Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

The Daily Politics panel are discussing Labour's plan for an energy price freeze - which the government says is "in chaos" after dramatic falls in wholesale energy prices, leading to one of the big six energy firms to cut consumers' bills. Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves, challenged over the policy, says price cuts are not being passed on to consumers - and reiterates Labour's calls for regulator Ofgem to be reformed. She rejects the party has had to change its policy from a freeze to a cap in light of falling wholesale costs.

House of Commons
Parliament

Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael answers MPs' questions.

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves tells Daily Politics it should be up to the broadcasters to decide who is included in the debates. She says there is "clearly an appetite" among the public for the debates and it would be a "retrograde step" for them not to go ahead. UKIP deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans argues that the debates could go ahead without David Cameron.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran says Scotland's three largest cities have called for the devolution of job-creation powers to Scotland, and adds her own call for powers to be "devolved as soon as possible".

Alistair Carmichael says he doubts it will be possible "in the time available in this Parliament".

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

Today's panel on BBC 2's Daily Politics programme is discussing the TV election debates. Housing Minister Brandon Lewis rejects the notion put to him that David Cameron is "running scared", asserting that he is making a "very reasonable case" for the Green Party's inclusion. He adds that there is also a "good case" to include the SNP.

tweets, external: PM probably aware there was a 16 year gap between first US Presidential debates and next round

tweets:, external We'll talk energy prices, and a possible freeze or price cap, with @markctodd of @energyhelpline joining @Jo_Coburn on #bbcdp Wed 1145

House of Commons
Parliament

Later this afternoon, Labour MP David Winnick is to launch a bid to make it a civic obligation to take part in UK elections - either by voting or registering an abstention. He thinks people in Britain who do not take part should be fined. The BBC's Leala Padmanabhan looks at whether voting should be made a civic duty.

House of Commons
Parliament

Home Secretary Theresa May is to make a Commons statement on the terrorist attacks in Paris last week. She will get to her feet after PMQs, at about 12.30 GMT.

Plaid Cymru says it should be included in the televised leaders' debates, along with the Scottish National Party and the Greens. Rhun ap Iorwerth, a Plaid Assembly Member, said the party has "reminded" the broadcasters over the past few months how "influential" the debates are, and that "they've got to take that influence very seriously".

Green Party of England and Wales leader Natalie Bennett says that while David Cameron is advocating the Greens' inclusion in the TV debates "for his own political reasons" he is right to make the argument because "the broadcasters have got it wrong". She told BBC Radio 5 Live the public want to see the party represented in the debates.

The broadcasters responsible for drawing up the plans for TV debates have reissued a statement, in which they say they "remain committed to providing election debates in the run up to the general election".

Labour's election strategist, Douglas Alexander, has weighed in to the discussion on TV election debates. He says that broadcasters, not the prime minister, should dictate the terms of the programmes.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson calls on the UK government not to "issue any fresh licences" for shale gas extraction until powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament after the next UK general election.

House of Commons
Parliament

Questions to Scotland Office ministers begin with a question from Labour's Sheila Gilmore, asking if the secretary of state will make it his policy that licensing of shale gas extraction should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

This is already government policy, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael tells her.

He adds that the Scottish government has the power to block shale gas projects if they wish to.

Tweets, external: So.. no prizes for guessing PMQs today will be about....yes..those TV debates #politicalgenius #crystalball

The Daily Telegraph

Some more on the latest inflation figures, which were published yesterday. The Daily Telegraph's James Kirkup observes , externalministers' "glee" at the 0.5% rate, which he says appears to undo Ed Miliband's argument that there is a "cost-of-living crisis", as prices continue to fall. But he cautions that low inflation "is not always good news" and says the government is "quietly petrified" by the prospect of deflation, which could hamper economic growth.

The lead story in The Times newspaper reports , externalthat local councils have spent "£5bn" on re-hiring staff made redundant - many of whom, it says, received big pay offs. The paper states that most of the money has been spent on agency social workers, but an increasing amount has gone on interim managers and consultants who can earn "up to £1,000 a day".

The Guardian

A look at the papers now. The Guardian reports , externalon a Lord Ashcroft poll which gives Labour an 18 point lead over the Conservatives on the NHS. Writing in the paper, Lord Ashcroft, a former Conservative Party chairman, says , externalthe "decontamination" of the Tory brand will not be complete until it is trusted to "sustain and reform" the health service. Might this be seized on by Labour at PMQs?