Reacting to Keith Vaz's resignation, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said “we should respect that decision, thank him for his work as chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee and move on from there".

Mr Corbyn, who was speaking at a press conference alongside UB40, said Mr Vaz will attend Labour's National Executive Committee next week where the issue of his position there will be discussed.

To suggestions that Mr Vaz should be suspended from the NEC - Labour's ruling body - while the allegations against him are investigated, in the same way that former London Mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended a few months ago,  Mr Corbyn said: "Can we look at the allegations first."  

Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent

The watchdog for university access has given the green light to universities to increase tuition fees in England to £9,250.

Almost all universities have been approved to charge the higher fees from 2017-18 as the new upper limit.

But more than 30 have this as a minimum - raising the prospect the increase will also be applied to current students or those starting this year.

Exeter has already announced it is raising fees for continuing students.

Read more

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, House of Commons

Mr Goodwill says the UK has a proud tradition of helping those most in need and is pleased with the progress that has been made in giving sanctuary to those displaced by the conflict in Syria and living in camps in neighbouring countries.

He updates MPs on the latest figures, saying 2,898 people have been accepted by the UK under the terms of the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme so far. 

Of these, he says 48% are under 18 and 49% are female, adding that more than 80% have come to the UK since last October. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Goodwill says he plans to visit the migrant and refugee camp in Calais - dubbed the Jungle - "as soon as I possibly can". 

Labour MP David Winnick presses him on this, saying given the gravity of the humanitarian situation there, shouldn't the minister be going there this week?

Mr Goodwill says he will look at his diary and reiterates his belief that the conditions in Calais, particularly for unaccompanied children, are unacceptable. He says he will do all he can to ensure those who qualify to be given refuge in the UK under the Dublin Convention and other international agreements are moved as quickly as possible.  

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Select Committee
Parliament

With the position of Mr Vaz dealt with, the committee gets on to its main business.

Immigration minister Robert Goodwill is giving evidence - his first appearance since getting the job after Theresa May became PM in July.

Mr Goodwill says the more he learns about immigration the more he realises there is to learn. Conceding that he is new in the job, he apologises if he cannot answer every question and jokes that he hopes that the committee will not, as was reported in this morning's newspapers, set about "grilling" him.

Mr Loughton says the committee is "robust but fair" and going along with the slightly playful tone, says he hopes to elicit answers without "resorting to violence". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, House of Commons

The first meeting of the Home Affairs Select Committee of the post-Vaz era is underway - a big moment given that this is the first time this has happened since 2007.

Interim chair, Tory MP Tim Loughton, begins by noting the "change in regime" and tells observers that "if you were hoping to see Mr Vaz I am sorry to disappoint you" before adding "we will endeavour to keep standards up".

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers move on to report stage of the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill, the main purpose of which is to enable the United Kingdom to implement the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954.

They kick off with an amendment from crossbencher the Earl of Clancarty, seeking to make the language in the bill more consistent. 

Esther Webber
BBC News

Several peers have attacked a senior NHS England official Jonathan Fielden following the High Court ruling that NHS can fund a drug that can prevent HIV called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Lib Dem Lord Scriven said in a debate last night that Dr Fielden, deputy medical director of NHS England and director of specialised commissioning, had compared PrEP "with not being able to afford treatment for children with cystic fibrosis or children who do not have limbs".

Lord Scriven went on to say Dr Fielden's position was "at best unfortunate and at worst showed institutionalised homophobic language... I do not think is worthy of a senior doctor of this country". 

The criticism was echoed by Labour health spokesman Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, who said many involved in specialist HIV services "feel that blackmail is being undertaken by ​NHS England". 

He accused Dr Fielden of "a disgraceful use of words" and said he was "surprised" ministers had not called him to account.

But Health Minister Lord Prior of Brampton, who told peers he knew the doctor, responded: "He is a very humane, decent and experienced doctor and I think he would be horrified to feel that what he said or how he said it... would be interpreted in the way it has been."

The BBC has asked NHS England for comment.

You can read the whole debate in Hansard here, external.  

House of Lords
Parliament

Following a question from Lib Dem Lord Roberts of Llandudno, the Archbishop of Canterbury highlights what he calls "continual delays" in bringing unaccompanied refugee children across when they have family in the UK.

Labour's Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis as a child on the Kindertransport, says he has seen the living conditions of refugee children in the Calais camp and they are "deplorable"

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford tells peers that 122 children have come to the UK so far under the Dublin Agreement but "one child [there] is too much if a child has to stay longer than it should".

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP John Redwood calls on the government to announce today that it will not increase VAT on energy saving materials (such as loft insulation).

The level of VAT on energy saving materials is currently the subject of an EU court case, after Parliament voted to set the "lowest rate we are able to in EU law".

But since the UK voted to leave the EU and "take back control of laws over taxes", he calls on the government to take the opportunity to say it has "no wish to put up VAT".

"If we didn't tax it, it would be a bit cheaper for people to do it," and it would send out a positive message, Mr Redwood argues.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Rob Marris rises to urge the government to simplify the 1,200 tax reliefs currently available.

He acknowledges that tax simplification would mean a loss of nuance and create a more "rough and ready" approach but says such a move would help businesses. 

"The committee listened, I think in sadness to what Keith had to say and with a good deal of respect," says Tim Loughton,

He says Mr Vaz has "clearly acted in the best interests" of the committee and the "important work that we do", by deciding to step down. Mr Vaz also apologised, he says.

He says the panel paid "very fulsome tribute" to the work Mr Vaz has done, and added that the committee was determined to carry on with "business as usual". A new chair would probably be in place in October, he added.  

The Home Affairs Committee has been meeting in private to discuss the allegations regarding the private life of the now former chairman, Keith Vaz.

In a statement in Westminster, committee member Tim Loughton says Mr Vaz was present, and gave a "very frank account of what had happened" and informed them of his intention to resign.

An election will be held for a new Labour member to take over the chairmanship, he says, adding that he would be the acting chair until that election takes place.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Labour leadership hopeful Owen Smith has been pressed by a disabled Jeremy Corbyn supporter on his failure to vote against the government's changes to disability benefits. Taking part in a World at One's phone-in discussion, Mr Smith tells Anne Shelbourn he would have voted against the measures were he not bound by his membership of the shadow cabinet to abstain.  

House of Lords
Parliament

The first question is from crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool, who raises the case of a British mother detained in Tehran since April.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is due on trial on as yet unspecified charges, after being arrested while she was at an airport with her daughter Gabriella following a visit to her family on holiday.

Lord Alton asked what consideration was given to her situation and that of other detainees before the announcement of upgrading diplomatic relations with Iran and BA flights to the country.

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay of St Johns replies that "we continue to raise our strong concerns", telling peers "we share concerns of this family" and Iran's participation in the international community should be contingent on "all the responsibilities that involves". 

A photographer has captured text of a cabinet document this morning which appears to detail plans on how the government might introduce new grammar schools in England.

The photo on Twitter reveals that a consultation document suggests looking at reforming and expanding existing grammar schools in ways which wouldn't disadvantage those that don't get a place.