Sarah Champion, Labour MPpublished at 11:45 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
tweets:, external Horrendous revelations in @thetimes more in power abusing children in #Rotherham Meeting with Cameron after #PMQ to demand extra resources
Summary
David Cameron and Ed Miliband clash over their tax and business policies at Prime Minister's Questions
Sir John Chilcot hopes will not set date for his report of his inquiry into the Iraq War
Control of Rotherham council to be handed over to commissioners after child abuse scandal; New Zealand judge to head historical abuse inquiry
Rolling coverage from the BBC's political team - from Today and Breakfast through to Newsnight and Today in Parliament
Sarah Champion, Labour MPpublished at 11:45 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Rebuilding Gazapublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
Parliament
Labour MP Dame Anne McGuire warns that material from the UN-sponsored reconstruction of Gaza may be being "diverted by Hamas for military purposes"
The Israeli government has argued that basic building materials such as cement, bricks and steel reinforcing - which it says have in the past been diverted by Hamas to build infiltration tunnels and bunkers - are "dual-use" materials with a military application.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening says "there is no evidence" that this is happening but that the materials are being monitored.
House of Commonspublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentBusiness in the House of Commons has kicked off.
MPs begin the day with questions to International Development Secretary Justine Greening and her ministerial team.
Pop Quiz: Name Labour's business backerspublished at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Back to the issues of Labour's links with business. On Daily Politics, shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker is asked to name a few other business leaders who support Labour. He cites former ITV chairman Charles Allen and entrepreneur Alan Sugar, who is a Labour peer, among strong backers.
Daily Politicspublished at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Daily Politics
Live on BBC TwoBBC Two's Daily Politics is now starting the build-up to Prime Minister's Questions, coming up at midday. You can watch Andrew Neil and his knowledgeable panel by clicking on the "live coverage" tab at the top of the page.
Peston: IFS spells out election choicespublished at 11:32 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Robert Peston
Business editor, BBC Newsblogs on the Institute for Fiscal Studies' Green Budget, which says the worst of UK spending cuts are still to come:
"The IFS has provided a useful numerical way of understanding the Tories' and Labour's conflicting economic visions - which is essentially that the Conservatives believe the imperative is to cut debt and the size of the state, whereas Labour wants potentially bigger budgets for building roads, rail and schools, and for funding the police and prisons (both parties promise to protect spending on health, education and overseas aid).
Rentoul reactionpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
But the Independent's John Rentoul, external is more understanding of the current situation Sir John finds himself in, arguing that speed is not of the essence when it comes to finishing the report.
The reaction begins...published at 11:23 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Some initial Twitter reaction to Sir John Chilcot's answers: Labour blogger and journalist Dan Hodges, external does not seem that impressed, questioning whether he was the right man to chair the inquiry.
Anything to add?published at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Before bringing the session to a close, Sir Richard Ottaway (pictured) asks Sir John if he would like to say anything else.
After more than an hour of facing questions, Sir John says he is happy to leave things there, explaining that his mind is still "troubled" by the news about Sir Martin Gilbert's death.
Sir Richard thanks him for appearing before the committee, saying "a lot" has been learnt.
Commons statements to comepublished at 11:12 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, PAIt's shaping up to be a busy day in the House of Commons. After Prime Minister's Questions at 12:30 GMT we are now told there will be two statements. Firstly from Home Secretary Theresa May on the Independent Panel Inquiry on Child Abuse, then, an hour or so later, Communities Secretary will make a statement on Rotherham Council.
'No views' on future reportspublished at 11:11 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarAsked whether his report would include views on how similar inquiries should be conducted in future, Sir John says there is no plan to. When pressed over how long it took to reach agreement with the cabinet secretary on disclosure of the notes between Tony Blair and George Bush, Sir John tells MPs it took about 13 months, but adds: "I may stand corrected on that."
Sir Martin Gilbertpublished at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Image source, PAWho was Sir Martin Gilbert, the member of the inquiry team that Sir John explained had died overnight? The 78-year-old was a distinguished historian who was Winston Churchill's official biographer. His website says his 88 books included his twin histories First World War and Second World War, a comprehensive history of Israel and his three-volume work A History Of The Twentieth Century. He was also renowned for the book The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy.
What would you do differently?published at 11:07 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarThe committee's questioning of inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot has just passed the hour mark. Conservative MP Sir John Stanley is the current questioner, and asks him whether - if he were to start the inquiry again - he would do anything differently.
Sir John replies by saying the big issue is whether the inquiry could or should have waiting "years" to go through all the documentary archive before holding the public hearings, "so they could begin to embody potential criticisms". But he predicts there would have been tremendous public angst, adding that it was essential to start the process as quickly as possible.
No 'scamping'published at 11:02 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarSir John reiterates that he wants the report to be published as soon as possible, but he stresses that it will not be done by "scamping the work".
Breaking Newspublished at 11:02 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarAsked by Sir John Stanley whether there is anyone taking an "unreasonable" amount of time to make their response to his findings, Sir John Chilcot states: "As of today, I have no reason to think that anyone is seeking to spin out time."
'No evidence of delay'published at 10:52 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarSir John Chilcot says there is no evidence to suggest that people are trying to use the Maxwellisation process to delay publication of the report. He says people have to have a reasonable amount of time to respond to the report but repeats that this does not amount to an indefinite period.
No numbers...published at 10:51 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarQuestioned over the extent of the Maxwellisation process, Sir John declines to say how many people are involved. If he gives numbers, people could start to work out who is and is not involved, he warns, stressing that he has an absolute duty to sustain confidentially around the inquiry until the report is complete.
All he will say is that no-one other than witnesses are involved in the Maxwellisation process, the upper limit of which is 150.
Breaking Newspublished at 10:50 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarSir John says he has not come under pressure to delay publication of the report because of the upcoming general election. He stresses that the inquiry is independent, and says the panel could not be forced to put their signatures to a report which was incomplete or unfinished.
Postpublished at 10:47 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarAsked whether the delay is the inquiry's fault, Sir John indicates that there has been "long and difficult" debates over whether some documents can or cannot be declassified. He says that the panel has been successful in overturning "long-standing conventions" against publishing certain categories of information, but stresses that this does not happen overnight..
Postpublished at 10:46 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Chilcot Inquiry
UK inquiry into Iraq WarAsked about the evidence in the report, Sir John says it is "highly unlikely verging on impossible" for a respondent to the Maxwellisation process to say "you cannot publish that". However, it can result in more documentary evidence being submitted which would extend the process further, so there is "no fixed body of evidence" before that process is complete.