Reality Check

Image source, PA

An email arrives from UKIP. Nigel Farage is wondering why, as Jonathan Portes has been pointing out today, external, gross migration  to the UK from the EU was 260,000 in the year to September, but during the same period, 650,000 EU nationals registered for National Insurance numbers.

"They are pulling the wool over our eyes," Mr Farage says.  

"NiNos (National Insurance numbers) are a simple and clear reflection of the real numbers of people in this country, as without them you can neither legally work, nor claim benefits."

There is no question that the immigration figures, which are based on a survey taken at ports and airports, are imprecise, with the ONS 95% confident that the net migration figure is within plus or minus 37,000 of the true figure.

But using National Insurance numbers also presents problems. In particular, everyone who wants to work in the UK must have a National Insurance number, even if they're only working in the country for a few weeks, whereas the long-term migration figures only count people planning to stay for a year or more.

Also, the migration stats include many people who are not planning to work or claim benefits, such as children or non-working partners. People applying for a National Insurance number could have arrived at any time, not necessarily in the year or quarter in question.

So the difference between the two figures is striking, but National Insurance numbers are not a better figure to use than the migration figures.

Jane Wakefield
Technology reporter

Image source, Thinkstock

The UK regulator Ofcom has published its review of the telecoms industry, looking at how to ensure homes and businesses get the best possible phone and broadband services.

It comes at a crucial time, when consumers and governments alike recognise that broadband is nearly as vital as the water and electricity supplies.

But, complaints about net services are at an all-time high. And for many, broadband is still slow or non-existent.

Read more

Last week David Cameron agreed a package of changes to the UK's membership of the EU after two days of intensive talks with other member states' leaders in Brussels. 

The agreement, which will take effect immediately if the UK votes to remain in the EU, includes changes to:

• Child benefit - Child benefit payments to migrant workers for children living overseas to be recalculated to reflect the cost of living in their home countries.
• Migrant welfare payments - The UK can decide to limit in-work benefits for EU migrants during their first four years in the UK. This so-called "emergency brake" can be applied in the event of "exceptional" levels of migration, but must be released within seven years - without exception.
• Eurozone - Britain can keep the pound while being in Europe, and its business trade with the bloc, without fear of discrimination. Any British money spent on bailing out eurozone nations will be reimbursed.
• Protection for the City of London - Safeguards for Britain's large financial services industry to prevent eurozone regulations being imposed on it.
• Sovereignty - There is an explicit commitment that the UK will not be part of an "ever closer union" with other EU member states. This will be incorporated in an EU treaty change.
• 'Red card' for national parliaments - It will be easier for governments to band together to block unwanted legislation. If 55% of national EU parliaments object to a piece of EU legislation it will be rethought.
• Competitiveness - The settlement calls on all EU institutions and member states to "make all efforts to fully implement and strengthen the internal market" and to take "concrete steps towards better regulation", including by cutting red tape.
• Some limits on free movement - Denying automatic free movement rights to nationals of a country outside the EU who marry an EU national, as part of measures to tackle "sham" marriages. There are also new powers to exclude people believed to be a security risk - even if they have no previous convictions.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative grandee Sir Edward Leigh complains there is a "lack of vision on the pro-European side" which was not the case when the UK held a referendum on joining the European Economic Community in 1975.

He says the only argument against leaving seems to be life outside the EU is unknown. 

"If we are united in this House on staying out of Schengen and staying out of the common currency, then why are we told that there will be Armageddon when the people vote to leave?" he asks 

"Let's trust people, let's not be afraid and let's regain our freedom," he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

As the debate enters its third hour, Deputy Speaker Natascha Engel intervenes to reduce the MPs speech time to seven minutes.

The Eurosceptic contingent of MPs seem to be happy to leave it up to Conservative backbenchers to do most of the debating - no Eurosceptics Labour MPs or MPs from the Eurosceptic DUP appear to be looking to speak.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin says the real "unknown" is what will happen if the UK votes to remain in the European Union.

Countering claims that voting to leave the EU is to "leap into the unknown" he tells MPs "the real question is what will happen if we vote remain: what laws will we have imposed on us, what judgements form the European Court of Justice will be imposed on us".

"We know what will happen if we stay, we will get our powers back, we'll get control of borders and we'll get our money back - around £350m a week," he adds

Commenting on the MoJ's decision, Labour said it "beggars belief" that the department has "had to abandon yet another procurement process" - and demanded to know how much it had cost. Jo Stevens, shadow prisons and probation minister, said:

Image source, Scie

Plans to introduce bespoke electronic tags for offenders released from jail have been dropped by Justice Secretary Michael Gove.

The department is terminating its contract to develop the tags with British company Steatite, reversing former justice secretary Chris Grayling's policy.

Dominic Raab, a minister at the Ministry of Justice, said it would be "more appropriate" to buy off-the-shelf technology which is already available.

Mr Gove has scrapped several of his predecessor's policies, including the criminal courts charge and a controversial £5.9m bid to run prison training services in Saudi Arabia. 

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

The Liberal Democrats' only MEP, Catherine Bearder, has labelled people campaigning for the UK to quit the EU "idiotic". During a debate in the European Parliament, she argued in favour of the UK staying a member, and said:

Ben Wright
BBC political correspondent

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The European Court of Justice has today confirmed that EU migrants can be refused social benefits for their first months living in another EU country. The Court's judgement refers to a long-running dispute between a Spanish family and a German employment centre. The family was refused subsistence benefits when it first arrived in Germany.

This judgement confirms the Court's recent case law. In a legal opinion given in June last year the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice said excluding EU migrants from benefits during their first three months of residence was compatible with EU law. 

Should the UK start to use a new system to elect MPs at Westminster?

House of Commons
Parliament

"If anyone wants to see the illusion of sovereignty tell them to come here," Conservative MP Nigel Evans tells MPs. 

Mr Evans says he will be voting out because the EU prevents the UK's elected representatives from delivering on their promises.

He gives an example: "In our manifesto , externalwe said we'd stop child benefits being given to children who had never set foot in this country but we can't because the European Union will not let us."

"It's all about sovereignty," he concludes.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden calls on MPs who are claiming the UK can easily establish trade deals with large economies, such as China, to look at the detail of some of the trade deals between China and individual countries.

He tells MPs he has read many of these deals and the "trade agreements are often complete and free access for China, and limited and tariffed access for the smaller country". 

"I disagree we have a choice between trading with the world and trading with Europe. We can do both," he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee Sir Bill Cash tells MPs that "voters are being cheated" by claims that the UK's negotiation is "irreversible". 

Sir Bill says his committee has found that the proposed renegotiation "cannot be guaranteed" as, amongst other things, it "does not bind the European Court of Justice". 

"Unless the voter knows that they're going to get the whole package [of renegotiations] and can be guaranteed that it's going to come into effect they have no reason to have confidence in answering the question whether to stay in or leave," the Conservative MP adds. 

David Cameron has admitted that net migration in Britain is "still too high" but said the government was taking action "across the board" to bring the numbers down.

Speaking at a question and answer section with BAE employees in Preston, Mr Cameron said it was important to "fix the issue of welfare" concerning EU migrants and added "now that we have this agreement, that will have an impact".

He said it was necessary to tighten up the rules regarding free movement, but that his EU reform measures would "do all of that and make a real difference".

Nick Robinson gauges the mood of people from Swindon about the EU referendum.