David Cameron has held talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels
The prime minister says there is no deal yet on curbing welfare payments to EU migrants
Eurosceptics criticise talk of an "emergency brake" on in-work benefits that would have to be agreed by a majority of EU states
That's all for Monday's live coverage. There's plenty going on tomorrow with meetings of the cabinet, shadow cabinet and Labour's ruling National Executive Committee. There's also a plethora of interesting select committee hearings, among them Environment Secretary Liz Truss being questioned about the government's response to the floods over Christmas and the New Year and Philip Hammond on the EU referendum. Please join us then.
During Monday's report stage debate on the Welfare Bill, ministers announced the government would be exempting recipients of carer's allowance from the overall household benefit cap, which is set to fall to a maximum of £20,000 outside London and £23,00 in the capital.
Lord Freud said the government valued the contribution carers made to society and was taking further steps to support them. Read more
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Image source, PAPaul Goodman has been assessing Cecil Parkinson's contribution to the Conservative hegemony of the 1980s and his political legacy. Writing in ConservativeHome, external, he says.
Quote MessageThe story of Parkinson’s resignation is too well known to require telling again, but that it involved three women in different capacities hints at his charm – just as his rank as Trade and Industry Secretary, and his previous post as a landslide-assisting party chairman, help to convey his steel, brains and ability.
Quote MessageThe new conservatism that Thatcher was forging lacked heavyweight champions during her first parliamentary term. Parkinson was one of the first to emerge, and he put the case for her policies and against Michael Foot’s smoothly but substantially: where others lectured, he sought to persuade.
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David Cameron has spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel this evening to discuss progress in the UK's EU renegotiations, migration issues and the Syria conference that they will co-host in London next week. A Downing Street spokesperson said.
Quote MessageOn the UK renegotiation, they agreed that there had been progress since December's European Council and that there was genuine good will across the EU to address the British people's concerns in all four areas. Both concluded that there was more work to do ahead of the February European Council to find the right solutions.
Mark Thatcher has paid tribute to the late Cecil Parkinson as a "truly great man and great personal friend of our family". Norman Fowler, who served alongside him in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet, said he was "very much his own man". He added:
Quote MessageHe stood up for his own beliefs. It was a tragedy that the Sara Keays affair got in the way, otherwise he was Margaret Thatcher's natural successor and she would have regarded him as such
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House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, UK ParliamentEarlier this evening, the government was defeated in the House of Lords on child poverty and its plans to reform the welfare system.
Peers voted by a majority of 92 insisting on a change to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill which would force ministers to report annually on the levels of income in the poorest households.
The move was spearheaded by the Bishop of Durham, The Rt Rev Paul Butler, who argued income-related statistics must be recorded so they could be assessed with other measurements of deprivation.
Image source, Getty ImagesPolitical pressure is continuing to grow on the government to take in thousands of unaccompanied refugee children who have made it into Europe.
Former cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles said those "at risk" should be treated with "Christian spirit".
Former Children's Minister Tim Loughton said there was a strong humanitarian case to help those "in limbo".
Ministers say no decision has been made but charities want the UK to admit 3,000 minors from Syria and elsewhere.
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The main political stories so far today:
Home Secretary Theresa May has said Europe is facing an "unprecedented migration crisis" and complained that so far there has been "more talk than action". She was speaking after a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
Quote MessageTogether with my counterparts from France and Germany, I made the case for urgent action, not just to deal with the immediate crisis, but also to resolve the situation in the longer term... We need urgently to work together to ensure that we can have proper processing at Europe's external borders, that we're returning illegal migrants, and that we're working up-stream in transit and origin countries. Europe is struggling to cope and every country needs to act now."
Pressed on whether EU leaders would reach a deal at next month's European Council summit, Mr Cameron told reporters it was possible.
Image source, PAQuote MessageIt is possible for it to happen in February. If there is a good deal on the table, I'll take that deal, I'll take it to the British people and explain why it's the best of both worlds. But it has got to be the best of both worlds. It has got to be the right deal. If it is not there we've got plenty of time. We don't need a referendum until the end of 2017."
The PM stressed that he was not going to "rush" the process.
Quote MessageI have tried to approach this in a very sensible way throughout the last few months, travelling around Europe, explaining what needs to be done, putting very concrete and sensible proposals on the table. If all of those get a proper and sensible response, we can do this in February. But I would rather get it right than do it in a rush."
Speaking at a joint press conference with Irish PM Enda Kenny earlier, David Cameron said the government was "making progress" in its EU renegotiations, adding "and I am confident that with the right political will we can secure the reforms that will address the concerns of the British people".
Sean Curran
Parliamentary correspondent
The Labour MP, Huw Irranca-Davies, has resigned as chair of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, triggering a new election. Only Labour MPs can put themselves forward to chair the committee.
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Image source, PacemakerIf Britain left the European Union, it would create "serious difficulties" for Northern Ireland, the Irish prime minister has said.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was speaking after a meeting with UK Prime Minster David Cameron at Downing Street on Monday.
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MPs are debating an urgent question on child refugees tabled by Labour's Yvette Cooper.
She called on the government to take in more children, especially those with family already in Britain "who are desperate" to look after them.
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire says "no decision has been taken yet" on whether to take in child refugees in addition to the 20,000 refugees from camps in and around Syria that the government has already pledged to take.
He said any decision would be made in the best interest of the child and that the issue was under careful consideration.