Brian Wheeler

Motorists are being urged to check whether their car tax has expired to avoid having their vehicles towed away and being hit with a fine.

It is now a year since the tax disc was scrapped - but motorists are still struggling to adjust to the new electronic system, figures suggest.

The number of vehicles being clamped or impounded jumped from about 5,500 a month under the old system to more than 8,000 a month.

And in July it hit a peak of 10,554.

More here.

The Daily Politics

MPs are debating the English votes for English laws (EVEL) plans which ministers claim are "fair and balanced", but are opposed by Labour and the SNP.

Andrew Neil got reaction from the SNP's Kirsty Blackman and Conservative MP Iain Stewart on their parties' stances - and how it could affect devolved powers - as the debate was getting under way.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, who sits on the Commons Procedure Committee which has examined the EVEL proposals, says: "This is a manifesto commitment and it has to be carried out." He cautions that the plans are "fearfully complicated" and says a "careful piloting stage" is needed, to ensure the Speaker is not politicised by the changes. He also cautions against adding to a sense of grievance in Scotland.  

House of Commons
Parliament

As he wraps up his remarks, Pete Wishart says of the proposals: "This is going to drive demand for Scottish independence". He says it will create division - and argues that an English Parliament should be created rather than tinkering with the House of Commons.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Pete Wishart isn't happy with the government's plans to give MPs in English seats an effective veto on bills that apply to England only.

"How dare you make us second-class status in this place. How dare you disrespect the views of the Scottish electorate," he tells the government.

"You could not have contrived of a more inept way to save the union", he argues -and warns that support he says warning that support for independence is rising.

BBC political correspondent watching the debate tweets

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Assistant Commissioner Helen King disputes figures suggesting that it is difficult for black and ethnic minority to rise to senior ranks. Asked whether the stats quoted by Home Secretary Theresa May are wrong, she says: 

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Assistant Commissioner Helen King, who has responsibility for stop and search with the Metropolitan Police, is asked why the force isn't more diverse.

She says it's an important issue and the Met wants to "look and feel" like London, and adds that diversity has improved. She tells the World at One only 3% of police officers were from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in 1999 but a quarter of new officers are.

This has been done, she explains, through introducing a residency requirement and a trial requirement for applicants to have a second language.

The Daily Politics

The UKIP leader faced a few questions on the Daily Politics where Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn insisted on yes-no answers to the big political issues of the day.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Home Secretary Theresa May has criticised the police in England and Wales today over its attitude towards ethnic minorities. She said there needed to be more black police officers, and said that some powers were being used unfairly. 

Nick Glynn, a former police inspector who's now working with the College of Policing on how stop and search power works in practice, says the reforms introduced a year ago are working.

"We're seeing results that we wanted," he says - saying the powers are being used less and becoming "more targeted on serious criminality".

House of Commons
Parliament

Setting out Labour's argument, shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant warned that there was a "real danger" the English votes for English laws plan will create two tiers of MPs.

He said he agreed that "England needs a distinctive voice in Parliament" but he said this would be better done by creating an England-only committee of MPs, rather than giving English MPs a veto.

He added that the proposals would "politicise the Speaker" who would have to decide - on the advice of civil servants - which matters affected England only.

House of Commons
Parliament

Leader of the Commons Chris Grayling has told MPs the proposals for  English votes for English laws are "fair, sensible and I'm entirely comfortable as a unionist presenting them to this House".

He accused Labour of trying to wreck the measures, saying amendments the party has tabled are "toothless and meaningless".

He added that Labour wanted to "remove the substance from the proposals...and we may as well pack up and go home".

One of the other stories around today has been Home Secretary Theresa May's speech to the National Black Policing Association's conference. She says that no force currently has enough black or ethnic minority officers, adding that her department would today publish diversity profiles for every force:

The Leader of the Commons, Chris Grayling, has opened the debate on so-called "English votes for English laws" warning that it was not in the interest of the union that there should be "mounting resentment" in England about differing powers for MPs. 

He told the Commons: