Summary

  • The Welfare Reform and Work Bill passes its first Commons hurdle by 308 votes to 124

  • Nearly 50 Labour MPs defied acting leader Harriet Harman and voted against the bill

  • George Osborne launches the 2015 spending review which will report on 25 November

  • The Treasury will write to cabinet ministers to ask for departmental savings totalling £20bn

  • The chancellor gives evidence to the Treasury Committee on his Budget proposals

  1. Commons rulespublished at 17:17 British Summer Time 21 July 2015

    PA parliamentary editor tweets...

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
  2. Universal credit roll-outpublished at 17:13

    New details of the timetable for the roll-out of Universal Credit have been published., external It looks like Wakefield is to be the last place in England to get it, in April next year.

    As with earlier roll-outs these will only be for new claims from single people, who would otherwise have been eligible for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

  3. Committee inquiry into young adult offenderspublished at 17:11

    Young offender institute cell

    The Commons Justice Committee is to hold an inquiry into the treatment of young adult offenders in the criminal justice system.

    It will look at the nature and effectiveness of the Ministry of Justice's strategy and structures for dealing with young offenders and the suitability of current provisions for young adult offenders.

    It said:

    Quote Message

    The committee considers that it is timely to hold an inquiry to: assess the implications of the findings of the Harris Review and selected recommendations for current policy and practice; examine the evidence on what might constitute more effective or appropriate treatment of young adults throughout the criminal justice process; and review the impact of guidance to sentencers and prosecutors which advises that they consider the maturity of the offender in their decisions."

    The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2015.  

  4. May quizzed on water cannonpublished at 17:06

    Theresa May

    The topic turns to water cannon, following Theresa May's decision to not allow them to be used by police in England and Wales.

    What will happen to the three water cannon purchased by London Mayor Boris Johnson (who is also a Conservative MP)?

    "That is a decision for the mayor of course", responds Mrs May, who then defends her decision and sets out how it was reached.

    It wasn't a popular decision with Mr Johnson, who is reported to have said it was part of a deliberate attempt by Mrs May and George Osborne to "humiliate" him and harm his Tory leadership ambitions.

  5. Lords deal government blow over EVELpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 21 July 2015

    BBC parliamentary correspondent tweets...

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  6. May praises UK support for Syrian refugeespublished at 17:00

    Theresa May says the UK should be "proud" of what it has done to support Syrian refugees. Nearly £900m in aid has been donated by the government, she says, pointing out it's the "second biggest" bilateral donor in the world.

    The UK also plays its part in accepting a number of Syrian asylum seekers, the home secretary adds.

  7. May on Calais crisispublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 21 July 2015

    BBC South East political editor tweets...

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  8. Greens to oppose Finance Billpublished at 16:58

    Caroline LucasImage source, Getty Images

    Away from the committee corridor for a moment, the Green Party  has said it will vote against the government's Finance Bill, currently being debated in the House of Commons.

    Its Brighton Pavilion MP, Caroline Lucas, said the measures - set out by George Osborne earlier this month - were "deeply regressive", and criticised the government's "counter-productive austerity agenda".

    Quote Message

    Despite the government’s rhetoric the IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies) analysis makes it perfectly clear that the biggest losers from this bill are those in the second and third poorest tenths of the population. It’s simply untrue for ministers to say that that this year’s budget is progressive.”

  9. Theresa May on net migrationpublished at 16:48

    Theresa May is questioned on the target to reduce net migration to the "tens of thousands" - which the government failed to meet in the last Parliament. She starts to recite the reasons for introducing the target - but chairman Keith Vaz says he wants her to focus on the question. She says the aim is to meet the target by the end of the Parliament, in 2020. At one time the figures did fall but a "significant increase" in EU migration has reversed that trend, she adds.

