The Home Office has taken control of fire and rescue policy in England ahead of planned closer working with the police. 

The Home Office said the move would allow a "radical transformation" of how the police, fire and rescue co-operate.

The services were previously the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

MP Mike Penning will take over the portfolio as minister for policing, fire, criminal justice and victims.

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The government's statement about the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia has wound up and shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn, who has pretty much been ever present in the Commons chamber since 15.30 GMT, can move onto other matters. Will he be joining Jeremy Corbyn and other top Labour figures who are still discussing the make-up of the shadow cabinet elsewhere in the Palace of Westminster?  

Image source, Getty Images

Liz Truss made a statement to Parliament earlier about the government's response to the severe flooding in the North of England and Scotland over Christmas and the New Year.

Here is a summary of what the environment secretary said.

• About 16,000 houses in England were flooded during the wettest December in a century
• Flood defences had protected more than 20,000 homes
• Financial aid was provided in "record time"
• Rebuilding Tadcaster Bridge in North Yorkshire would be a national priority

Read our full story, including Labour's criticism of what it described as the government's "sticking plaster response".

Image source, UK Parliament

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn has been the subject of a frenzy of speculation in the past few days. The man himself has been getting on with his work and is now speaking in the Commons, responding for Labour during a debate on the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia. 

BBC News Channel

Labour's Chuka Umunna tells the BBC that the "sooner (the reshuffle) is done the better", suggesting it is distracting from the opposition's ability to hold the government to account. While David Cameron had been forced to give ground on the EU referendum, he says the PM's weakness was "going unchecked" because of the focus on Labour divisions. While he respects the right of leaders "to make their decisions" and build a coherent team around them, he says that the now-sacked Michael Dugher was "one of the most effective" operators in taking the fight to the Conservatives and would be missed. 

Image source, Reuters

MPs are to debate whether to bar Donald Trump from entering the UK in response to a public petition calling for action against the US Presidential candidate.

About 568,000 people have backed a petition calling on the tycoon to be barred for comments he made about banning Muslims from the US.

Labour MP Paul Flynn will lead a debate in Westminster Hall on 18 January.

David Cameron has condemned Mr Trump, who has major business interests in the UK, but said he should be allowed in.

Read our full story

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, UK Parliament

Theresa May, home secretary, opens her Commons statement by saying she cannot comment on the identity of the man with a British accent who featured in ISIS-Daesh's latest propaganda video since it is the subject of a police investigation. Speaking more broadly, she says 800 British nationals who pose a "security concern" have travelled to Syria in the past few years and that roughly half of these have returned. She goes on to list all the steps that the government has taken to monitor them. 

But replying for Labour, Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham says that if the man in the video, as the BBC understands, is Siddhartha Dhar then "something has clearly gone very wrong" since he was allowed to abscond while on police bail for terror offences. He says there has been a "major lapse in security" which must be the subject of a full inquiry, the details of which should be published. He concludes by claiming that the "system has failed". Read our full story