Urgent question on Capita shares collapse
Commons debate on baby leave for MPs
Commons debate on hospital car parking charges
Questions to Brexit ministers
House of Lords
Parliament
That's it from the House of Lords for this evening.
Tomorrow is a big day for peers as the House has its first full debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.
At the time of writing, a whopping 197 peers have their names on the list of speakers.
The House sits at 11am for the second-reading debate, which will take place over two days.
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill passes third reading without a vote and will continue to the Lords for further scrutiny.
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Replying to the debate for the government, Baroness Goldie says the UK's relationship with Russia "goes back more than 400 years" and the country has long been "an important power".
She describes many of the Russian government's actions as "unacceptable" and says the UK continues to support sanctions.
However, she argues: "It is important that we keep official channels of communication open."
She adds: "In our relationship with Russia, we must engage but beware."
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, ReutersLabour's spokesman says President Putin is wrecking the legacy of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
"Defence and diplomacy are the key ingredients for developing our relations with Russia," says Labour foreign affairs spokesman Lord Collins of Highbury.
He says recent comments by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson about a threat from Russia "may have been full of hyperbole" but he gives more weight to comments by the head of the Army, that the UK may "struggle to match" Russian power.
Lord Collins argues that Russian President Putin "has set out to wreck the Gorbachev vision" of Europe and Russia working together.
However, he adds: "Interaction with Russia is much preferable to no interaction."
To improve relations, "the government needs to be better prepared and better resourced".
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
The SNP's Carol Monaghan says her party broadly welcomes the bill, aimed at encouraging the use of electric cars, but tells MPs that more needs to be done to bring the cost down.
"There's a real opportunity to compete on price" for UK companies involved in this sector, she observes.
She goes on to say that the use of clean technology is pointless "if the means of generating it is dirty", as this means simply "moving the pollution from one location to another".
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCSpeaking at third reading, shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald thanks the government for working on a consensual basis.
"It's right to legislate to stay ahead of the curve," he continues, expressing hope that automated vehicles can be used to reduce pollution levels and accident rates.
But he says he's concerned there is currently nothing on the face of the bill regarding the geographical distribution of charging points.
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Labour peer Lord Judd attacks Russia's role in global conflicts and in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya.
He recalls visiting the republic in the North Caucasus with a delegation from the Council of Europe and seeing "a ghost city, bombed to smithereens".
He condemns the Russian government as "a ruthless regime".
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCTransport Minister Jesse Norman responds to this evening's report stage debate, stressing that the bill will cover the whole of the UK and the government wants to prevent "discrimination" against rural users of electric vehicles.
Picking up on earlier comments by his party colleague John Hayes, he says he's "absolutely right local authorities could do more" to support electric cars.
The bill passes report stage and the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, opens third reading by speaking of his determination to ensure the UK is "one of the best places to research and develop modern transport".
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, VOLGA FILMSThe Death of Stalin did not go down well with Russia's politicians and cinema elite
Conservative peer Lord Robathan describes being "banned" from Russia in 2015.
"I saw it as rather a badge of honour," the former minister tells the House.
Also banned from Russia is the dark comedy film the Death of Stalin, which the peer urges his colleagues to see.
"The authoritarian Russian government cannot cope with ridicule of a regime that many look back to fondly," Lord Robathan says.
He argues that there is a need to maintain relations with some unpleasant regimes, adding: "At the moment, there's a huge furore from rather ridiculous left-wingers about a proposed visit by a president of the United States.
"I wish they'd make rather more noise about the situation in Putin's Russia."
While agreeing with calls for "dialogue", he supports the UK government's sanctions policy, describing Russia as "a real threat... to international stability".
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Crossbench peer Baroness Cox, who is an honorary president of the Tushinskaya Childrens' Hospital Trust in Moscow, says there have been attempts to discredit Russia.
"Russia has assisted the Syrian army to liberate Syria from Islamist terrorists," she declares.
She also rejects allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Last year, Russia was sharply criticised by other world powers at the UN Security Council over chemical weapons deaths in the country.