  10. Theresa May: 30 terror suspect passport confiscationspublished at 16:42

    PassportImage source, PA

    The Home Office has refused or cancelled 30 passports of people suspected of trying to travel abroad to engage in terrorism-related activity, Home Secretary Theresa May tells MPs in response to a question from Conservative MP David Burrowes.

    New rules announced in 2013 give the government greater scope under the Royal Prerogative to restrict the travel of people intending to engage in terror training or extremist conflict.

    Mrs May says it is a "significant power" that the home secretary holds and should be only be exercised in cases "where it's absolutely clear that it is necessary and proportionate to do so".

  11. May: Collective effort to defeat extremismpublished at 16:35

    There is a "poisonous ideology" that is encouraging people to be radicalised and potentially to take violent action, Theresa May tells the cross-party panel. It will take a "collective effort" by society to address that, she says. It also involves working with the police and ensuring people have the confidence to report someone they are concerned about, the home secretary adds.

  12. May questioned on counter-extremism strategypublished at 16:32

    Theresa May

    The current line of questioning of the home secretary is on the government's counter-extremism strategy, and the measures outlined by David Cameron in his speech yesterday to defeat Islamist extremism.

    Keir Starmer, former director of public prosecution, probes plans to strengthen communications watchdog Ofcom's role to take action against foreign TV channels broadcasting extremist messages. He wonders whether it'll pose a conflict between free speech and the need to deal with extremism.

    Theresa May says discussions are taking place with Ofcom on how to approach this, but adds that there is more the regulator should be able to do.

  13. Theresa May's committee appearancepublished at 16:18

    If you thought that was an end to our committee coverage – think again. We’re flicking over to the Home Affairs Committee now, where Theresa May is giving evidence. Busy day.

  14. Treasury Committee session endspublished at 16:18

    George Osborne and James Bowler

    Before the committee session ends George Osborne takes a moment to pay tribute to senior civil servant James Bowler - sat to his left - who is moving on from his position as director of the Budget. He's produced five Budgets and has done a "fantastic job", says Mr Osborne, adding that he is to be promoted to director general of taxation and welfare in the Treasury. "I want to put on record my thanks to him," he says.

  15. Osborne questioned on pensions guidancepublished at 16:10

    George Osborne is asked how well he thinks the pensions guidance (on the new pensions reforms) is working. "Pretty well", he tells the committee, saying feedback shows "high levels" of customer satisfaction. He adds that the department is now looking at how to extend that advice to people of younger ages.

  16. Record-breaking home secretary?published at 16:21 British Summer Time 21 July 2015

    BBC home affairs correspondent tweets...

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  17. Finance Bill: where is it at?published at 16:21 British Summer Time 21 July 2015

    BBC parliamentary reporter tweets...

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  18. MP to Osborne: Climate change denier?published at 16:00

    Helen Goodman

    Helen Goodman, the Labour MP who's been in the news lately for tabling the rebel Labour amendment to the welfare bill, focuses her questions to the chancellor on climate change.

    "We don't agree politically", she tells Mr Osborne, "but I've always thought of you as an intelligent and rational person so I want to ask you this: are you a climate change denier"?

    George Osborne replies:

    Quote Message

    I'm not sure I accept that phrase as a general term in British politics but what I'll certainly say is that I think climate change is happening and that it's caused by human beings in part and it's not good for society going forward."

  19. Farron: Being leaderless is no excusepublished at 15:53

    BBC News Channel

    Put to him that Labour's approach is partly down to it being without a permanent leader at the moment, Tim Farron replies:

    Quote Message

    I am confident that had this vote been a week ago when the Liberal Democrats didn't have a leader, I am confident that we would all have been voting against this."

  20. Bank to have powers over buy-to-letpublished at 15:50

    George Osborne says he is looking at giving more "directional powers" to the Bank of England over the buy-to let mortgage market.

    An announcement will be made within a couple of months, he adds. "It's all imminent."

    Those powers will go further than those the bank has currently to make recommendations on the buy-to-let sector, he adds.