George Osborne delivers Autumn Statement and Spending Review
The chancellor says he has abandoned planned cuts to tax credits
Police budgets also escape cuts with economy boosted by £27bn windfall
Labour says working families will still lose out
Autumn Statement sets out state of UK economy and signals tax and welfare plans
Spending Review set out details of plans to cut government spending over next few years
Alan Johnson, former Labour home secretary, gives his thoughts on Jeremy Corbyn's response to David Cameron's defence review statement yesterday:
Quote MessageIt wasn't his finest hour but it's very difficult to respond to these things."
BBC political editor tweets...
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Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson says the party will abstain in today's vote, saying the motion will have no effect. The party is reviewing its policy on Trident, with leader Jeremy Corbyn opposed to the programme - but Mr Johnson says the current party policy is in favour of retaining Trident.
Brendan O'Hara, of the SNP, says that Trident undermines UK national security, saying it's a "political weapon".
Stepping away from Foreign Office questions for a moment, Brendan O'Hara, SNP MP, is speaking to the Daily Politics about the party's debate on Trident later. He says Scotland has spoken very strongly against Britain's nuclear weapons programme and adds that the party has "a legitimate right" to put forward the case against it in Westminster.
He says he's "astonished" people are saying they've tabled the motion just to highlight Labour divisions over Trident, remarking that those divisions are already out in the open.
Conservative MP Peter Bone doesn't hold back in offering his thoughts on the UK's EU reform objectives ahead of the in/out referendum. "This negotiation is just a joke," he tells the minister.
Responding, David Lidinton says the task of negotiating "is not quite as easy as he made out in his question", before defending the UK's aims.
The questioning turns to Europe, specifically the Lords decision to back lowering the voting age in the EU referendum to 16 - something the government opposes.
Euope Minister David Lidington tells MPs the government will "propose to overturn this latest amendment from the Lords".
But Labour - which backs extending the franchise - says ministers should accept the Lords decision, with shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden arguing that 16- and 17-year-olds should be given "a proper say" in the future of the UK.
Mr Lidington says such a change should not be made on a one-off basis, and that the right time to debate lowering the voting age is when it would apply to all UK elections.
In response to a question from his opposition counterpart, Hilary Benn, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond tells MPs there is "no doubt" that the head of the so-called Islamic State, or Daesh - which he refers to as a "multi-tentacled monster" - is in Raqqa, Syria.
Quote MessageIts logistics, its controlling brain, its strategic communications, which are extremely effective, are all run from that headquarters. We will not destroy it by cutting of its limbs. We can only destroy it be going for the head, for the heart."
Commenting on reports that Turkey has shot down a Russian military aircraft, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says the UK government is seeking "further details urgently".
Quote MessageClearly this is potentially a serious incident but I think it wouldn't be wise to comment any further until we've got more certainty on the facts."
Conservative MP Luke Hall makes the case for the UK to extend its air strikes to IS targets in Syria. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond agrees. He says both he and the prime minister "believe it is morally unacceptable to outsource an action which is essential to the defence of the UK and UK ctiizens around the world to others, and that is why we will be seeking a military build a consensus in the House for taking military action to Daesh in Raqqa."
Tobias Ellwood, Foreign Office minister, says the UK is working with Jordan and the UN to provide employment programmes to refugees in the camps bordering Syria, to help them maintain their skills.
Quote MessageBecause when the guns finally fall silent in Syria we need those skills to be transferred back into the country."
Quote MessageAir strikes alone will not destroy Daesh (also known as IS)… But they have to be a part of the overall solution."
Philip Hammond, Foreign secretary
Quote MessageIf we are going to stop this spread of terrorism we have to tackle it at its heart, and its heart is in Raqqa, Syria."
Jo Coburn is joined by Labour MP Alan Johnson for the duration of Tuesday's programme.
Foreign affairs analyst Tim Marshall and Col Bob Stewart, a member of the defence select committee, will be on hand to discuss reports Turkey has downed a Russian warplane near the Syria border.
After it was announced front-line NHS services in England will get a £3.8bn, above-inflation cash injection, Janet Davies, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing and Conservative MP Dan Poulter will discuss what the money means.
Ahead of an SNP debate in the Commons later on Trident, Brendan O’Hara will join Jo and Alan to talk about the future of the UK’s nuclear weapons system.
Also on the programme:
You can watch on BBC Two from noon or using the Live Coverage tab above.
House of Commons
Parliament
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is asked what his department is doing to support political stability in Tunisia, Libya and the surrounding region.
Mr Hammond tells MPs the UK is "actively supporting" UN efforts to reach "a lasting political agreement in Libya, and helping Tunisia and other north African countries to build legitimate and inclusive institutions" and strong economies. He says he'll be visiting Tunisia to assess the effectiveness of UK assistance.
He adds that since the Sousse attacks the UK realised that "a bit more attention" needs to be focused "on those countries one step away from the chaos that is going on in Libya".
A Foreign Office spokeswoman has described the shooting down of a Russian air force jet near the Turkish-Syrian border as a "very serious incident". She said:
Quote MessageA Russian air force jet was shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border this morning. We are seeking further details urgently. Clearly this is a very serious incident but it would be unwise to comment further until we have more certainty on the facts."
Armed Forces minister Penny Mordaunt is urging Labour MPs to "do what they think is right" and vote to renew the Trident nuclear capability in today's Commons vote.
Labour MPs have been ordered by their party whips to abstain in the SNP-led debate. During a visit to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, Ms Mordaunt told a BBC Scotland reporter defence was "too important to play politics with".
Quote MessageI would say to every member of the House, whether it's something as serious as going to war, whether it's as something as important as the ultimate insurance policy for our nation, people should do what they think is right. And I think that many Labour MPs believe that we should have this capability. I believe in it passionately. I think it is absolutely vital that in this day and age we have it. And I hope that everyone will be supporting that this evening."
Foreign Office questions is under way in the Commons, with MPs from all sides of the House raising queries with secretary of state Philip Hammond and his ministerial team.
Watch on BBC Two, from noon
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