Supreme Court's Lord Kerr says justices will apply the law in Brexit case, not their personal views

Britain has a "historic opportunity" to lead free trade and make Brexit "work for all", the PM says.

An inquiry by MPs into what Brexit will mean for Wales holds the first in a series of public meetings.

• Boris Johnson says there is "a lot to be positive about" following Donald Trump's US election victory.
• Post-Brexit Britain has a historic opportunity to take on a new role as the global champion of free trade, Theresa May will say in a speech later this evening.
• The French presidential election frontrunner says France will "definitely" close the Calais UK border post. 
• Labour MP Jo Cox was killed for a "political and/or ideological cause", the Old Bailey has heard.  

Select Committee
Parliament

Speaking about issues of getting staff documented and safely across the border in Syria, Helen Stawski from Islamic Relief says that there is also the problem of what happens once staff are within Syria.

Ms Stawski says that in the last six months, two of their local staff have been killed in Syria, and recounts that a staff member recently told her that "everyday we go to work we feel it's 50/50 that we make it home".

She also highlights the difficulties that have been caused by the recent bombing of a humanitarian aid convoy in Aleppo, both on the mental health of NGO staff on the ground but also on many NGOs feeling they have to withdraw support from certain areas. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Anna Farina, the head of Syria Relief's London office, says that there is a lack of structure on the ground in Syria to deal with the issue of stateless children.

She says that the lack of coordination by local authorities in Syria, coupled with the necessity of quick movement by families in the face of danger on the ground, means that it is "not easy to keep track of where they go".

Ms Farina says that ideally Syrian citizens would be able to receive documentation within Syria for children born since the start of the war, but warns that "this is not something we are experiencing a lot at the moment". 

House of Commons
Parliament

For the opposition, Labour's Angela Rayner says Labour will not oppose the bill at its second reading.

However she says she believes the proposed legislation is a missed opportunity. She urges the government to use the bill to put further education on a "sustainable financial footing".

She argues that further education institutes are at a "crisis point", and accuses the government of merely "managing the decline".

"We are calling for investment," she says, "they offer insolvency." 

Select Committee
Parliament

MPs Fiona Bruce and Pauline Latham ask Helen Stawski about gender-based violence in refugee camps, which is highlighted in Islamic Relief UK's Invisible Lives report, external.

Ms Stawski says she recommends greater funding for gender-based sensitivity training for security services, and highlights some of the issues faced by women and girls in both formal and informal refugee camps in the region.

She says that another concern is a "tightening up of cultural and societal values" by male refugees, which she says has limited the freedom of many women. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Education Secretary Justine Greening tells MPs that most young people, when leaving school, will choose a route that is "more technical" than academic in nature. 

Yet despite that, she argues, technical education has, over the decades, lacked sufficient quality.

Ms Greening blames the Labour Party for creating a system where those from disadvantaged colleges left school "without the skills to build a successful future".

She says the bill will ensure that technical education is given the status and spotlight it deserves.

Select Committee
Parliament

In response to a question from Conservative MP Fiona Bruce on funding for refugee programmes in countries surrounding Syria, Helen Stawski from Islamic Relief says she is "very concerned" about growing tensions between Syrian refugees and local populations.

Ms Stawski claims that inter-communal tensions in neighbouring countries are "growing massively" and says that Syrian job creation programmes need to be mirrored by job programmes for local people. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Martha Mackenzie from Save the Children is the first witness to answer the questions of the committee, and says that looking back on the situation in January it has "been a mixed year" but that "things have come a long way".

She says that the UK is bringing in "far more refugees than in recent history", which she says is largely thanks to parliamentary scrutiny and public support.

Speaking about the implementation of the Dubs amendment on unaccompanied child refugees, Ms Mackenzie says that 300 children have been brought across under those regulations so far, which is "far short" of the 3,000 called for in January. 

House of Commons
Parliament

The ministerial statement concludes and MPs move on to debating the Technical and Further Education Bill.

The bill aims to reform technical education to streamline the process of getting people into work. 

The bill extends the remit of the "Institute for Apprenticeships" to cover further college-based technical education 

The bill also established an insolvency framework for further education and sixth form colleges. 

Tom Bateman
Political Correspondent, Millbank

Downing Street has said that an "enduring and special relationship" with the US will continue to serve Britain well in the future.

Pressed today on whether Theresa May agreed with Boris Johnson that the election of Donald Trump was a "good thing for Britain", the prime minister's official spokeswoman said "strong relations" would continue.

She said: "We have both the PM and the foreign secretary talking in the last few days about how we make the most of the opportunities ahead, how we work to make sure that we get the best deal for the UK as we leave the EU, that we continue to have strong relations with our American friends and allies.

"We would seek to maintain an enduring and special relationship with the United States of America that has served us well in the past and can continue to serve us well in the future."

Asked about the government's position on European defence plans, Number 10 said there were no proposals for an EU army on the table.

The spokeswoman said: "Our general approach on this is that we want to continue to support European security.

"We think that any initiative should be looking at how they can compliment rather than duplicate Nato.

"There is a meeting of the joint foreign and defence ministers this afternoon in Brussels where I think many of the issues that are being discussed, which are not an EU army, fit that description of complimenting Nato."

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP MP Alan Brown sends his condolences to the bereaved families, adding that "when we say goodbye to our loved ones we expect to see them that night".

He notes that the crash has attracted a great deal of media interest but warns that "speculation is not helpful".

Gavin Barwell agrees, telling MPs that the victims' families have found the level of media intrusion "very difficult".

He says one family saw the identity of their relative revealed on a TV bulletin without having had any prior warning this was going to happen. 

Select Committee
Parliament

At  16:30 GMT the International Development Committee will be holding a follow-up evidence session for its previous report, external into the Syrian refugee crisis. 

The first set of witnesses that MPs will be questioning include the Head of the London Office of Syria Relief, Anna Farina; the External Affairs Manager for Islamic Relief, Helen Stawski; and Save the Children's Deputy Head of Government Relations, Martha Mackenzie.

MPs will then hear from government ministers Rory Stewart and Robert Goodwill. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Speaking for the opposition, Labour MP Andrew Slaughter agrees that it is "too soon" to reach any formal conclusions on the cause of the crash. 

He hopes that the investigations will look into whether there were any organisational or individual failures and if prior safety warnings were ignored.

He notes that similar transport systems such as the Docklands Light Railway use automated braking systems and suggests the same could be considered for the trams in Croydon. 

Gavin Barwell thanks Mr Slaughter for his comments, adding that an automated braking system could be considered for certain sections of the tram route. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

John Bercow tells MPs that two of parliament's commis chefs - junior chefs working in the kitchens - were among the 51 people injured in last week's tram crash in Croydon. 

Mr Bercow said he had written to both on behalf of the House to wish them a "full and if possible speedy recovery."