Summary

  • Theresa May to discuss Brexit at EU summit

  • Voters going to polls in Witney and Batley and Spen by-elections

  • Thousands of men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences to receive pardons

  • Scottish parliamentary boundary change plans unveiled

  • MPs back stripping Sir Philip Green of knighthood

Live Reporting

Claire Heald and Alex Hunt

  1. 'Foot dragging' over Calais jungle children

    Norman Smith
    Assistant political editor

    The Former Archibishop of Canterbury has warned of "foot dragging" over accepting children from the "Jungle" camp in Calais into the UK.

    Rowan Williams said "the clock is ticking" because of the expected demolition of the Calais camp next week.

    The Home Secretary Amber Rudd last week indicated the UK would accept unaccompanied children, both those with and without relatives already in the UK.

    Rowan Williams said no process had yet been put in place to accept those children without relatives in the UK.

    He said there was "a moral imperative" for the UK to accept such children.

    Rowan Williams said more than 3,000 places for children had been offered by 40 local councils.

    "I'm not sure why there is such foot dragging," said the former Archbishop.

  2. Cabinet Brexit split a 'lively debate'

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  3. Hunt: NHS to save £22 billion

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has insisted that the NHS is putting together plans to make £22 billion of efficiency savings.

    Mr Hunt was being asked if he was pushing for more money for the NHS in the Autumn Statement.

    Speaking on the Today programme, the Health Secretary said he would not have discussions publicly about internal proposals.

    “The plan that the NHS put forward, they said that they needed a minimum of £8bn of additional resources, in the fact in the end it was £10bn.

    “But they would need to make £22bn of efficiency savings. We wouldn’t be doing our duty to tax payers if we didn’t look at those efficiency savings.”

    Mr Hunt also rejected the suggestions that hospitals and emergency departments would have to close if the savings were to be made.

  4. Plan now to avoid post-Brexit languages crisis, say MPs

    Judith Burns
    Education reporter

    Children in a classroomThinkstock

    The government must plan now to avoid a post-Brexit languages crisis, say a cross-party group of MPs and peers.

    Trade talks after leaving the EU will need more UK officials with language skills, say the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages.

    There is already a languages skills shortage but currently the UK can rely on other EU nationals "to plug the gap", say the group.

    Ministers say their reforms are already boosting language learning in schools.

    Read more...

  5. 'No rush' to elect new UKIP leader

    Norman Smith
    Assistant political editor

    Nigel FarageAFP/Getty Images

    Nigel Farage could remain UKIP leader until next year.

    UKIP may not choose a new leader before next year, following the resignation of Diane James earlier this month.

    The party's chairman Paul Oakden said it may not be possible to elect a new leader before Christmas.

    Mr Oakden said: "There's no need to rush, no need to panic."

    He said the party's NEC which is meeting today to consider the electoral process would consider the matter in "a calm and collected way."

    It means that Nigel Farage will remain as interim leader for several more months.

    Mr Farage has previously insisted he has no desire to return as UKIP's full time leader.

  6. Shelter: More than four in 10 homes fail acceptable standards

    Lettings agencyReuters

    More than four in 10 homes in Britain do not reach acceptable standards in areas such as cleanliness, safety and space, housing charity Shelter says.

    Shelter's new Living Home Standard considers affordability, neighbourhood, decent conditions, stability and space.

    It said affordability was the biggest problem, and people should "live and thrive" in homes, not just "get by".

    The government said housing was an absolute priority and its affordable housing budget was doubling.

    Read more...

  7. Migrant children to arrive in UK from Calais

    A man at the jungle camp in CalaisEPA

    Fourteen migrant children are due to arrive in the UK from Calais to be reunited with their relatives.

    They are the first group of minors to be brought over by the Home Office under a fast-track registration scheme - among about 100 expected this week.

    They include Afghans, Syrians and stateless Bidun children who originated from Kuwait.

    An EU regulation allows them to seek UK asylum because they have close relatives living here.

    Read more...

  8. UK economy 'faces prolonged weakness', Item Club report says

    Welding metalThinkstock

    Britain's economy faces a "prolonged period" of weaker growth as consumer spending slows and business curbs investment, according to a report.

    Although the EY Item Club think tank predicts the economy will grow 1.9% this year, it expects that performance to fizzle out as inflation rises.

    The economy's stability since June's Brexit vote was "deceptive", EY said.

    Meanwhile, a senior Bank of England official told the BBC that inflation may surpass its 2% target.

    Read more...

  9. Philip Hammond: Chancellor Brexit delay claims denied

    Philip HammondAFP/Getty Images

    Newspaper reports that the chancellor is attempting to slow down progress towards Brexit have been dismissed as "rubbish" by Treasury sources.

    Philip Hammond discussed plans for controlling immigration after Britain quits the EU with colleagues last week.

    Some newspapers say colleagues believe he is attempting to "undermine Brexit" by delaying decisions on migrant curbs.

    Sources said there were tensions at the meeting, but there was no row, BBC correspondent Iain Watson reported.

    Read more...