Summary

  • Urgent question on Capita shares collapse

  • Commons debate on baby leave for MPs

  • Commons debate on hospital car parking charges

  • Questions to Brexit ministers

  1. SUMMARYpublished at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    With the hospital car parking charges motion approved, that's where we'll leave our live coverage of Parliament for today.

    Compared to earlier in the week, it was a low-key day, but Labour's Sir Keir Starmer continued to put pressure on the Brexit Secretary David Davis over the gloomy economic predictions for Brexit leaked to the media.

    David Davis told the Commons the outcome was "a work in progress" saying that modelling was "incredibly difficult".

    That was followed by an urgent question on the financial troubles of outsourcing firm Capita.

    There was a more collegiate mood later in the day when the Commons debated baby leave for MPs.

    Women MPs shared stories about the challenges of having a newborn baby and being an MP.

    The House of Commons is debating private members' bill on Friday. You can follow the discussions on BBC Parliament.

    Don't forget you can watch a round up of Thursday in Parliament on BBC Parliament at 11pm.

    Or if you prefer the radio version listen to Today in Parliament on Radio 4 at 11.30pm.

    For now, goodbye!

  2. Motion agreedpublished at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

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  3. Minister and Tory MP clash over parking chargespublished at 16:49 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    BarclayImage source, HoC

    Health Minister Stephen Barclay responds on behalf of the government, observing of hospital car parking charges: "All of us pay them. We all know they're unpopular with constituents and a concern for staff."

    The issue is not the "desirability" of scrapping them, he continues, "but doing so in a way that doesn't cause unintended consequences."

    He specifies that 67% of hospitals in England don't charge for parking, prompting his party colleague Robert Halfon to object that it is "widespread".

    Mr Barclay tells him the statistic is "a statement of fact".

    In Mr Halfon's response afterwards, he confesses he's "disappointed" by the minister's response.

  4. Labour calls for hospital car park fees to be scrappedpublished at 16:47 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Shadow health minister Julie Cooper winds up for Labour, saying that having to pay to use hospital car parks "adds insult to injury".

    "It's not like a shopping trip or a night out - nobody goes to hospital because they want to," she says.

    Ms Cooper tells MPs that patients have few other options as "public transport has been reduced due to cuts" and in any case many are "too unwell or too frail" to use it.

    She highlights Labour's promise to "remove this tax on the sick" and scrap all hospital car park charges.

  5. May to fight post-Brexit residency movepublished at 16:45 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    The PM says EU nationals arriving after the UK's exit should not automatically expect full rights.

    Read More
  6. Concern over car park charges for disabled peoplepublished at 16:25 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The SNP's Lisa Cameron tells the Commons it's estimated that scrapping hospital car parking charges in Scotland has saved NHS staff £25m.

    The Scottish Government scrapped charges at 14 sites where fees had previously applied in 2008, but there are still some where patients have to pay.

    She argues the charges are effectively "a tax on NHS treatment" and is particularly concerned about disabled people, who she says are being "doubly financially penalised" as they are more likely to face poverty anyway.

  7. Confident participant or indifferent voter?published at 16:21 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

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  8. NHS trusts 'unaccountable' on parking feespublished at 16:07 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    PenningImage source, HoC

    Conservative Sir Mike Penning argues that car park charges mean NHS staff are effectively "taxed even more to go to work".

    He refers to his background as a fireman, noting that "firefighters and police do not pay to park - why another emergency worker?"

    The current system is "fundamentally wrong" and it's not good enough to say it's devolved to NHS trusts as they're "unaccountable", according to Sir Mike.

  9. Hospital car park charges labelled 'profiteering'published at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    OnnImage source, HoC

    Labour's Melanie Onn says when she visits the hospital, as she did recently for a blood test, the test might only take a few minutes but there was a 68-minute wait, which costs £3.50 in parking charges.

    "I know that I can afford this but there are many in my constituency who cannot," she says, adding that it feels like "profiteering off the back of those who have no choice but to be at the hospital".

    She also raises the nuisance caused to surrounding residential areas which "get filled with cars" belonging to people trying to avoid parking at the hospital.

  10. MPs start debating NHS car park chargespublished at 15:24 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Hospital car parking charges debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Robert HalfonImage source, HoC

    Conservative Robert Halfon is starting the debate on scrapping car parking charges in NHS hospitals in England and Wales.

    He says a lot of organisations support this move, including the AA, RAC and Care.

    Mr Halfon tells MPs he started his campaign for free hospital car parking in 2014 when he found that some hospitals are charging £500 per week for parking.

    He says that last year, most hospitals had increased their car parking charges and even charged blue badge holders.

    The charges hit the most vulnerable and those who are caring for elderly relatives, he adds.

