Image source, Reuters

Due diligence was carried out on Sam Allardyce before his appointment as England manager, says Football Association chairman Greg Clarke.

Allardyce, 61, left his role in September after 67 days in charge following anewspaper investigation, external claiming he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers.

Asked by MPs whether the FA looked into previous allegations against Allardyce made by a 2006 BBC Panorama programme, Clarke said no significant issues were found.

In response to Panorama, then Bolton manager Allardyce denied claims he hadreceived illegal payments from agents.

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House of Lords
Parliament

Labour frontbencher Lord Kennedy of Southwark asks for an assessment of the level of hidden homelessness in England. He describes the level of homelessness as "a national disgrace".

Communities Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth says it is difficult to estimate the level of hidden homelessness, but attempts to reassure peers that ministers are acting. "The government is rising to that challenge," he says.

Another Labour peer, Lord Watts, asks what has driven an increase in rough sleeping.

Lord Bourne says the level of rough sleeping is "serious", adding that "£40m of assistance" has been announced to help with housing.

House of Lords
Parliament

Conservative Lord Holmes of Richmond puts the second question, asking what the government is doing "to ensure that the United Kingdom becomes a global centre for innovation and growth in the sharing economy".

The "sharing economy" is a term for collaborative enterprise in which nearly everyone can join, demonstated by businesses such as Airbnb and Uber.

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Burt of Solihull suggests that "in the race for the Brexit exit" the government is "shutting the door" to overseas skills.

Business Minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe appropriate to looks overseas for digital skills but also to train British people.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams says she welcomes the government's "climbdown" over Work Capability Assessments for the chronically sick. But she says that 60% of appeals against rejected applications are successful and that academics found 590 sucidies associated with the assessments between 2010 and 2013. 

In light of this, she asks why the government doesn't scrap the Work Capability Assessment entirely.

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green says the scheme has "been reviewed five times" and improved each time. 

But he says his shadow's implication of a link between Work Capability Assessments and suicides is "unhelpful" particularly when invoked for political ends. He goes on to say that suicide is a complicated and tragic situation and there is "no direct evidence" to support her claim.

House of Lords
Parliament

Lord Foulkes says Atlantic Star Airlines "are willing to start a commercial service" to and from St Helena Airport. He urges the government to "get the service started as quickly as possible".

Internation Development Minister Lord Bates says it wants to find an operator "as soon as possible", while licensing is the responsibility of the St Helena government.

Conservative Lord Forsyth of Drumlean jokingly suggests that Labour peer Lord Foulkes should be "sent to St Helena on the first commercial flight".

House of Commons
Parliament

The day is underway in the Commons, and there's a rather thin turnout for the Work and Pensions questions session. The first question is on help for disabled people to access government support. 

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green begins by paying tribute to Great Britain's Paralympic athletes, who are being celebrated with a parade through Manchester this afternoon. 

He also restates his announcement from the end of September, that the long term sick would no longer undergo repeated assessments to keep their Employment and Support Allowance benefit.

The prime minister's spokeswoman has responded to a petition, externalby Conservative Councillor Christian Holliday which demands that promoting and supporting the UK's membership of the EU be made a treasonable offence. 

Downing Street said: "Different people will choose their words differently. 

"The Prime Minister has been very clear that the British people have made their decision and we should respect the will of the British people. That's how she would put it." 

Image source, HoC

Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Tim Brake criticised the response, saying: "It's bad enough that a Conservative councillor is trying to shut down any democratic debate about Brexit as treason, but it's downright frightening that the Prime Minister has so far refused to condemn him."

Read more: Conservative councillor says EU support should be treason

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, PAUL TYSON

The first question in the Lords today is from Labour's Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, who asks when ministers expect commercial flights to start at the airport in St Helena.

The Department for International Development funded the airport on the remote British territory in in the South Atlantic Ocean, which was due to open in May.

However, in June it was announced that the opening had been delayed indefinitely due to safety fears over high winds on the island.

Minister Lord Bates says commercial flights "will begin when conditions are safe".

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords meets from just after 2.30pm for questions to the government on topics including the level of hidden homelessness in England.

Ministers will repeat today's Commons urgent questions on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and budgets for community pharmacies.

The main business is the continuation of report stage scrutiny of the Investigatory Powers Bill, which concerns the interception of communications and the acquisition and retention of communications data.

During the dinner break, there will be a short debate on tackling the rate of premature deaths among people with a learning disability.

This time we're not talking about Heathrow, but the Atlantic island of St Helena, where the opening of a new government-funded airport has been delayed since since May.

Labour peer Lord Foulkes of Cumnock will open today's session in the main chamber of the House of Lords  at 14:30 BST with a question on launching commercial flights to the isolated island, currently only accessible by sea. 

Missing products from online supermarkets are just one way that uncertainty around Brexit is being felt in the UK.

House of Commons
Parliament

Proceedings begin at 2:30pm with questions to ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions. There are also two urgent questions, one on the child sexual abuse inquiry and another on budgets for community pharmacies.

The main business of the day is the Savings (Government Contributions) Bill at second reading, which includes a number of measures to encourage more saving.

Also this afternoon MPs will be taking part in a debate in Westminister Hall on a number of petitions on Brexit.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Conservative Eurosceptic Peter Lilley says continuing "passporting" rights for the UK financial sector is "desirable but not essential". He adds that the person who told the Financial Times that UK would be willing to pay for such access was "grotesquely irresponsible".

A clampdown on low-skilled immigration would be a "significant issue" for the Northern Ireland agri-food industry, a House of Lords committee is told.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Could the UK pay the EU to allow the City of London to continue to trade in the single market? That's what a report, external in the Financial Times says is being considered.

Former Conservative minister Oliver Letwin says it would be worth the government agreeing to pay "some price" - although not any price - for the "privilege".

"The government should make it clear that it's willing at a sensible price to pay for these rights," he adds.

Spy agencies breached privacy rules when they collected bulk data about UK citizens, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal rules.

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The BBC is told Number 10 plans a 'short pause' in the airport expansion debate to allow ministers to express their views.