The Daily Politics

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said the government would announce which sink estates would be demolished and regenerated by the time of the Autumn Statement later this year.

Mr Lewis couldn't give a time for when the projects will be finished but he said the benefits of the scheme would be felt during the Prime Minister's time in office. 

Speaking about the announcement that pension funds would help fund the infrastructure projects he said he couldn't "outline" what had been agreed as there were issues of confidentiality. 

He said people would be "rehomed" while the work was going on. without saying whether or not there would be a guaranteed home at the same location afterwards. He said they didn't want to "impose" changes and would work with local authorities and people.

He didn't rule out the use of compulsory purchase orders to clear the estates for development.

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Leanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru called David Cameron's decision to give ministers freedom over the European Union a "mockery". She said the government needed "leadership" and the cabinet look like they will be "completely split" over the issue. She said voters will be left confused.

She said Wales should not be pulled out against their will, she said there should be agreement with all four countries in the UK before leaving. 

Commons leader Chris Grayling returned fire earlier in the Commons, after his Labour shadow Chris Bryant had some fun at his expense over his Eurosceptic views (see earlier entries).

Mr Grayling accused the Labour MP of lacking the courage of his convictions by not resigning from the shadow cabinet as others had done over their party's stance on Trident and terrorism. 

UK interest rates kept unchanged at record low of 0.5% by the Bank of England.

Follow our developing story here.  

Image source, Getty Images

Responding to an article by Chris Grayling saying the EU is "disastrous" for the UK, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron says: 

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Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn are joined by Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood to discuss the government's housing strategy with housing minister Brandon Lewis, plus cabinet splits on Europe and recruiting graduates into social work.

They also talk to Women and Equalities Committee chairwoman Maria Miller and former boxing promoter Kellie Maloney to discuss transgender equality, after MPs urrged ministers to draw up a new strategy to tackle discrimination. Adam Fleming has been testing the public temperature on the issue with the Daily Politics (completely unscientific) moodbox.

All that and more from 1200 to 1300 GMT on BBC 2, or you can watch online by clicking on the 'Live Coverage' tab above.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Nearly 500 Labour Party members and candidates have petitioned Jeremy Corbyn to publish a critical report by the former cabinet minister Margaret Beckett into the party's election defeat.

A number of senior figures in the party have also demanded the report be released.

Former welfare minister Frank Field this morning said not publishing the report was "the equivalent to ship builders commissioning a report on why the Titanic sunk, ignoring the results and continuing to build Titanic-type ships".

The report was commissioned by the former interim leader Harriet Harman. It's understood it was completed last year and handed to Mr Corbyn in November.

Mr Corbyn's office have declined to give a date for publication.

The petition says  - "We call upon Jeremy Corbyn to release the Beckett report in order that members can better understand the reasons which lead to defeat last May."

Critical labour MPs say they believe Mr Corbyn is reluctant to publish because it does not support his views on why Labour failed at the last election.

It is thought the report stresses that voters did not trust labour on the economy and were not convinced by its leadership.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Mr Green, part of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, told the Today programme: “The key myth in Chris's article is when he says there are calls for still more integration. It is a very explicit and very important part of the prime minister's renegotiation that Britain won't be committed to ever closer union." 

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

Forget last week's carefully constructed instructions from Number 10, the private disagreements in the cabinet over Europe have now gone public.

The leader of the House of Commons, Chris Grayling, has made it abundantly clear that the chances of him voting to stay in the EU are about the same as the chances of David Cameron inviting Jeremy Corbyn along the next time he and Samantha pop down to Cornwall.

Read more of Laura's blog.

Mr Grayling did not immediately address Mr Bryant's speech in the house. In an article in the Telegraph, external Mr Grayling had earlier said that the UK staying in the EU would be disastrous, arguing that UK sovereignty was under threat.

Responding to Chris Grayling's article saying it would be disastrous for the UK to stay in the EU, Mr Bryant says: 

Chris Bryant, Labour's shadow leader of the house, says Mr Grayling is "pretending he supports the prime minister's renegotiation strategy, when he's really desperate to burst out of his pink shirt and mount the barricades with the banner of English nationalism." He says Mr Grayling is "desperate" to keep his place in the cabinet to maximise his chances of becoming a Conservative leadership candidate, and he adds:

Chris Bryant, Labour's shadow leader of the Commons, has called on Chris Grayling to officially lead the Conservative Out campaign, "There's a vacancy - surely the outers want a leader? Cometh the hour, cometh the man, come on down the new leader of the house, the new leader of the out campaign." But he adds that Mr Grayling's article in the Telegraph is 

Image source, Green Party

The first transgender candidate to stand for election to the Northern Ireland Assembly - Ellen Murray - will run for the Green Party, it says, external.

Image source, Getty Images

The major energy suppliers are facing more pressure to cut bills with a new study highlighting falls in gas and electricity prices on international markets. The analysis by the firm, ICIS, found the wholesale cost of gas had dropped by a third during the past year and there had been a 23% reduction in the electricity price.

Lisa Nandy MP, Labour’s shadow energy secretary, said:

Spanish Socialist Ramón Jauregui Atondo says the negotiations have been carried out on the assumption that the UK will vote to remain in the EU. 

He asks what will happen to the changes implied by the agreement if the UK votes to leave. 

Jonathan Faull says he doesn't want to "speculate" on the outcome of the vote. 

"I don't even have a vote myself, I've lived abroad for too long", he adds. 

French Socialist Pervenche Beres says that the eventual UK_EU deal could have a possible impact on the powers of the European Parliament, and the possible future of changes to the eurozone. 

He says she is concerned that there have been "no consultations" on this issue. 

In response, Jonathan Faull says members of the Commission have always been ready to meet with members of the European Parliament. 

He adds that "there is no suggestion" that any country is pushing for impediments on future eurozone integration to be a part of the deal. 

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe explains the details behind the announcement that 600 extra armed officers are to be deployed on the streets of London.