Politics Live - Thursday 22 October

Summary

MPs back plans for 'English votes for English laws' after bad tempered debate
Home Secretary Theresa May condemns lack of black officers in police forces
Chinese President Xi Jinping continues his state visit to the UK
Chancellor George Osborne says he is 'comfortable' with his 'judgement call' on tax credits

Live Reporting

Alex Hunt, Sally Heptonstall and Pippa Simm

'Three perfect answers - none available'published at 14:13 British Summer Time 22 October 2015
Press Association parliamentary editor tweets...
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Tax discs gone but confusion continuespublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 22 October 2015
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.
MPs clash over EVEL planspublished at 14:07
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.
Media caption,
English votes and devolution: Kirsty Blackman and Iain Stewart
Piloting stage needed for English votes, says Tory MPpublished at 14:00
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.
English votes will 'boost Scottish independence'published at 13:58
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.
Tory MP responds to Pete Wishartpublished at 13:52
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'How dare you do this' - SNP to governmentpublished at 13:51
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.
Evel plans 'meagre'published at 13:50
BBC political correspondent watching the debate tweets
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English votes debate 'nasty and unpleasant'published at 13:50
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King on May speech: Figures can't be looked at simplisticallypublished at 13:49
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May's figures 'not correct'published at 13:42
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:
Quote Message
Certainly from my experience they're not correct. Of the 32 boroughs of London five of them are led by black or minority ethnic chief superintendents and they're fantastic role models to officers coming up through the ranks."
Met Police diversitypublished at 13:40
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.
Watch: Tough questions for Nigel Farage?published at 13:28
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.
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Stop and search reforms 'are working'published at 13:28
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".
English votes plan 'would politicise Commons Speaker'published at 13:25
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.
Grayling: English votes plan 'fair and sensible'published at 13:24
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".
Watch: David Cameron launches poppy appealpublished at 12:55
Media caption,
Prime Minister David Cameron buys a poppy as the annual appeal is launched (there is no commentary on this footage)
Diversity in the policepublished at 12:50
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:
Quote Message
These profiles - based on self-declared ethnicity data supplied by forces - and which you can find on Police.uk, give breakdowns for officers in each force by gender and ethnicity, compared against the local population. They reveal a hard truth - that no force has a BME representation that matches its local demographic. Incredibly, this data shows that four forces do not employ any Black or Black British police officers at all, and female officers make up 28% of all police officers but 51% of the total population. This comes on top of existing statistics showing that there are only two chief officers who self-identify as BME in England and Wales, and eleven forces with no BME officers above even the rank of chief inspector. This is simply not good enough. I hope these figures will provide chief constables with the information they need to identify areas for improvement and for the public and PCCs to hold them to account. This is not just about recruitment, but about giving police officers from under-represented groups the same chances and opportunities to develop their skills and rise up the ranks. As I have set out today, there is much that forces can and should do to improve diversity in recruitment, support officers in progression, transform retention, and deliver a more open, inclusive and representative culture than exists today."
Chris Grayling: 'Mounting resentment in England'published at 12:47
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:
Quote Message
It can't be in anyone's interest to see English people becoming cynical about the union... it isn't tenable to have devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and for England to have no powers at all."
Watch: Feelings running high at start of English votes debatepublished at 12:35
Deputy speaker steps in early to urge calm
Media caption,
MP forced to apologise in English votes debate