House of Lords
Parliament

The Living Home Standard was developed by housing charity Shelter through research by Ipsos MORI and British Gas.

The Living Home Standard defines what an acceptable home should provide for wellbeing and lists 39 attributes across affordability, space, stability, conditions and neighbourhoods.

Shelter says 43% of people in Britain live in homes that do not meet the Living Home Standard, and says the majority of homes failed the Standard due to affordability.

Affordability is defined as being able to cover rent or mortgage without cutting back on heating or food.

House of Commons
Parliament

More on the House of Lords and the government's confirmation that it has shelved plans to curb its powers...

The proposals were drawn up by Conservative Lord Strathclyde, who was commissioned by David Cameron to review the power of the unelected chamber after the government suffered a humiliating defeat over George Osborne's plans to cut tax credits in October last year.

The plans would have stopped peers from vetoing statutory instruments - a form of legislation implemented without Parliament having to pass an Act.

Commons leader David Lidington confirmed the proposals have been ditched.

He told MPs during business questions: 

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, PA

Labour frontbencher Lord Kennedy of Southwark is asking the government what assessment it has made of the Living Home Standard, external.

Communities and Local Government Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth responds that good quality housing is an "absolute priority" for the government and Shelter, external, who produced the report, are a "valued partner in this area". 

He says that the figures in the report are based on "perceptions" of the properties surveyed rather than the actual standards in the homes.

Lord Kennedy says "we need to get on and build thousands and thousands of homes" and tells peers that "affordability is a huge problem".

House of Lords
Parliament

The drink-drive limit in England and Wales is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

The drink-drive limit in Scotland is 50mg alcohol in 100ml of blood.

Northern Ireland is currently considering reducing the drink-drive limit to 50mg alcohol in 100ml of blood. The penalty for drink-driving is a maximum of six months in prison and a minimum 12-month ban from driving.

Repeat drink-drive offenders can be banned for up to three years.

Causing death while drink-driving carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

In 2012, there were 290 deaths caused by drunk drivers (Department for Transport figures).

Image source, Getty Images

The government has "no plans for now" to introduce an Act of Parliament to curb the power of the House of Lords, Commons Leader David Lidington has told MPs. 

Evening Standard

Image source, PA

A senior peer has reportedly been seriously injured in a collision a road outside the House of Lords involving his mobility scooter.

Lord Taylor of Blackburn, aged 87, was taken to a south London hospital where his condition was “stable”.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident on Millbank, close to the junction with Great College Road. 

Lord Taylor was leader of Blackburn council in the 1970s and became a businessman after being made a life peer in 1978.

The Evening Standard says, external there have been no arrests and the driver stopped at the scene. The paper says witnesses are asked to call police on 020 8543 5157.

Image source, AP

New York's mayor says he has told US President-elect Donald Trump people in the city are "fearful" of what his White House administration could bring.

During a meeting at Trump Tower, Bill de Blasio said he warned the Republican he would aim to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation.

He said Mr Trump's plans would not work in "the ultimate city of immigrants".

Mr Trump wants to deport or jail up to three million undocumented immigrants who he says have criminal records.

Read more

House of Commons
Parliament

The questions come to an end and Leader of the House David Lidington makes a statement setting out the business of the House over the coming weeks.

He confirms that the government has no plans to introduce legislation to curb the powers of the House of Lords.

House of Lords
Parliament

Green peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb is asking the government whether it is planning to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales.

Transport Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replies that the government has no plans to lower the drink-drive limit, and says that the limit is upheld by "thorough, rigorous enforcement".

Baroness Jones says that evidence shows up to 25 lives would have been saved if the limit would have been lowered. She points out that the limit has been lowered in Scotland. 

Lord Ahmad says the government are "watching very carefully" the new policy in Scotland and says they intend to look at the evidence.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP's Alex Salmond suggests that in the era of President Trump an island in the Indian Ocean, miles away from anywhere is one of the safer and more desirable on the planet.

He asks why self determination doesn't apply in this case.

Sir Alan Duncan replies that under international law the Chagossians are not considered "a people" and therefore self determination does not apply.

Image source, JULIA QUENZLER

A taxi driver saw a man stab MP Jo Cox "about five times", a jury at the Old Bailey has heard.

Mrs Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on 16 June, a week before the EU referendum vote.

Taxi driver Rashid Hussain said he confronted the man near Birstall library after he heard screaming and shouting, saw him shoot at Mrs Cox and heard him shout "Britain First".

Thomas Mair, 53, from Birstall, denies murder.

Mr Hussain told the jury: "He said 'Move back or I'll stab you'.

