House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor urges MPs, whatever their views on the future relationship with Saudi Arabia, to "unite in efforts to stop civilian deaths".

She argues that a Saudi-led investigation of its conduct shows "clear inadequacy".

She asks: "Surely it makes sense for the UK to suspend its support for the coalition forces until there has been a full investigation?"

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Chris White, who chairs the Committee on Arms Export Controls, says that Saudi Arabia has said that its bombing of a funeral in Sanaa earlier this month was a "mistake".

However, he asks: "With so many civilian casualties can every act that results in such loss be a mistake?"

He says the government must suspend arms sales if "there is a clear risk" of a violation of international humanitarian law, and calls for a "pause" in sales to Saudi Arabia.

His fellow Conservative, Robert Jenrick, disagrees, arguing: "We would have no influence if we were to suspend arms sales and walk away."

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are debating a number of amendments that relate to the renaming and reorganisation of the Independent Police Complaints Commission - which is to be renamed the Office for Police Conduct.

Amendment 157 seeks to require the new director general of the organisation to appoint regional directors, including a national director for Wales. The amendment also bars people who have formerly worked for the police from these positions.

Labour spokesman Lord Rosser says that this is important, because otherwise there would be a "significant detraction" from public confidence in the new organisation.

Minister Baroness Williams disagrees with this stance, saying that the government does not wish to disqualify those with "valuable experience" from holding positions in the Office for Police Conduct.

House of Commons
Parliament

DUP MP Jim Shannon says the UK should "do everything in our power to stop another Muslim country becoming an Isis-held country".

He adds: "We have a duty internationally to stand with our allies."

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP MP George Kerevan says that cluster bombs, of a type sold to Saudi Arabia by the UK and US 20 years ago, "have been found to have been used in at least five provinces in Yemen".

He tells MPs that he doesn't know who used them but says this needs investigation.

Is it *really* an insight into her secret views?

House of Lords
Parliament

Lib Dem peer and former police officer Lord Paddick is moving an amendment to a part of the bill relating to procedures for the police barred list.

His amendment seeks to remove the necessity to report the dismissal of civilian officers for efficiency or effectiveness reasons. 

The peer says he is essentially asking whether the barred list should be reserved specifically for wrong-doing by officers.

In response, Minister Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen says that the amendment would create a disparity between how a civilian officer and a constable would be treated.

She says that the government does not feel that creating such a distinction would be "desirable". 

The by-election in Richmond Park, caused by the resignation of Conservative MP on Tuesday over the government decision to go ahead with a third runway at Heathrow, will take place on 1 December.

Mr Goldsmith will run as an independent candidate, with the Conservatives not fielding anyone in the contest.

House of Commons
Parliament

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Tom Brake indicates that he will support Labour's motion.

"Potentially, there are human rights abuses on both sides," he says.

He recalls a call for Saudi Arabia to be allowed to conduct its own investigation before any international investigation, made by Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Crispin Blunt, and asks at what point the government will decide that a UN investigation is needed.

House of Commons
Parliament

The example of Wallonia came to mind as Michael Russell updated MSPs on the latest Brexit talks.

The former chairman of UKIP in Scotland, Arthur Misty Thackeray, appears in court accused of a string of sexual offences.

• A UKIP report says it "cannot verify" whether two MEPs had a fight that left one, Steven Woolfe, in hospital.
• At PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn compares the prime minister to Baldrick from the comedy series Blackadder, asking if she has a "cunning plan" on Brexit.
• The third runway at Heathrow may be built on a "gentle hill" above the M25 motorway.
• The Lib Dems vow to fight the Richmond Park by-election as a "referendum on Brexit".

House of Commons
Parliament

Another former defence minister, Conservative MP Sir Gerald Howarth, says he agrees with Labour's Kevan Jones.

He says the UK has has "a long and beneficial relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has the backing of many Arab nations.

The Houthi rebels "have a long record of atrocities", he adds.

He dismisses calls to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia as "at best SNP grandstanding, at worst a kick in the teeth to an important ally".

Image source, HoC

Global Justice Now, which has campaigned against the Ceta free trade deal between Canada and the EU, says International Trade Secretary Liam Fox's had decided to override parliamentary scrutiny of the deal and this was a "disgrace".

GJN's director Nick Dearden said: "The fact that this country has now agreed to the majority of CETA, without a single debate today on this far-reaching agreement, is a disgrace.

"The government has had two years since CETA negotiations concluded – and five years while it was being negotiated – to organise a full debate in parliament."

Mr Fox told the European Scrutiny Committee that he was "sorry" that MPs were not able to scrutinise the trade deal, but that the "constrained" timeline of the EU's negotiations meant there wasn't time.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Kevan Jones says he cannot support his front bench becasue the motion does not mention the "Iranian backed" Houthi rebels.

He says Iran is arming the rebels and trying to "destabilise" the region.

The former defence minister says the current system of UK arms export controls was "one of the achievements of the last Labour government".

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Keith Vaz, who was born in Yemen and chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the country, says a ceasefire had allowed food and humanitarian supplies to reach civilians.

A bid to extend it was thwarted by "violations by both sides", he says.

He tells MPs that the country of his birth is on "the brink of disaster" and he regrets that the House will divide on the issue this evening.

He put forward an amendment - not selected for debate - which criticised "the failure of all sides within the conflict to ensure safe humanitarian access to all parts of the country" and backed a permanent ceasefire.

The QC Marina Wheeler, whose husband is Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, has told the Joint Committee on Human Rights that it's in the interests of EU nationals living here and British citizens living abroad for there to be clarity "as soon as possible" on their situation after Brexit.

Giving evidence at a hearing on the effects of Brexit on human rights, she said that was now a matter for "political negotiation" but there were issues that "on an ethical basis" need to be determined.

She said she thought it was "unlikely" the status quo would be protected.

She told the Committee she didn't think that EU nationals already living in the UK had recourse to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a private and family life.

She told the Committee that the rights to reside and live in another member state were not in themselves human rights, and the UK was free to withdraw them.

She also said the UK's human rights system would be "strengthened" by Brexit, describing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as a "poorly crafted mechanism".

UKIP says it is "not possible" to ascertain whether two MEPs had a fight in the European Parliament.

Eleanor Garnier
Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister’s Spokeswoman has said that Britain's ambassador in Madrid had raised Russia’s request to refuel warships in Spain with the Spanish government in the past 24 hours.

Russia has withdrawn its request to refuel warships destined for Syria in Spain amid mounting pressure on the Spanish government to block the stop.

The Prime Minister’s Spokeswoman said, "We have concerns about this. We have raised them with the Spanish, and we will continue to monitor the situation. Throughout, we have been clear that we want to see countries working together to increase the pressure on Russia to end their bombardment of Aleppo."