Image source, Getty Images

A brief round-up of today's political stories, including David Cameron's speech to the CBI conference in which he said he's "deadly serious" about the need for EU reform.

• The prime minister said that if his EU renegotiations fail "we will have to ask ourselves - 'is this organisation for us?'"
• He is due to set out his reform proposals in detail on Tuesday
• George Osborne says four government departments have provisionally agreed to cut spending by an average of 30% over the next four years
• Changes to the way government money is allocated to police forces in England and Wales will be delayed, Police Minister Mike Penning has said
• Nine new prisons will open in England and Wales - five by 2020 - under plans to close "Victorian" jails and sell them for housing, the government says
• Vote Leave has urged the incoming leader of the Confederation of British Industry to rethink the lobby group's stance on the EU.

Vote Leave, the group campaigning for an EU exit, has been referred to Companies House following today's protest during David Cameron's speech to the CBI, the PoliticsHome website reports., external

It says businessman Charlie Mullins, the head of Pimlico Plumbers, has written to the body over whether the campaign "acted inappropriately and unethically".

Britain Stronger In Europe - which backs continued EU membership - said Vote Leave "clearly have questions to answer" about their tactics.

As we reported earlier, tensions have been rising as MPs debate the Scotland Bill for the last time before it goes to the House of Lords. Here's a flavour of the latest exchanges from BBC political correspondent Tim Reid.  

Image source, bbc

Boris Johnson experiences what it feels like to be a dog and gets into his part complete with barking noises at a technology event in Israel.

The London mayor is on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories to boost trade, including technology partnerships.

At the Google Campus in Tel Aviv - a hub for entrepreneurs and developers - he had the chance to demonstrate a dog simulation.

Watch the video here.

Image source, CBI

As the CBI panel discussion rounds off, lawyer Miriam González says teachers are unaware of the resources and research available on understanding how children learn.

"We are still focused on spotting talent and measuring that talent. We should be focusing on creating talent."

She goes on to say children from middle and upper class backgrounds were being trained for exams but that "year six is wasted" because children learn how to pass exams rather than actually learning.

Great careers advice is needed in schools and the situation at the moment is "atrocious". In her experience, pupils are unable to see the opportunities out there for them and that, sometimes, girls need more encouragement.  

She makes a plea to the government to organise people who wanted to offer their expertise. "Please organise us because some of us we are doing this in our free time. Frankly in the education department, this is your job."

Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid-Derbyshire, has complained about a lack of female toilets on the parliamentary estate.

Her point of order in the Commons comes after reports that Speaker John Bercow was looking at installing gender-neutral toilets for transgender people.

Ms Latham said there were no transgender MPs and asked the Speaker to "make sure we have sufficient toilets for women before we look at people who are not even here yet".

In response, the Speaker confirmed it was “absolutely true” that Professor Sarah Childs from the University of Bristol has been appointed to look at steps to make Parliament "a more gender-sensitive" place.

However, he warned against “jumping the gun” at what this might mean for the local toilet facilities.

On the subject of grammar schools, Nicky Morgan tells the panel at the CBI conference that "we're not going to return to a selective system", adding that she didn't "want to fight the battles of the past".

Nicky Morgan says she does not accept the British education system lets down children from disadvantaged backgrounds but goes on to draw attention to the "soft bigotry" of low expectations - what she describes as the "assumptions that sometimes are made in schools that kids from areas like these aren't going to go to university". 

Image source, CBI

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says she wants schools to be more aware of where students end up - whether that is in work or in further education.

She says she wants to get away from the word "vocational" and move on to "technical and professional because that's what it is". Parents and families also need to change their views on "vocational" courses, she adds. 

Image source, CPI

Asked about how the spending review will affect her department, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says that although the schools budget is protected, the department would have "to play our part" in re-balancing the economy. In that context, she also says she disagrees with the idea of fining schools which are under performing. 

Lawyer Miriam González said she went to a state school in Spain and then to the nearest public university to her village. She says state schools were "in my DNA", which is why she sent her own children to a state school as well, rather than it being a political decision. 

At the CBI conference Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens said he doesn't think the British education system is world class but has "pockets of excellence". He adds there needs to be more improvement in vocational training, which he says has an image issue and needs to be celebrated instead. 

Lawyer Miriam González - whose husband is Nick Clegg - said teachers needed to be engaged in making the education system better, rather than having things imposed on them, because the teachers will bring enthusiasm. 

To these criticisms Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said the UK has great teachers and great schools, but we just don't have them everywhere - agreeing with comments made by Mr Maier. She says there is indeed a need to engage with teachers and headteachers.

Nicky Morgan, education secretary, speaking at the CBI conference says ambitions should be global to allow children to compete with their peers. 

She says the government was able to protect schools budget in real terms and have made improvements in children's education but they "need to go further". She says every child should master the basics so they can get on in life. She adds they have "put an end to hollow low value qualifications". 

Mrs Morgan says academies give greater freedom to those best placed to make decisions about schools. She says businesses can help to deliver a world-class education system and encourages business to write to her to get involved in a variety of ways.

House of Commons
Parliament

Policing minister Mike Penning tells MPs the police funding formula for 2016-17 will be based on the existing formula, with an announcement due in December.

Labour shadow policing minister Jack Dromey says it's been an "omnishambles process" and says the minister's first apology should have been to the police forces affected. He calls for an "independent third party" to oversee the new process, and also calls on the minister to apologise to the public.

Responding, Mr Penning says he thinks the House would be "disappointed" in the shadow minister's "tone".