tweets, external: Am told Foreign Affairs Committee want to publish report into Chilcot delays next week. A tad faster than Iraq report.

Image source, EPA

Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond says the murder of Jordanian fighter pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by Islamic State militants will only strengthen international resolve against the group, which is also known as ISIL.

He said: "I'm appalled by the brutal murder of the Jordanian fighter pilot held prisoner by ISIL following as it does on the execution of the Japanese hostages that were also held.

"This brutality will be confronted and it will be defeated. It only makes us stronger, and more determined to defeat the menace that is ISIL."

Image source, PA

As mentioned earlier, the two big ticket items in Parliament today are the Foreign Affairs Committee's questioning of Iraq Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot, and the weekly Prime Minister's Questions. But what else is coming up?

The House of Commons kicks off its business at 11.30 GMT with questions to international development ministers. That'll be followed by the introduction of a bill on public sector efficiency by Lib Dem John Pugh. There'll also be opposition debates - called by Labour - on apprenticeships, and electoral registration. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will close the day with a half-hour debate on Scottish representation in the Union.

Across the corridor in the House of Lords, peers will start the day with their usual daily half-hour question session, before turning their attention to scrutiny of the government's Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill.

BBC Radio 4 Today

More from Tim Loughton on the historical child abuse inquiry: "People's confidence has been completely knocked because of this constant tsunami of historic cases coming out.

"We need to get to the bottom of it, we need to see where it went wrong, how society appears to have covered up, is that cover-up still happening in certain places, are people responsible for that cover-up still in places of responsibility.

"That's why we need an over-arching inquiry on top of all these different reviews and prosecutions going on, which must continue to go on, and we have got to get this back on track."

BBC Radio 4 Today

Tim Loughton, former children's minster in the coalition, tells John Humphrys: "Nobody should doubt the home secretary's absolute sincerity and commitment to get to the bottom of a very long and complicated sex abuse story."

Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to announce the new chairman and terms of reference for the inquiry into claims of historical child abuse later today. It comes after the resignation of two former chairwomen who stepped down following claims about their perceived closeness to establishment figures.

‏tweets, external: Really don't think @edballsmp shd be lacerated for briefly forgetting surname of one of the many dozens of ppl he interacts with every day

Colin Blane, BBC News Scotland correspondent

Labour's foreign affairs spokesman Douglas Alexander and Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander could lose their seats in Scotland at the general election, according to an extensive opinion poll out today.

The research by the Conservative peer and former party treasurer Lord Ashcroft looked at more than a quarter of Scottish constituencies and suggested the SNP was ahead in 15 of 16.

In Glasgow, Labour would be on track to lose six of its seven seats to the nationalists under the survey results. Over the 16 constituencies polled, Lord Ashcroft found a swing of 21% from Labour to SNP. Such a swing would endanger 35 of Labour's 41 Scottish seats.

BBC Newsnight
BBC Two, 22:30

You can watch the moment Ed Balls struggles to remember the name of a Labour business supporter. by clicking on the "key video" tab at the top of this page.

BBC Newsnight

And another top business leader weighed in on Newsnight last night. Simon Woodroffe, the founder of restaurant chain Yo! Sushi and a former Labour supporter who once appeared in a party political broadcast, said the party's current approach "scared" him.

"What I worry about with Ed Miliband is that he is appealing to the popular by saying 'look at these fat cats making lots of money, it should be for the workers'."

He added: "I want somebody who really appreciates that business has got to succeed first before we can share out the money."

Nick Robinson
Political editor

BBC political editor Nick Robinson, analysing Labour's row with business, says Stefano Pessina's comments were not a "calculated political attack" and that the Boots chief executive "slightly regrets saying what he thought".

But some in Labour saw it as a "defining fight", our correspondent says, to give Ed Miliband "definition" before the general election. He says that the ensuing reaction from business was orchestrated in part either by the Conservative party or the Tory press, but it has had the desired effect as Labour is "desperately trying to ratchet it down" and insist the party is pro-business.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Some more on the Iraq Inquiry report now, ahead of Sir John Chilcot's evidence session with the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee later. Conservative MP Sir Richard Ottaway, who chairs the committee, says the session will be an opportunity for Sir John to set out the reasons for the delays.

He says the panel of MPs want to question him about the evidence and to probe the "Maxwellisation process, which seems to be holding up the inquiry". Asked whether he will give Sir John a hard time, Sir Richard says he hopes the session will be "dignified but focused".

BBC Radio 4 Today

Lord Jones, the former CBI chief who also served as a trade minister in Gordon Brown's government, says Ed Balls' slip on Newsnight (see 0725) is indicative of "a much bigger problem with business" for the Labour party.

"They haven't got the support that New Labour used to have years ago," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

tweets, external: I know, I know. Bill Thomas, our Small Business Taskforce Chair, will never forgive me. It's an age thing! @Newsnight

The Daily Telegraph

Analysis of welfare spending by the Department for Work and Pensions, leads the front page of the Daily Telegraph, external, as official figures indicate the welfare state growing at its slowest rate since 1948. The paper quotes Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith hailing the coalition's "monumental reversal of reckless spending" on benefits, and says the figures offer a pre-election boost to the Conservatives.

Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor

Labour is playing down a gaffe by shadow chancellor Ed Balls after he was unable to remember the name of the head of the party's small business task force.

Mr Balls, being interviewed interviewed on BBC Two's Newsnight, could not remember the name of Bill Thomas.

This morning a Labour source called it "a perfectly human slip up", adding: "It happens. There is no significance to it."

The Daily Mail

The Daily Mail's front page story says, external Labour wants to introduce sex and relationships education for children aged five to seven. It quotes party sources as saying the move would help to tackle problems of domestic violence, rape and homophobic bullying in later life. But the paper says critics are concerned it could sacrifice childhood innocence.

The Independent

The Independent leads with, external yesterday's historic vote by MPs in favour of allowing three-person babies. The technique is designed to stop genetic diseases being passed from mother to child.

Image source, various

A quick look at the papers now, with many front pages leading with condemnation on the killing of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by so-called Islamic State (IS) militants. IS posted a video appearing to show the pilot, who was seized after crashing during an anti-IS mission over Syria in December, being burned alive. Jordan has executed two convicts, including a female jihadist, following the killing.

A political development from Stormont, where Northern Ireland's education minister is coming under pressure from schools to retain the £16m Signature project. The two-year scheme funded the work of newly qualified teachers. The NI Department of Education has said no decision has been made on whether to extend it, but warned that times are tough for public finances.