Select Committee
Parliament

Nick Gibb says finding a tutor-proof test would be the "Holy Grail" and says that is what grammar schools are aiming to achieve.

He goes on to say that the consultation document the government have put out suggests flexibility as to what the age of entry might be into a selective school and could include entry age 14.

Education committee chair Neil Carmichael closes the session by thanking the witnesses and says the meeting has been "very revealing" in the answers they have a received "and sometimes the non-answers".

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Image source, PA

Fears have been raised that two of the UK's nuclear reactors might not be able to shut down in an emergency.

Documents show the nuclear regulator raised concerns over fractures in keyways that lock together the core of Hunterston B power station in Ayrshire.

They also show the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) raised concerns that Hinkley B might have similar problems.

The regulator has agreed the stations can continue to operate after the reactor shutdown process was modified.

Read more.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Peter Bone says there is a "Brexit dividend from the fall in the value of the pound" for UK manufacturers, as it makes their exports cheaper.

Minister Nick Hurd says Mr Bone "makes a valid point" but adds that ministers are "determined not to be complacent" and will consult the sector to determine what manufacturers want out of Brexit negotiations.

Labour's Barry Sheerman has a very different view, claiming that "manufacturers are in turmoil over Brexit" and do not have enough information on the government's plans.

"That is a very defeatist statement," Mr Hurd tells him.

House of Commons
Parliament

The first question to business ministers today concerns the Hunterston B nuclear power station in Ayrshire.

Minister Jesse Norman says the Office of Nuclear Regulation is "satisfied that Hunterston B is safe to operate".

The questioner, Labour's Rob Marris, asks about the implications for the planned Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset, saying French firm Areva has faced questions from the French nuclear regulator.

Mr Norman says the UK regulator has insisted that lessons from problems with a power stations in Flamanville, north-western France, must inform work at Hinkley.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Catherine McKinnell asks the minister how he's going to deal with the problem that, for those pupils that don't get to grammar schools, the schools around them see a detrimental impact.

Nick Gibb again says that the evidence on this is mixed, and adds that it depends on the proportion of schools in the area. 

He says the government's proposals require grammars to improve schools around them. He goes on to say that there will be sanctions applied to grammars that don't comply with the requirement, which could include limiting their funding or removing their ability to select pupils.

Ms McKinnell goes on to say that there has been no mention of special needs children in the discussion. Mr Gibb says the government wants to create more good school places across the system which will benefit all.

HARDtalk
BBC News programme

India's Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says Britain is no longer treating India as an old friend

Select Committee
Parliament

Nick Gibb says he has no figures in mind on the number of grammar schools the government will create because it will be "driven by demand from local communities".  

Committee chair Neil Carmichael says the question is not just about increasing choice but about "improving outcomes". 

Mr Gibb says grammar schools will have to work in their area to improve schools around them. He adds that grammar schools will have a requirement to prove how they are going to improve the social mix in their intake.

House of Commons
Parliament

Following today's urgent question, Labour MP Adrian Bailey will introduce a bill on small co-operative societies.

The main business consists of debates on topics chosen by the Commons Backbench Business Committee.

The first is on a cross-party motion calling on the government to "conduct a full assessment of the evidence relating to the effect of grammar schools and faith schools on children’s learning". 

It follows today's Education Committee evidence session on selective education.

The second debate is on "raising awareness of a new generation of veterans and service personnel".

Finally Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP for Coventry North West, leads a short adjournment debate on the Capita Primary Care Support Services contract in Coventry. Mr Robinson has criticised Capita over its delivery of GP support services.

How can the government strike lucrative trade deals with other countries while curbing their citizens' rights to come to the UK?

As John Pienaar explains here, that's been one of the questions facing the PM during her Indian visit, with some businesses keen to expand student visas.

Mrs May wants to bring net migration down below 100,000.

Asked whether she was worried her crackdown on immigration could trigger a slowdown in trade negotiations, she said Indian businesses had told her they were keen to do business in the UK and that the Indian government wanted to "remove the barriers to trade and investment".

Read the full story

Image source, Theresa May and John Pienaar

On her visit to India, Theresa May has been asked by the BBC's John Pienaar about this morning's IFS warning about the state of the UK's finances.

