Image source, PArliament

Does Theresa May believe Hizbut Tahrir should be banned? The home secretary talks about the legal views and the advice she is getting on the issue. There is quite a row between the home secretary and Ian Austin on the issue and why the group has not yet been banned - the former saying the prime minister had promised to do so.

Prime Minister David Cameron has accepted broadcasters' offer of one, seven-way debate at the very beginning of April, a Conservative source says.

Image source, PARLIAMENT

Theresa May is asked about support given to Bethnal Green Academy in east London, the school attended by girls who fled to Syria. Mrs May says police were in touch with the school and it had been engaged with the government's Prevent programme. There's no evidence girls were radicalised at the school, she says.

Tweets, external: Asked directly who gave order to keep quiet over Cyril Smith abuse, as alleged in #newsnight programme, Theresa May says "I don't know".

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Tweets, external: Theresa May says she's written to Justice Goddard suggesting she gives prosecution immunity to those giving evidence of child abuse/cover-up

That's it from Alex Stevenson and Victoria King, who are now off on various strength-gathering exercises before starting the Budget edition of Politics Live bright and early tomorrow at 6:00. There's lots more politics to come today, though - Nick Eardley and Dominic Howell will see you through until midnight. But in the meantime here's a recap of the day's biggest developments:

• The Budget build-up has focused on leaked papers suggesting the Conservative manifesto will feature a pledge to raise the inheritance tax threshold

• Disagreement over whether ministers need to take action over the Official Secrets Act has followed Newsnight's revelation that the historic child abuse investigation was shut down shortly after the arrest of Cyril Smith

• Housing has been in the headlines as campaigners held a rally in Westminster Central Hall

• Nigel Farage appeared on the Daily Politics and predicted he'll "probably" win a seat in Parliament

• The merits of the national minimum wage were debated after the government increased it at the quickest rate since 2008

Mrs May highlights that her comments relate to what she hopes and expects would happen in relation to child abuse and the Official Secrets Act. Justice Goddard and the attorney general need to liaise on specifics, she adds.

Mrs May says she hopes anyone with information on child abuse would be willing to take the information to the inquiry or the police.

On child abuse - and fears the Official Secrets Act could prevent police and intelligence officers giving evidence - Mrs May tells the committee authority can be given to allow crown servants to give evidence without facing the prospect of prosecution. "If people are giving evidence of child abuse to the Goddard inquiry or to the police, I would hope they would not be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act and would not expect them to be," Mrs May says. She has written to Justice Goddard on the issue.

House of Lords
Parliament

Across in the House of Lords, former Metropolitan Police commissioners have criticised the possible deployment of water cannons to control riots in London. Lord Condon said "no compelling case" had been made for the use of water cannons in the capital. "If there is a change of policy it will dramatically affect the mood and tone of how police respond to the challenge of demonstrations or street disorder," he warned. Lord Blair of Boughton, another former commissioner and crossbench peer, said they could only be used to keep demonstrators from a site that needed protecting or to separate fighting protesters. The Metropolitan Police has purchased three water cannons but Home Secretary Theresa May has postponed a decision on whether to allow their use on the streets of Britain until after the election.

tweets:, external It's rather an understatement to say speech by @FrancesOGrady at #homesforbritain was better received than @Nigel_Farage 's offering

Since measures allowing the temporary seizure of passports were introduced, they have been used on five occasions, Theresa May says. She won't go into detail about the cases, saying it wouldn't be appropriate.

Why are we not trying to find voices in the Muslim communities to give messages on behalf of the government, Keith Vaz asks. Mrs May says the basis for the question is wrong - there are people in Muslim communities doing just that. The Met Police's campaigns have seen an increase in the number of families reporting concerns. There isn't one simple route - we must use all the tools possible, she adds.

Image source, Science Photo Library

George Osborne should extend the timetable for reductions to local government spending, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation believes. Its pre-Budget wishlist suggests doing so would give councils breathing space to implement further reform, increase partnership working and do preventative work. But it also wants a much broader programme of measures set to help the worse-off. "The UK cannot achieve its full economic potential while levels of poverty and disadvantage remain high," chief executive Julia Unwin says. "Many people are still struggling and poorer places have been hardest hits by cuts to services. JRF would like to see a Budget focused on supporting those in lower income households, meaning that everyone can share in and contribute to economic growth."

Is an email between Mrs May and her Turkish counterpart sufficient contact, Mr Vaz asks on the issue of the three girls. Why wasn't there a phone call? Mrs May says the cooperation was there - on operational matters, she says she must take advice from law enforcement authorities. The clear advice she had was the police were getting good cooperation from Turkish authorities.

Has cooperation with the Turks improved, Mr Vaz asks. Theresa May says there has been cooperation for some time, in a number of ways. The home secretary says this is not an issue for government alone - parents and communities are important too. She says there was no approach to the Turkish government over three girls from east London who travelled to Syria through Turkey.

Mrs May also says people should not be trying to travel to Syria and they should be aware of what could happen to them there.

Image source, Getty Images

A row has been brewing in Scotland over comments made by the country's UKIP MEP - David Coburn. Mr Coburn, in a newspaper interview, is said to have compared Scottish government minister Humza Yousaf to convicted terrorist Abu Hamza. Mr Coburn is alleged to have said: "Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza". Mr Yousaf has called for European officials to discipline the MEP.

Today, UKIP leader Nigel Farage was asked about the comments. He said Mr Coburn should not have made the comparison, adding: "I haven't spoken to David Coburn about it. I can only guess he's either saying he's a terrorist or he's telling a joke in poor taste. I suspect it's a joke in poor taste."

When asked if he would be taking action against Mr Coburn he said: "People do make mistakes. I don't think David Coburn should have done that. But am I going to get terribly exercised about it? No." More from BBC Scotland here.

Home Affairs select committee chairman Keith Vaz says the committee is concerned about the number of young Britons going to Syria, especially through Turkey. Theresa May says the government and law enforcement have been talking about the issue for a long time. Both boys and girls have been going, and young people as well as adults. More than 600 people are believe to have gone to Syria and Iraq, she says.

BBC News Channel

Frances O'Grady, TUC general secretary, said that today's housing rally in London is about "putting the issue at the top of the political agenda". She said the housing problem was "urgent" and there were "millions more on council waiting lists". It is affecting young people in particular, who have been "hit hard by high rents when wages are still very low".

Home Secretary Theresa May has just arrived to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

tweets:, external Farage promises "brownfield revolution" inc tax breaks for conversions, and "decontamination grants". But says must protect greenbelt.