House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are debating a group of amendments, including a government amendment to require local authorities to have regard to the mental health of children and young people in their care, as well as their physical health.

The provisions of the bill extent to England and Wales but the amendment concerns local authorities in England only.

House of Commons
Parliament

The royal charter is the constitutional basis for the BBC's existence. The current charter runs out on 31 December, with the new one taking effect at the start of 2017.

Key changes for this charter include:

• The charter runs for 11 years, to take it out of step with the current five year electoral cycle.
• All BBC employees who earn more than £150,000 a year will have their salaries disclosed, although last week the government announced that the new BBC Studios division, which makes hits like Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear, will be exempt.
• The BBC will be regulated by Ofcom, which already regulates the rest of the broadcasting industry, and audited by the public auditor, the National Audit Office.

Image source, PA

Earlier we reported Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith's intention to run against the Conservative Party in a by-election if Heathrow airport goes ahead with a third runway.

Now, his south-west London colleague Stephen Hammond has come out in favour of new runways at both Heathrow and Gatwick. 

The former transport minister said: "We've been waiting for a long time for airport expansion in the UK. We need it."

Mr Hammond added: "Brexit is going to happen and what we need to show is that we're open for business. The clear way to show that is to give the green light to both Gatwick and Heathrow.” 

Eleanor Garnier
Political Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Health Secretary has refused to comment on reports that the Prime Minister told the head of NHS England the Health Service would not be getting extra money in next month's Autumn Statement.

Appearing in front of the Health Select Committee Jeremy Hunt said it was a "private meeting" and that "discussions between Cabinet ministers and the Treasury and No 10 about the future contents of budgets and autumn statements are confidential matters".

Asked if he was fighting for the NHS Mr Hunt said: "I stand by my record as Health Secretary in fighting for budgets for the NHS in both the Autumn statement of 2014 when I secured an extra £1.8bn for the NHS and in the spending review last year when I secured a bigger increase for the NHS than any other government department."

Earlier in the hearing the Chief Executive of NHS England Simon Stevens said that "2018-19 will be the most pressurised year for us." Mr Stevens told the Committee "given we've got an aging and growing population if you look at population growth before taking account of ageing... 2018-19 will be most pressurised year for us where we will actually have negative person NHS funding growth in England. And for other years we'll have very modest increases."

Select Committee
Parliament

Ivor Frank acknowledges that the inquiry has an obligation to complete its work by 2020 but emphasises that the date cannot be cast in stone.

He seeks to assure MPs that all members of the panel look forward to a time when they have a life beyond the inquiry.

"So do we," shouts a voice from the audience.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani asks if Alexis Jay can provide a timeframe for the inquiry.

Alexis Jay says an interim report will be published by 2018 and expects significant progress towards a conclusion by the end of 2020.

Image source, HoC

Labour MP David Winnick asks "would it not be the case that it would have been very difficult for the inquiry to continue", had Justice Goddard not resigned.

Select Committee
Parliament

SNP MP Stuart McDonald asks if the committee now has everything it needs.

Alexis Jay says that the inquiry is having trouble securing a suitable venue for hearings.

She explains that once landlords find out what the premises will be used for, they withdraw, not wishing to be associated with the nature of the work.

Select Committee
Parliament

Alexis Jay tells the committee she had become increasingly concerned about the "lack of involvement" the panel had in day-to-day governance.

She adds that "it was no secret" that Lowell Goddard would have preferred to be sitting alone "rather than with the assistance of the panel".

"We believed our role was to exercise governance, not micromanage but to ensure the inquiry was on track to deliver the objectives," she says.

But Dame Lowell, she says, had a different view.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Chuka Umunna notes that many of the staff working on the inquiry are former Home Office officials.

He asks if the witnesses understand why some survivors believe the inquiry is "somewhat under the influence" of the Home Office.

Alexis Jay says she understands the perception but seeks to assure MPs that the people on the inquiry are "knowledgeable and committed to the objectives of the inquiry".

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's culture spokesperson John Nicholson is speaking to move his party's amendment to today's motion. The amendment calls for "maximum devolution of broadcasting" and specifically calls for an hour-long Scottish version of the six o'clock news to replace the current London-produced national news programme and the half-hour long "Reporting Scotland".

He says that Scots believe the BBC is "poorer at representing their lives in news, current affairs and drama" than people in other areas of the country.

He says the current six o'clock news does not work in the age of devolution and that Scottish audiences find themselves sitting through stories about devolved issues that have "no relevance" to them.

Select Committee
Parliament

Ivor Frank tells the committee that staff working on the inquiry asked for a facilitator.

The role of the facilitator, he explains, is to engage parties having difficulty understanding a common purpose.

Mr Loughton asks why a mediator was needed. Why not do it on your own, he asks. "You're grown ups."

Mr Frank objects to the word mediator.

Alexis Jay seeks to clarify the situation - "It was simply an afternoon's workshop discussion."

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour Treasury spokesman Lord Davies of Oldham says the era of former Chancellor George Osborne has been swept away and the government is "heading down paths which it is unprepared to define".

He argues that "abandoning the single market will be detrimental to jobs, to livelihoods and to public services".

Lord Young says he hoped not to have to repeat the government line that it "doesn't provide a running commentary on the negotiations" - but he does so and also repeats the government line that it will seek the best possible access to the EU market for goods and services.

Select Committee
Parliament

Tim Loughton now asks Drusilla Sharpling, a panel member of the IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) when questions about the quality of Dame Lowell Goddard's leadership manifested themselves.

Ms Sharpling says not immediately but concerns "accumulated over time".

She tells the committee that by the end of April 2016 she reported her unease about the Dame Lowell to the Director-General of the Home Office, Mary Calam. 

As the BBC's assistant political editor points out:

House of Lords
Parliament

The first question is from crossbencher and former diplomat Lord Hannay of Chiswick, who asks ministers "whether they stand behind the forecasts for the shortfall in the United Kingdom’s economic growth as a result of Brexit" contained in a forecast for the Treasury. 

Government spokesman Lord Young of Cookham says there has been inevitable "uncertainty" following the Brexit vote but insists there are reasons to be optimistic for the future.

Lord Hannay says this reply is "somewhere between equivocal and evasive" and claims that all alternative trade arrangements to the UK's membership of the EU single market will reduce UK GDP.

Lord Young says the UK will go for "a bespoke option which will not necessarily parallel any of those" - a response that provokes laughter from some peers.

House of Lords
Parliament

Gabrielle Bertin, who worked at Number 10 for former Prime Minister David Cameron, is sworn in as a Conservative peer.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale is using his speech to question the BBC's appointment of former Culture Secretary and Labour MP James Purnell - first as director of strategy and now director of radio. 

He says he doesn't think there is a precedent for someone with such a track record in partisan politics going on to a senior management role at the supposedly impartial BBC.

John Whittingdale suggests that if he was appointed to a job at the BBC there would be "howls of outrage" and accusations of bias.

Select Committee
Parliament

Acting chair Tim Loughton begins by outlining what the questioning will cover, specifically- "What on earth has been going on?"

He asks the witnesses about their working relationship with Dame Lowell Goddard.

Ivor Frank says there were times when the relationship was amicable; "other times less so".

"Was the inquiry a calmer place to work when she was abroad?" asks Mr Loughton.

"That is probably the case," Mr Frank replies.

"Was she a nightmare to work with?"

"I would not use that language."