"I saw an Asian lady screaming, saying 'Jo'. She was the only person helping her. Jo's head was in her lap.

"He shot once then moved back and shot again.

"He was shooting behind the car where Jo was laid. He shouted Britain First!"

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Financial Times

According to the Financial Times, Chancellor Phillip Hammond will use next week's Autumn Statement to admit to the largest deterioration in the public finances since 2011 - with the UK facing a £100bn bill for Brexit within five years.

"Slower growth and lower than expected investment will hit tax revenues hard, official forecasts will show, backing the Treasury's pre-referendum warnings that the long-term economic costs of the EU exit are high," the FT reports.

"Instead of a surplus in 2019-20 as his predecessor George Osborne had promised, Mr Hammond will show a sizeable deficit in that year, with the gap between the borrowing forecast for each year in last March's Budget and the Autumn Statement getting bigger every year."

The FT says the deterioration in the outlook will not prevent the chancellor from finding room for some tax cuts to help the "Jams" - families that are "just about managing".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Getty Images

The government could carry out its own investigation into the Volkswagen emissions scandal, a transport minister has said, as he branded the saga "unacceptable".

John Hayes said he was "absolutely determined" Volkswagen should meet its legal obligations in the fallout from the affair, as he faced pressure from Labour and SNP MPs to get tough on the German car giant.

Mr Hayes told the Commons that Volkswagen had already pledged to pay the government £1.1m to cover costs paid by taxpayers.

Volkswagen has come under fire for fitting devices in its diesel cars that cheated emissions tests.

Mr Hayes added: "But let me also be clear: I have not ruled out a separate investigation into these affairs by this government, and I've told Volkswagen that."

Westminster Hour
Radio 4's Westminster Hour

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will tonight attend a screening of I, Daniel Blake tonight.

Director Ken Loach spoke to the Westminster Hour's Sam Macrory about the issues raised in the film, and ahead of the Autumn Statement calls on chancellor Philip Hammond to "outlaw" planned cuts to Employment Support Allowance.

UK retail sales grew at their fastest annual rate in 14 years in October, bolstered by colder weather and Halloween sales at supermarkets.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, external sales volumes in October were up 7.4% from a year earlier.

On a monthly basis, sales jumped 1.9% from September, a much stronger increase than economists had forecast.

October's colder weather boosted clothing sales as it spurred shoppers to buy winter clothing.

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House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry describes the government's decision as "very disappointing".

Given the concerns about feasibility, Emily Thornberry urges the government to run a test pilot programme of relocation as suggested by KPMG.

Sir Alan Duncan replies that when the government carried out a survey to see who would want to be relocated only 200 said they wanted to return.

House of Commons
Parliament

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan tells MPs that the government had considered resettling some Chagossians in small settlements on the island.

However, he says the government concluded that such a move would unfeasible due to a lack of healthcare, education and economic opportunities.

Conservative Andrew Rosindell asks why the minister does not understand the "shock anger and dismay" Chagossians will feel about the decision.

He asks how the government can defend self determination for those in the Falkand Islands and Gibraltar but deny the same rights for people of the Chagos Islands.

Victoria Derbyshire

BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith says Theresa May's decision to drop plans to curb the power of the House of Lords "probably won't make any difference" to Brexit opposition.

Norman says the PM's "great fear" is peers scuppering her plans for Brexit, which will probably require legislation (dependingon the Supreme Court hearing next month).

David Cameron wanted the Lords' powers reviewed after the government suffered a humiliating defeat over George Osborne's plans to cut tax credits in October last year. 

Norman says Mrs May's decision to reverse this move is a "peace offering" to peers who have been "squaring up for a fight" over Brexit - but he adds it's one that "probably won't make any difference".

Westminster Hour
Radio 4's Westminster Hour

Plans to curb the power of the House of Lords are reported to have been dropped by the government, but arguments over how to reform the Upper House rumble on.

The debate over Parliament's say in triggering Article 50 could also see the work of peers thrown into sharp focus once more.

So with over 800 members, just how effective is the House of Lords at scrutinising legislation and holding the government to account? How can it be more representative of the country?

Westminster Hour reporter Sam Macrory asked some of chamber's members for their thoughts on self-reform.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Science Photo Library

Conservative Andrew Rosindell now asks his urgent question on the Chagos Islands. 

Former residents of the Chagos Islands, who were removed to make way for a US airbase in the 1960s and 1970s, will not be allowed back, the government announced yesterday. 

Foreign Office minister Baroness Anelay told MPs the government had decided against resettlement on the grounds of "feasibility, defence and security interests and the cost to the British taxpayer". 

The Chagossian residents will be offered compensation worth £40m over the next 10 years.