Summary

  • David Cameron faced his weekly Prime Minister's Questions from 12:00

  • A long-awaited review into Britain's airport capacity recommends a new runway for Heathrow

  • Downing Street said there would be no "snap judgement" on the findings

  • Boris Johnson says it would have "catastrophic" impacts and predicts "it's not going to happen"

  • MPs debate a ministerial statement on the Airports Commission review

  • Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith announces a new way of measuring child poverty

  1. Look ahead to Thursdaypublished at 22:58

    It's been a long, hot day and we are signing off for now. There is plenty to look forward to tomorrow with Labour's four leadership contenders, as well as Harriet Harman and Greg Clark, addressing the Local Government Association conference. Theresa May is off to Paris to discuss the situation at Calais while there is also a busy day in Parliament, with a debate on Britain in the world and an adjournment debate on the future of a Doncaster coal mine tabled by Ed Miliband - remember him? Join us for all that.

  2. Winton rememberedpublished at 22:49

    Labour peer tweets...

  3. Former Met chief on terror threatpublished at 22.30

    Former Met commander Sir Ian BlairImage source, PA

    Lord Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the 7/7 bombings in 2005 has cautioned against taking a tougher line on religious fundamentalism and said he doesn't expect the West to overcome the threat of Islamic extremism in his lifetime. 

    Speaking to the BBC's Newsnight in advance of the ten year anniversary of the London attacks, he raised concerns about David Cameron's recent call for less tolerance of intolerance. 

    Lord Blair denied he was criticising the government's approach but cautioned, "I just think we have to be incredibly careful, we shouldn't be doing this to the community, we should be doing this with the community."  

    He added:

    Quote Message

    Some people might argue we must take a much tougher approach but I couldn't agree less with them. We have to take a very resolute approach, be resolute in actually requiring and demanding this community works with us, with the rest of us, with every creed and colour and gender across the UK to say, we must stop this happening. But you don't do it to them, you do it with them. It seems to me we have to accept there are people who live their lives by fundamentalist rules…Fundamentalism in itself is not a matter for the state to interfere with, it's when it slides into violent extremism it is, and it's that journey the prime minister and home secretary are trying to fix, where's the point on that journey? But if we cut ourselves off from talking to some people whose views we do not like but to whom millions of young people listen that's a very difficult issue for us."

  4. Update: Duncan Smith's credit cardpublished at 21.55

    Iain Duncan SmithImage source, PA

    We reported earlier that Iain Duncan Smith was among nearly 20 MPs to have had the credit cards they use to pay their expenses suspended. The Press Association said this was due to concerns over debts being wracked up. But the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has now made clear that the cabinet minister's card was deactivated by mistake and no money was outstanding. A spokesman for Mr Duncan Smith said: 

    Quote Message

    Iain has not had his card suspended. IPSA have confirmed twice in writing that this issue was an error on their part. To be clear no money is owed”

  5. Childcare billpublished at 21:05

    NurseryImage source, PA

    This just in from our parliamentary correspondent Sean Curran.

    The next stage in the parliamentary debate on plans to give 30 hours of free childcare to children in England will take place later than expected after two influential committees in the Lords criticised the legislation. The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee complained that the Childcare Bill was flawed, vague and lacking in substance. Another group of peers, the Constitution Committee, had already complained about a tendency by the government to introduce vaguely worded legislation that left "much to the discretion of ministers". The committee said the Childcare Bill was a "particularly egregious example of this development". This evening, Education Minister Lord Nash, announced that the report stage of the Bill - when peers will debate and vote on amendments to the legislation - would take place in October. The Labour leader in the Upper House, Lady Smith, said the government's handling of the measure had serious implications for the House of Lords as a revising chamber.

  6. May set for Paris meetingpublished at 21.03

    Theresa MayImage source, PA

    Home Secretary Theresa May will visit Paris tomorrow for talks with her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve. Officials say the two will discuss the problems in Calais, where striking workers have blockaded the port.

  7. Litter debatepublished at 20:58

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Litter after the end of the Glastonbury FestivalImage source, PA

    Our colleagues on Westminster Live have alerted us to an interesting debate taking place in the Lords on the issue of litter.

    Conservative peer Lord Cormack has told the House: "Those of you who know me will know that I'm not a natural for Glastonbury, at least not for the festival." 

    Lord Cormack said he had been told people who go to the music festival "care about the planet" but when he saw the enormous piles of rubbish "we judge people by what they leave behind".

    Summing up for the government, Lord Gardiner said littering was "selfish and antisocial", harmed human health and wildlife, and could damage farming and tourism.

