The Andrew Marr Show

Michael Fallon is now being interviewed. He admits that the international community are currently only dealing with "the symptoms" of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean rather than addressing the causes of the huge movement of people. He says the West has to "break the link" between migrants travelling and settling in Europe "because they will continue to come if they think they are going to be settled". 

The Andrew Marr Show

John Cleese, who spends a lot of time in the US, is a regular critic of Fleet Street. He says British newspapers have "forgotten their basic purpose" - discovering stories and reporting them "accurately". I am sure they would disagree with him. With that, Andrew Marr broadcasts a classic clip from Fawlty Towers which lightens the mood. 

The Andrew Marr Show

John Cleese in up next on Andrew Marr. He corrects the presenter when he says that Monty Python was part of the boom in satire in the early 1960s. In contrast, he says, it was an alternative to the political satire pioneered by the likes of Peter Cook. He wonders why the BBC has not broadcast the series for more than 15 years.  

Image source, PA

Ideas and creativity should come first at the BBC, Tony Hall insists. On that subject, he says he is "thrilled" that Chris Evans has agreed to take over as the host of Top Gear. He will not be drawn far on whether there should be a female presenter on the team. And he says he has "no idea" where the suggestion came from that the BBC offered to give Jeremy Clarkson his old job back, saying he wants to focus on the future instead. 

The Andrew Marr Show

Asked about future cuts to the BBC, Tony Hall says he will continue to reduce management bureaucracy but rejects Andrew Marr's assertion that there will be a "bloodthirsty cull" of numbers, saying those are the presenter's words not his. 

The Andrew Marr Show

Tony Hall says there is broad agreement that the licence fee needs to be reformed in some way and the debate will be about how to achieve this. He notes that a "household tax" has been mooted, so that users of BBC services can pay for them directly in some way. 

The Andrew Marr Show

Tony Hall is asked about his relationship with John Whittingdale, who has been critical of the licence fee. He says the culture secretary will ask "testing" questions but has also been "very positive" about what the BBC does. He notes that a report by the Commons culture committee, which Mr Whittingdale used to chair, concluded the licence fee had "at least 10 years' life left in it". The licence fee, he adds, needed to "adapt, modernise and change" to keep up with technological changes.

The Andrew Marr Show

BBC director general Tony Hall is now in the hot seat. He says it is a "crucial time" for the BBC ahead of the renewal of the Royal Charter in 2016 and a new licence fee settlement. He says the broadcaster's mission to "inform, educate and entertain is as pertinent now" as it has ever been. There have been warnings that new Culture Secretary John Whittingdale might have the BBC in his crosshairs.

The Andrew Marr Show

There's been plenty of coverage of the Battle of Waterloo this week on its 200th anniversary. Andrew Roberts says Napoleon Bonaparte has been too often maligned by historians, saying he was a "leader of the enlightenment" who did "wonderful things" for France. 

And that's the newspapers wrapped up. 

The Andrew Marr Show

Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, says she nominated Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader to ensure the widest possible debate in the contest, but she will actually be voting for Yvette Cooper when it comes to the crunch. She describes Andy Burnham as a "good Labour man" but says she prefers the current shadow home secretary. 

The Andrew Marr Show

Labour MP Rupa Huq is also helping to review the newspapers. Asked about a Sunday Times story concerning benefit cuts, she says the government has taken a "very cynical" approach by "pitting" different groups in society against each other. She says the Opposition does not disagree, in principle, with reducing the welfare bill, saying there is a "misperception that Labour is a party of benefit scroungers, which is not the case". 

The Andrew Marr Show

Andrew Marr's guests are now reviewing the papers. Historian Andrew Roberts suggests the international community is taking too soft a line on Islamic State. Citing some of the atrocities the group has committed, he says they are "simply not transformable" through reason or negotiation.

The Andrew Marr Show

Andrew Marr's other guests include BBC director general Tony Hall and actor, comedian and one-time Lib Dem activist John Cleese. 

The Andrew Marr Show

What else will Andrew Marr press Michael Fallon on? I would expect the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, the threat from so-called Islamic State and the radicalisation of British nationals to crop up, as well as the forthcoming EU referendum. There is also the issue of military spending, with many Conservative MPs concerned that the UK is not putting enough resources into the military budget. 

The Andrew Marr Show

Ahead of Mr Fallon's appearance, the defence secretary announced that the UK's commitment to a rapid reaction force being set up by Nato is to be extended by three years. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph,, external he said about 1,000 troops will now serve until 2021 to defend Europe against the threat posed chiefly by Russia. Read more about the story here.

Good morning and welcome to Sunday's live page coverage of all things political. We've got a busy morning of chat ahead of us. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is leading the lines on The Andrew Marr Show, while Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn is among the guests on Sunday Politics.