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Benefits claimants face "unacceptable" variations in the number of payments being docked or removed entirely, depending on where in the UK they live, MPs have said.

The Public Accounts Committee said those penalised for missing job centre appointments or other failings often faced an "appalling situation".

It urged the Department for Work and Pensions to monitor variations closely.

The DWP said policies were "under constant review" to ensure fairness.

It added that recent figures showed the number of jobseeker's allowance recipients facing sanctions had fallen by more than half in the past year.

Meanwhile, less than 1% of those receiving employment and support allowance had been penalised. Read more

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Thinking about E numbers might stir up images of hyperactive children guzzling fluorescent soft drinks. But have you ever wondered what the E stands for?

Looking at this system of food additives can help illustrate some of the tough issues facing the British government as it prepares to leave the European Union.

The European Council introduced food colouring legislation in 1962 alongside a number classification system. In the 1990s the scheme was expanded to cover all additives permitted to be used in food sold in the EU and now forms a key part of UK food and drink regulation.

The government wants to begin formal Brexit negotiations by the end of March, after which UK laws will be made "not in Brussels but in Westminster", according to Prime Minister Theresa May.

So will the UK ditch E numbers and come up with a new system for assessing and labelling food additives? And what about the many other areas of UK regulation currently set by EU law? Read more

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Back to the Treasury Committee questioning of the Bank of England's "high-powered team" (as the committee chairman called it at the start). 

Conservative MP Stephen Hammond asks if the economy was stronger than the Bank expected following the referendum because 52% voted for Brexit, and so didn't see it as a bad thing. 

Bank Governor Mark Carney says there was actually a sharp fall in consumer confidence in the immediate aftermath of the referendum.

"It's part of the reason the Bank acted as forcefully as it did," he says.

The Bank cut interest rates in August to 0.25% - a historic low. That was one reason why households were able to "look through" the uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote and keep spending, he adds.

Select Committee
Parliament

Chairman Andrew Tyrie has asked all the questions so far in the session. 

Getting into the detail of why the Bank has offered such drastically different growth forecasts in three consecutive reports, chief economist Andy Haldane mentions the "significant" contribution of the Autumn Statement to upwards growth forecast revisions, particularly commitments made to infrastructure spending by Chancellor Phillip Hammond.

Spending on housing, transport and digital infrastructure was promised, running into billions of pounds.

The Bank of England's February report was the first since the Autumn Statement, which was delivered in late November.

House of Lords
Parliament

We'll be heading to the House of Lords, shortly, as peers begin another long day of deliberation on the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. 

They were talking until gone midnight last night, and today there are nearly 100 peers down to speak. Lord Lamont of Lerwick - the former chancellor Norman Lamont - will be first on his feet today.

There'll be a break at 2.30pm for questions to government ministers, on subjects including human rights abuses in West Papua and air pollution.

But the Brexit bill will dominate proceedings - and peers are expected to sit until midnight tonight again...

Parliamentary film maker Michael Cockerell said Theresa May's appearance in the House of Lords was intended to send a message.

How Brexit might create complications for the way food in the UK is labelled.

AfD leader Frauke Petry meets top Russian MPs as Germany prepares for elections.

Select Committee
Parliament

It's not just Governor Mark Carney appearing in front of the committee this morning. 

As part of what committee chair Andrew Tyrie calls a "high powered team", Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane is there too. Referring to comments he made in January, the chair asks him if he still thinks that "economics is a Michael Fish profession?".

Andy Haldane says there are "similarities" between economics and meteorology and that both are "given to forecasting errors". He says that the important thing is we "learn from our forecasting errors". 

He goes on to admit that economists as a profession have made "sizable errors", especially concerning the global financial crisis.

But he says that weather forecasting learned from it's own sizable error. "After the '87 hurricane" meteorologists put a "huge amount of effort" into changing their models and weather forecasting is much more reliable.

But he adds that "our problem is intrinsically more difficult than theirs".

The jobless rate is low. But employment isn't that strong. And the economic indicators of the Scottish economy include a fall in self-esteem.

Lord Hain says he will table an amendment on keeping an open border, in the interests of 'the peace process', as peers debate the Brexit bill.

The Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol party has been fined a total of £23,000 for failing to report political finances.

Bob Posner of the Electoral Commission said:

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The government is failing to take adequate measures to tackle "significant teacher shortages" in England, a committee of MPs has said.

The Education Select Committee has called for a long-term plan, as schools struggle to recruit enough teachers and pupil numbers continue to rise.

MPs want more active efforts to reduce the numbers quitting teaching.

The Department for Education said there were currently record levels of teachers but it "recognise there are challenges". 

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A parliamentary motion expressing "no confidence" in the Commons Speaker has only attracted a handful of MPs.

It was tabled by the former Foreign Office Minister James Duddridge following John Bercow's public opposition to Donald Trump addressing Parliament as part of his forthcoming State Visit to Britain.

But only four other Conservative MPs have signed it, Alec Shelbrooke, Andrew Bridgen, Karl McCartney and Daniel Kawczynski.

In contrast, 206 MPs have signed another early day Commons motion, opposing any attempts to let the American President address parliament.

It has been reported the state visit could take place in late summer when Parliament isn't sitting, but there's been no confirmation of dates at this stage.

The motion was tabled ten days ago when Parliament rose for its half-term break. It returned on Monday and today is the first day that names appear on the Commons order paper other than its sponsor James Duddridge.

Tuesday's Second Reading debate will kick off at 11:00 GMT.

There will be an hour-long hiatus at 14:30 GMT for the usual oral questions for ministers, with proceedings expected to resume after that.

Among those scheduled to speak include former government minister Baroness Altmann and Lord O'Neil, Labour barrister Baroness Kennedy and former Northern Ireland first minister Lord Trimble. 

MPs overwhelmingly backed the Article 50 bill at all stages of its passage through the Commons earlier this month. However, it is not clear peers will vote on it at this stage. 

By convention, peers do not hold a vote on legislation at Second Reading - where debate is limited to general principles and amendments cannot be tabled - and it remains to be seen whether this practice will be upheld. Read more

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MPs on a select committee have attacked the government for failing to implement reforms aimed at eliminating the gender pay gap.

The Women and Equalities Committee said the government had failed to act on its recommendations on tackling the structural causes of wage inequality.

The government's response was "inadequate" and "deeply disappointing", the MPs said.

The government said "we are committed to tackling the gender pay gap."

The Women and Equalities Committee published its report , externaland 17 recommendations on tackling the pay gap in March last year. Read more

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Chancellor Philip Hammond has told Conservative MPs he is "listening" to their concerns about an imminent revaluation of business rates.

Rates are being updated for the first time in seven years, to bring them into line with property values.

Business groups and some Tory MPs have warned of high street store closures.

Speaking ahead of next month's Budget, Mr Hammond stopped short of committing himself to action.

At an 80-minute meeting of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee in Westminster on Monday evening, a series of MPs confronted Mr Hammond with examples of businesses in their constituencies facing steep tax rises. Read more

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Good morning and welcome to our live page coverage of the latest developments in Westminster and beyond.

Peers will resume their debate on the government's Brexit bill at 11:00 GMT.

About 80 members of the Upper House had their say on Monday on the UK's plans to invoke Article 50 and commence official Brexit negotiations and at least as many are hoping to have a chance to speak today.

Up first will be the former chancellor Lord Lamont, a staunch supporter of Brexit. Watch the debate with us as it unfolds.