sense of smell and taste after having coronavirus.

Jeanette from London says it’s been the “worst part” of having "long Covid" and has left her feeling isolated.

"It’s affected socialising because wherever I go, if I smell cooking, exhaust fumes, anything, you get this rancid nasty smell. It affects your emotions,” she said.

"I’ve been down and depressed quite often with it. It’s been a rollercoaster.

"Walking around the supermarket is one of the hardest things to do. I did have a meltdown in the supermarket – not just because of the sense of smell. You don’t know what to buy. You’re hungry and yet everything you’re buying and you're trying is so disgusting."

Jeanette has been trying smell training to get the sense back.

"I’ve got all these little pots that I put my essential oils in,” she said. "You have to have little sniffs of them – like a rabbit!”

Listen back on the free BBC Sounds app.

Image source, Stan Kiddle

Earlier the home secretary told us the government was looking at bumping front-line workers like police officers, teachers and firefighters higher up the queue for a Covid vaccine.

For now, vaccines are being given to the most vulnerable people as a priority.

Vaccine centres are working down a list of nine high-priority groups, external- which covers about 32 million people including 90-99% of those most at risk of dying with the virus.

The second phase of vaccination will focus on the rest of the adult population, mainly the under-50s, who are much less likely to be ill with Covid-19.

We don't know when phase two will start yet, but that's the point at which teachers, transport workers, supermarket workers and the military could be prioritised.

We've got an explainer to help you work out when it will be your turn.

Questions should be raised over whether Senedd members who drank alcohol on Welsh Parliament premises during a lockdown pub alcohol ban can stand for re-election, an ex-standards official says.

Conservatives Paul Davies, Darren Millar and Nick Ramsay and Labour's Alun Davies were seen drinking together in early December four days after covid restrictions on alcohol came in.

Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, told BBC Radio Wales: "The public hate hypocrisy, they hate being told to abide by the rules by all of the politicians and then suddenly they find examples of where it looks like the rules may have been broken, or the behaviour has been inappropriate given the the decision being taken to ban the sale of alcohol."

Read more here.

Jessica Parker
BBC political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has reportedly told a group of Conservative Party supporters that she argued in favour of closing the country's borders last March.

The website Guido Fawkes has released a short audio clip of the comments, external - reportedly made on a Zoom call with the group, Conservative Friends of India, last night.

In the clip, Priti Patel is heard to say: "On 'should we have closed our borders earlier' the answer is yes, I was an advocate of closing them last March."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have strong measures at the border in place which are vital as we roll out the vaccine."

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

There is, understandably, a lot of focus on vaccination numbers with concerns being raised about the drop in people being jabbed.

The daily statistics show more than 320,000 received their first dose on Friday, but that has steadily been falling since with just over 200,000 jabbed on Monday.

Supply is clearly an issue – the NHS can only vaccinate people when it has vaccine available.

Ministers have always been clear that supply will be a bit lumpy in these early weeks and the news that Pfizer is going to have to slow its manufacturing down for a few weeks will only add to that.

But we should also be a little cautious about the daily figures.

For example, Scotland and Wales did not report data over the weekend, while in England delays reporting the figures mean the total for most recent days will be revised upwards.

That does not mean the challenges are not real or that there has not been a drop in vaccinate rate in the last couple of days – only that the drop-off may not end up quite as steep as it initially seems.

Image source, Getty Images

We mentioned earlier that the cost of living has gone up in the UK despite lockdown forcing many of our shops to shut.

Inflation jumped to 0.6%, from 0.3% in November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

But what is inflation?

It's the rate at which the prices for goods and services increase.

It's one of the key measures of financial well-being because it affects what consumers can buy for their money. If there is inflation, money doesn't go as far.

Check out our full explainer here.

With some MPs pushing for details on when the coronavirus lockdown may be eased, the Daily Express says Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the UK will "pay the price" if it lets its guard down too soon., external

Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that another Covid strategy change may also be afoot., external It claims the government is to halt plans for the daily mass testing of school children and pupils.

You can see our full newspaper review here.

Image source, Family handout

A 96-year-old identical twin has died after contracting coronavirus, her family have said.

Doris Hobday and her twin sister Lilian Cox, known as the Tipton Twins, were admitted to hospital after testing positive earlier this month.

Their family said Doris died on 5 January, adding they were "totally heartbroken to lose Doris in this way".

Lilian has since been discharged from hospital and is continuing to recover, the family said.

The siblings were among the UK's oldest living twins and became popular figures online with their positive outlook on life and sense of humour. They made several appearances on BBC Breakfast.

"We are so grateful for all the special memories we have created and got to share with you all," the twins' family said.

Image source, Google

Two hospital trusts are among the first in the UK to begin offering a 24-hour Covid vaccination programme.

The University Hospitals of Birmingham and Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Forest Hospitals trusts have been chosen to pilot the round-the-clock jabs from Wednesday.

Currently the standard opening time for vaccination centres is 08:00 to 20:00.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said he aimed to extend the hours when supply allowed it.

The vaccines will be offered to existing high-priority groups, including those aged over 80 and front-line health and social care workers.

The BBC understands there will also be a focus on vaccinating hospital staff on night shifts.

You can read more here.

Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News

Image source, Ishita Ranjan

Nearly one in three missed smear tests are the result of patients being "put off" by coronavirus, a survey by gynaecological cancer charity the Eve Appeal has found.

Screenings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have restarted after being halted during the first lockdown.

In England, the NHS told GPs and clinics not to halt smear tests - but some patients have reported cancellations and long delays.

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust is urging "faster action" on home tests for HPV, but Cancer Research UK said it was not yet known how effective and accurate self-sampling could be in cervical screening.

Ishita Ranjan finally went for her smear test in August after putting it off.

A fear of catching coronavirus could be stopping people belonging to ethnic minorities attending appointments, she said.

"We have seen high Covid infection and death rates and people are genuinely scared," Ishita said.

"But this is essential. And it's really important that you do still go and do it."