    He told peers that in March Defra sponsored the first official England-wide community clear-up day. He refers to something several peers have discussed this evening - "the sense of community and doing something together which is so valuable". 

  8. Happy birthday Canadapublished at 20:36

    Canadian prime minister tweets...

  9. Bermudas time?published at 20:22

  10. Howard on climate challengepublished at 20:20

  11. Coming up at 22.30 BSTpublished at 20:18

    Newsnight presenter tweets...

  12. Call to 'pull plug' on Iraq Inquirypublished at 19.10

    British soldier patrolling in Basra, southern Iraq, in 2006Image source, AFP

    The Iraq Inquiry should be wound up and Parliament should decide what to do next with its unfinished report, a former attorney general has said.

    Lord Morris told peers the panel led by Sir John Chilcot seemed "incapable" of delivering its report into the 2003 conflict and should be discharged. Read the full story here.

  13. Prison deathspublished at 19:03

    Labour press office tweets...

  14. Afternoon recappublished at 18:48

    Plane passes over housesImage source, AFP/Getty Images

    Wednesday's are normally a particularly busy affair at Westminster – and today has been no different. The agenda has largely been dominated by reaction to the Airports Commission’s report, which has recommended a third runway be built at Heathrow airport. And there was also the weekly session of Prime Minister’s Questions. Here are the main developments:

    - David Cameron says the government will make a decision on airport expansion by the end of the year

    - Several high-profile Conservatives are opposed to Heathrow expansion, including London mayor Boris Johnson, who predicted it "won't happen"

    - Labour said it favoured a new Heathrow runway and claimed Mr Cameron was being "bullied by Boris"

    - The way child poverty is measured is to be changed to focus on "root causes" of povertyand make a "meaningful change to children's life chances", according to the government

    - SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has topped a power list compiled by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme

    - The outlook for the UK's financial stability "has worsened"in the light of events in Greece, Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned

    - Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith had his official credit card suspended after running up more than £1,000 in expenses debts

    And finally, Lib Dem leadership contender Norman Lamb has called for more gay characters to feature in children's television programmes.

  15. Dog or shark?published at 17:48

    BBC News Channel

    Boris Johnson

    Asked if he thinks Gatwick expansion is a credible alternative, the London mayor replies: "If it's a choice between bitten by a dog or a great white shark, you're obviously going to choose to be bitten by the dog," -  adding that Gatwick is the less bad option but not the best solution.

    Is it politically possible for the PM to support Heathrow? It will be "very difficult" for him after his "no ifs, no buts" speech, Mr Johnson replies. But it's "more fundamental than that", he adds, saying it's a question of "which is the real choice for Britain".

  16. Boris on Heathrow expansionpublished at 17:38

    BBC News Channel

    Boris Johnson tells the BBC that Heathrow expansion is "not the right way forward", as it involves "considerable environmental damage" to London and "a huge increase" in noise pollution. "So I don't think it's going to be delivered," he adds.

    Other options could yield far more in terms of growth and jobs, he goes on to say - reaffirming his support for a Thames estuary airport.

  17. 'A great man'published at 17:30

    The prime minister tweets...

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  18. Obama: This is changepublished at 17:28

    President Obama speaking from the White House gardenImage source, AP

    Some news from across the pond, Barack Obama has formally announced plans for the United States and Cuba to reopen embassies in each other's capital cities more that half a century after they closed.

    Quote Message

    Time and again America has demonstrated that part of our leadership of the world is our capacity to change - it's what inspires the world to reach for something better. A year ago it might have seemed impossible that the United States would once again be raising our flag - the stars and stripes - over an embassy in Havana. This is what change looks like."

  19. Patients to be told medicine costspublished at 17:24

    Jeremy HuntImage source, PA

    Patients are to be told how much their medicines are costing the taxpayer under new government plans. The cost to the NHS will be published on all packs worth £20 or more.

    Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Local Government Association's annual conference the move would "reduce waste by reminding people of the cost of medicine" as part of wider measures to encourage people to take more personal responsibility for their health. 

    About £300m a year is spent on wasted medicines. The new labelling will also see medicines marked "funded by the UK taxpayer" in order to drive the message home. Mr Hunt said:

    Quote Message

    There is no such thing as a free health service: everything we are proud of in the NHS is funded by taxpayers and every penny we waste costs patients more through higher taxes or reduced services."

  20. 'Ending the blockade'published at 17:24 British Summer Time 1 July 2015

    British ambassador to France tweets...

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