  11. MPs agree motion on baby leave and proxy votingpublished at 15:01 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Andrea Leadsom

    Andrea Leadsom tells the House that, as appointed representatives, MPs are not regulated by the same employment rules.

    She argues that they would need to be made employees to make them subject to the same regulations, which would have far-reaching implications that would need to be thought about carefully.

    The motion proposes that MPs who are new parents should have the option of voting by proxy which, as the leader of the House notes, would be a new thing in the Commons.

    She encourages MPs to contribute to an expected review by the Procedure Committee.

    Finally, Harriet Harman also encourages MPs to contribute to the review - and MPs agree the motion without a vote.

  12. MPs 'committed' to improving baby leave needspublished at 14:51 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom replies to the debate, welcoming the "excellent and very personal speeches" from MPs.

    She says that dealing with the matter of baby leave is "essential".

    Maternity leave is essential as new parents must spend time with their babies, she says, and there is also the need to address "how and whether" MPs with babies should be allowed to vote in the House during that

    Ms Leadsom mentions her work with "parent infant partnership" charities, helping mothers form "secure attachments" with their new babies.

    She also recalls 46 hours of labour with one of her children, while she was employed at a bank.

    "They required me back after 11 weeks so I also had a good dose of post-natal depression to deal with," Ms Leadsom adds.

    She praises MPs for being "very committed to ensuring that those who come after us don't have to suffer the same problems".

  13. Labour backs proxy votes for MPs with childrenpublished at 14:49 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    VazImage source, HoC

    Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz winds up for Labour, calling it "unacceptable" that some MPs have been criticised for having children.

    She says voters "want Parliament to be representative of different parts of society".

    She stresses the proposals under consideration are just to enable mothers to have proxy votes, not for wider application.

    This would enable MPs to "balance giving birth and looking after a baby with their work as an MP," she says.

  14. MP highlights opposition to mothers in Parliamentpublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    BardellImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Hannah Bardell says it's important MPs tackle this issue so that people from all walks of life think "that [Parliament] is something that I can and want to be part of".

    She says that although all MPs who've spoken today have been supportive of introducing baby leave, they still face opposition.

    She reads out a letter a constituent wrote to her party colleague Alison Thewliss challenging her suitability to be a mother and an MP.

  15. The reality of having a babypublished at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

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    Labour's Jess Phillips also calls on male MPs to take time off when their babies are born, rejecting the idea people should take pride in how much time they spend in Parliament.

    "I'm coming for you," she warns.

  16. Labour MP's baby was 4 weeks old when election was calledpublished at 13:47 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Luciana BergerImage source, HoC

    Labour's Luciana Berger says that MPs now have an on-site nursery, which is "a much improved replacement" for the bar which used to be there.

    She calls for more baby friendly spaces in Parliament, breastfeeding rooms, baby changing rooms and more.

    Her baby was four weeks old and she was recovering from a C-section at the time when the election was called, she adds.

    She states that the whips, although understanding, have required her to come to vote at times when her baby was less than six months old.

    "I was a slummy mummy," she says, admitting it was difficult to take a shower and take a train to London, navigate the train and Tube, especially when MPs are packing overnight things for a late night vote.

  17. Challenges of being a new mother during a general electionpublished at 13:23 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Emma ReynoldsImage source, HoC

    Labour's Emma Reynolds recounts how she was expecting her baby to be born in April 2017, estimating that the baby would be three years old at the time of the next election.

    She gave birth on Good Friday last year. Four days later, she was breastfeeding her baby Theo when her mother told her that Theresa May had called an election.

    She wondered how she and her husband were going to cope during an election, especially when she was "already struggling" with the baby being up during the night.

    She recalls how many people assumed she wouldn't stand for re-election given that she was a new mother, noting that no-one would make that assumption about a new father.

    She says she was extremely fortunate in that her husband's employer was very understanding and granted him early paternity leave for the election campaign.

  18. 'Proud' to support baby leavepublished at 13:18 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    MP tweets..

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  19. Parliamentary reporter tweets...published at 13:14 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

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  20. 'This has to be a joint enterprise if it is going to be successful'published at 13:11 Greenwich Mean Time 1 February 2018

    Baby leave debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Maria MillerImage source, HoC

    Conservative Maria Miller, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee in Parliament, says: "This has to be a joint enterprise if it's going to be successful."

    Being an MP is a unique honour, she says, but it shouldn't mean that only those without care and responsibilities can apply.

    Maria Miller says that in a council in her Basingstoke constituency nine out of the 14 councillors are women - some of whom have young children. She says it is important that women get more involved in every part of the democratic process.

    She adds that she "wholeheartedly" supports the motion.