Pressed further over the timing of an EU deal on the UK's reform aims, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says:

The BBC has defended its decision not to give the Greens any Party Political Broadcasts this year.  The party has complained, saying it is not fair that the Liberal Democrats will have three such broadcasts, while they will have none. 

A spokesman for the BBC said the Greens had lodged an appeal and that was now being dealt with in a formal process. He said: 

Ofsted has told schools in England they will be marked down in inspections if, by allowing girls to wear face veils, they create a barrier to learning.  

The head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw, says he wants to give his "full backing" to heads wanting to impose a ban on full face veils. He is concerned that some head teachers are "coming under pressure" to relax a ban on face veils, either for staff or pupils.

The Department for Education says it is "clearly right" that if veils are interfering with learning that Ofsted should take action.

The Muslim Council of Britain called for "accommodation" over wearing the veil.  

Read more. 

Image source, Getty Images

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is being questioned by the House of Lords EU Select Committee.

Asked about the timeframe for an EU-agreed deal on the UK's renegotiations, he says the "ambition" is to secure an agreement at next month's European Council summit. But he stressed that it was more important to get the "right deal" rather than "a quick deal".

He also recognises that the EU "has got a couple of other issues on its plate" at the moment. "Although the British renegotiation is number one on our Europe agenda" it isn't for any other EU leaders, he says, "except perhaps for the Irish".

He said he was "confident" there would be "substantive discussion" on the renegotiations at next month's summit. 

Arif Ansari
Politics correspondent, BBC North West Tonight

It's been decided the expenses watchdog IPSA - not the police - will investigate the expenses of Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk. But Greater Manchester Police say they will be kept informed. Yesterday, Liberal Democrats in Rochdale made a complaint of fraud which the MP absolutely denies.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson, has told MPs changes in court fees introduced in March last year risk denying access to justice for people on modest incomes and small businesses. 

One of the changes was a hike in the fee to start proceedings for the recovery of money to 5% of the value of all claims over £10,000.

Lord Dyson told the Justice Committee this could amount to a big jump in fees for someone like a builder trying to get money from a client.

Russia has hit back after an official inquiry found the killing of dissident ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko was probably authorised by President Vladimir Putin. 

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warns the findings of the inquiry will "certainly worsen" relations between London and Moscow and that British officials could be sued for slander. Mr Litvinenko died after ingesting radioactive polonium at a hotel in London.  At a news conference in Moscow, Mr Lavrov said "grave accusations" had been made against the Russian leadership, but there was "absolutely no proof" for the inquiry's conclusions. 

The Greens have written to the BBC to appeal against a decision not to allocate them any party political broadcasts in 2016. Leader Natalie Bennett said allowing Liberal Democrats three party political broadcasts while the Greens had none was "manifestly unfair". 

Under current plans, the Conservatives, Labour, the Lib Dems and UKIP will all get three nationwide TV broadcasts, while Welsh and Scottish nationalist parties will also get broadcasts in Wales and Scotland respectively, but Greens will get none. 

The Greens say support for the party in England quadrupled from 1% to 4.2% between the 2010 and 2015 general elections. Natalie Bennett said: 

Carole Walker
Political correspondent

The Electoral Commission will open registration for campaigners in the EU Referendum on 1 February, even though no date has been set for the referendum.  The Commission said individuals and organisations which plan to spend more than £10,000 should (from then) start recording all donations and loans that are over £7,500. It said spending on referendum campaigning before the start of the referendum period would not count towards a campaigner's spending limit.

A spokeswoman said the move was not connected to speculation about a referendum date, but was in line with the requirement in the EU referendum Act for increased transparency of campaigners' finances.   

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, Diocese of Newcastle

A second woman bishop has taken her place in the House of Lords. The Bishop of Newcastle, the Right Reverend Christine Hardman, joins as a "Lord Spiritual", after a law was passed meaning any vacancies should be filled by women. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Over at the Home Affairs Select Committee, MPs are talking about the migration crisis. They are hearing from Khalid Chaouki, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies who is also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

He says Italy is the third-largest "accepter of migrants" after Germany and Sweden.

However, he claims that, compared to the pressures on countries such as Jordan, "our figures are quite ridiculous, embarrassing".

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour is trying to put an ammendment through Parliament that would stop the government's plans to extend the "Right to Buy" to more housing association tenants. Shadow cabinet office minister Anna Turley told MPs: 

Image source, PA

More now on the government's proposals for tougher penalties for drivers who use hand-held phones while driving. 

A Department for Transport consultation, external proposes increasing both penalty points and fines for offenders. It cites research suggesting 9% of motorists regularly take "selfies" behind the wheel.

Read more.

Tom Edgington
Radio 4 Political Producer

The Head of Business Tax at HMRC has been speaking to Radio 4's World At One

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

So, the fall-out from the Panorama programme on Medway continues.

A resignation, to add to the five dismissals and four suspensions; an inspection report blaming failings in managerial oversight and a panel of experts to oversee improvements.

It's this development, announced by Michael Gove, which carries the most significance.

One of the panel's terms of reference is to report to the Justice Secretary by March on whether it has "confidence in the capability" of G4S and the Youth Justice Board, among other bodies, to meet "appropriate safeguarding standards" at Medway.

That sounds to me like a last chance for the controversial private security company to prove that it's able to fulfil the terms of its contract to run Medway, a contact which was renewed by Mr Gove last year.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4