tweets:, external If you can look beyond the hyperbolic North Korea comparison, there is much wisdom in Gordon Brown's EU piece

BBC News Channel

Michael Clarke, who hosted Philip Hammond for his speech at the Royal United Services Institute this morning, thinks it was "pretty clear who he meant" when Mr Hammond attacked "apologists" for defending terror suspects. "It was a strong pushback against those who worry about what the security services do when they're trying to develop human intelligence," Prof Clarke tells the BBC News Channel. "He said the apologists don't understand what the nature of the job is. It was really quite assertive and pushing back against the critics." This direct messaging fitted with Mr Hammond's overall style as foreign secretary, Prof Clarke adds. "Philip Hammond as a politician has always expressed himself clearly and directly, and he did."

tweets:, external Defence Sec Fallon been visiting his counterpart in Washington. Bet he gets an earful on 2%!

House of Commons
Parliament

In Westminster Hall, MPs are holding a debate on the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy and opening up parliament for the digital age. Its proposals include exploring online voting by as soon as 2020. You can watch it here.

tweets:, external Gordon Brown weakens his argument with exaggeration: no, Britain would not be the North Korea of Europe if we left EU Read more, external

The Independent

"In comparison with the future of the state, the TV debates are a trivial matter," the Independent's Steve Richards says, external. He looks at the reasons behind what he thinks is our collective distraction from the big story of spending cuts and finds even Scotland and the EU pale by comparison. "The debate about the size and function of the state is more pivotal than the one about whether Scotland will leave the UK or whether the UK will leave Europe," he writes. "Those apocalyptic scenarios will not be decided at this election. The future size of the state will be."

Image source, PA

From Russian finances to pensioner finances, the coalition has significantly relaxed the rules surrounding pensions, a shift likely to be much trumpeted by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the coming campaign. But MPs on the Commons' work and pensions committee are worried about what this means. "There are significant risks for individuals from the new freedoms," their report out this morning warns, external. It calls for a powerful new pensions watchdog to be set up to ensure people are not ripped off when they try to access and spend their retirement savings.

The final question is from Charles Grant, head of the Centre for European Reform think tank, who picked up on Philip Hammond's point that information from British agencies has been helpful in putting together sanctions against Russia. The intelligence also includes information about prominent Russian figures' "interesting financial arrangements outside Russia in other countries", Mr Grant says. Is there not a case for making this available to the Russian people? "There might be," Mr Hammond says. He'll ask his strategic communications team to look into it.

tweets:, external Philip Hammond speech ends as audience told he has to rush to a meeting. 'It's only Cabinet,' foreign secretary replies.

On the question of whether British people who go to fight against Islamic State are themselves terrorists or not, Philip Hammond says: "The simple legal answer is anyone conducting irregular fighting activity overseas is subject to British legislative sanction. That is unlawful activity and can be dealt with on their return to the UK." A slightly different answer to the one given by David Anderson QC earlier on the Today programme.

Britain is very careful about sharing intelligence with other countries, Philip Hammond says in response to the third question. These don't impinge upon the "Five Eyes" relationship the UK has with the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, though. More and more countries are interested in collaboration, he says.

tweets:, external interesting candour from @foreignoffice philip hammond, says 3 missing london girls gone to syria reveals 'some things we can improve'

The case of three schoolgirls from London who have travelled to Syria has identified responsibilities for parents, schools and community workers, as well as officials at airports, Philip Hammond says in response to the second question. He says stopping British fighters heading into Syria relies on support from Turkey which the UK is receiving.

tweets:, external A Tory Govt wd legislate "early in the next Parliament" over 'Snoopers Charter' - Philip Hammond

tweets:, external Hammond's speech basically calling for end to debate on intrusion of security services into privacy - before it has even really happened

The speech wraps up and we now move to questions. The first asks about efforts to track down Mohammad Emwazi - aka Jihadi John. "The murders of hostages in Syria are the subject of an ongoing Metropolitan Police operation," Philip Hammond says. No further comment.

Next, Philip Hammond says that more powers are required to protect the public from the terror threat. He argues the government's bid to allow the security services to monitor details about everyone's online and mobile activity is not an "enhancement" of powers. Instead "it represents the adaption of those powers to the realities of the 21st Century". Mr Hammond says legislation to this effect is needed early in the next parliament. "This is urgent business because while we have some of the most sophisticated and dedicated intelligence agencies in the world, we are up against huge and asymmetric challenges."

tweets:, external Hammond indicates intelligence agencies will get first call on defence cash. Those who work in secrecy "forefront of our mind"

The debate over treating terror suspects is not straightforward, Philip Hammond says. "Sometimes a judgement has to be made. These are often finely balanced decisions and more and more of them are coming across my desk and the desks of my colleagues."

tweets:, external "The haystack is growing exponentially, and is already well beyond the capacity of human analysis." Philip Hammond channels Chris Morris