The PM said the government was "determined to continue to live within our means", adding: "What matters is us taking the opportunities that are now open to us to develop trade around the world."

Select Committee
Parliament

When being questioned about children in areas of high deprivation, School Standards Minister Nick Gibb says the government is "trying to end the correlation between disadvantaged backgrounds and poor performance...we want to break that link and that is what is driving our reforms." 

He says grammar schools are sending almost as many pupils to Oxbridge as all the other state schools put together. 

House of Commons
Parliament

The House of Commons meets shortly to put questions to business, energy and industrial strategy ministers.

There'll be a statement from Mr Speaker at 12.30pm - we don't yet know what the content of that statement will be.

An urgent question from shadow women and equalities minister Sarah Champion follows, in defence of the UN's first ever LGBT rights expert.

In June, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to which authorised the appointment of an expert to monitor LGBT rights. Thai law professor Vitit Muntarbhorn was appointed to the position in September.

However, a General Assembly resolution introduced by African nations challenges the legality of the position and seeks to suspend the activities of the LGBT expert. Ms Champion is calling on the UK government to support Mr Muntarbhorn.

Select Committee
Parliament

Luke Sibieta, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, says the evidence is clear that children on the cusp of getting into a grammar, if they get in, are likely to go on to get academic qualifications. He says that is because those who didn't get into the grammar school were never going to be offered the opportunity to get those academic qualifications in the first place.

Conservative Suella Fernandes makes the case for selection and competition being a positive influence and asks what can be done to change attitudes to them. 

Professor Anna Vignoles says the issue is not whether high achievement is good, but whether testing at age 11 is the best way to bring that about.

Select Committee
Parliament

The committee thanks the first group of witnesses for their evidence and welcomes the minister for school standards and his team. Committee chair Neil Carmichael asks where the evidence is for the benefits of grammar schools.

Minister Nick Gibb says the purpose of the government's green paper is to increase the number of good schools in the system. 

He tells the committee that grammar schools are good schools, that 80% are rated outstanding and that they're very popular with parents. He says the evidence on how grammar schools affect nearby non-selective schools is "mixed".

Mr Gibb adds that the government is in the process of consulting and are looking to gather more evidence.

The BBC's deputy political editor John Pienaar asks Theresa May how she can increase global trade while curbing immigration.

Department for Transport Rail Minister Paul Maynard has told the chair of the Transport Select Committee that the department is planning to publish reports comparing the actual punctuality -or lack of - train companies with their franchise's contractual obligations.

Chair of the committee, Louise Ellman MP, said: “I am pleased that the Department has accepted the case for greater transparency made by my committee.

Ms Ellman continued: “The Department has told us that it will now publish performance figures against contractual obligations for every rail franchise, on a regular basis. This should give commuters real insight into the quality of the service they pay for. It will help us understand how the Department monitors the contracts it lets."

The new chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Yvette Cooper, has called the refusal of Dame Lowell Goddard to return to the UK and give evidence to an inquiry into the troubled sexual abuse inquiry she chaired "astonishing" and "disgraceful."

Ms Cooper accused the New Zealand Judge of using her position abroad to avoid the inquiry, saying: "rather than give oral evidence to answer these questions she is relying on the fact that she is out of the UK to avoid the requirement to give evidence to parliament."

"Dame Lowell Goddard's refusal to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee about her resignation from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse Is disgraceful.

"Dame Goddard has been paid significant amounts of public money to do an extremely important job which she suddenly resigned from, leaving a series of questions about what has been happening over the last 18 months and why the Inquiry got into difficulties.

"Yet rather than give oral evidence to answer these questions she is relying on the fact that she is out of the UK to avoid the requirement to give evidence to Parliament.

"This is an astonishing response from a paid public servant who should know how important transparency is in an inquiry as sensitive and crucial as this one. Child abuse survivors have been let down by the extremely rocky start to this inquiry and we do need answers as to why it went wrong in order to be confident it is back on track now.

"The Committee has always believed it is vital that Dame Lowell Goddard gives oral evidence to us and we will explore what options are available to us to require her to come before the Committee should she enter the UK again at any time in the future."