"No photographic evidence has been provided to substantiate these allegations," Baroness Cox adds.
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
Labour's Matt Western warns that there's currently "a postcode lottery" when it comes to charging points for electric cars.
He says there are more charging points for electric cars on the Orkney Islands than there are in Blackpool, Grimsby and Hull combined.
He goes on to criticise the number of charging point providers, arguing the system needs to be standardised in order to be accessible.
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Among other things, the bill before the House:
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Lord Howell of Guildford, Conservative peer and former Foreign Office minister, says that Russia is "in global terms, a dwarf economy".
However, it has a disproportionate impact on the world, he argues, observing that "Washington appears to be in a complete frenzy".
He warns that economically, Russia risks being "bypassed while China and Europe link up".
While critical of Russia's government, he urges the House to think beyond the rule of current President Putin, adding: "The British people do feel a real warmth towards the Russian people. The country is woefully led but its people are our friends."
Lord Howell says: "Russian scholars and students should be welcome here - subject to proper checks, of course."
He also urges government not to go "overboard" on sanctions which can be counter-productive - adding: "Our policies need to get smarter."
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
Conservative John Hayes, a former transport minister, jokes he has been working on this bill "for what feels like most of my life".
He says new infrastructure will be "critical" to increasing the use of electric cars, which need to be "affordable and recognisable".
He emphasises that the government should make use of powers to compel local authorities, which are acting as "laggards", to set up charging points.
Debate on relations with Russia
House of Lords
Parliament
Crossbench peer Viscount Waverley opens the second and final Lords debate this evening, on a question asking the government about its "current strategy towards relations with Russia".
He says that the UK backs sanctions "strict EU and US sanctions" against Russia, given Moscow's intervention in countries including Ukraine and Syria, alleged election interference and cyber attacks, and the fatal poisoning of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko.
There is no intelligence co-operation and investment is on hold, he says, arguing this is "not helpful in these turbulent times".
He adds: "Moscow is dismissive of the UK. It insists on repect and to be engaged with on the world stage."
Instead, Viscount Waverley proposes that "a new era of mutual respect would serve both sides well".
Engagement could include parliamentary co-operation and "education exchanges", he tells the House, also urging peers to remember the Soviet Union's support in the Second World War.
Debate on government environment strategy
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, HoLEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble says the debate taking place today is "part of the national mood" and has captured it.
He says that while the action plan mentions England, it is imperative that the government works with devolved administrations and internationally, too.
Petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold by 2040, he adds. The Comprehensive Clean Air Strategy will show that the government believes that clean air must be addressed, he states. The government has previously said such a strategy will be announced later this year.
Lord Gardiner says that the government will be "working forward with nature" and will plant more trees.
He says that all his meetings with landowners and farmers show that they are concerned with how best to operate in the environment around their land.
Responding to criticism from some peers that the strategy lacks detail, he says: "Yes, it is a lot of words but there is a lot of action, too."
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCShadow transport minister Karl Turner gives some support to the measures outlined by the government, saying "the sharing of specific data will be fundamental to the uptake" of electric cars.
However, he seeks assurances on how the security of data on things such as energy usage will be maintained.
The bill as currently drafted "does not address this", he claims.
Debate on government environment strategy
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, HoLShadow environment spokesperson Baroness Jones of Whitchurch says there needs to be an altering of the mindset for dealing with and protecting the environment.
Labour welcomes the government commitment to become a "global environment champion", she says.
The Labour government took huge steps in protecting the environment with world-leading agencies, she continues, and she invites the government to carry on what Labour did when they were in office.
However, she adds, "the government doesn't have a great record on the environment", pointing out that the government promised to be the "greenest ever" in 2010, but everything since then has shown otherwise.
She says the government has allowed air pollution to escalate, cut clean energy subsidies and closed the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCThe Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill passes third reading and MPs move on to remaining stages of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, external, which sets up the regulatory framework to enable new transport technology to be invented, designed, made and used in the UK.
Transport Minister Jesse Norman begins by moving a new clause designed to facilitate the smart-charging of electric cars.
It grants ministers power to make regulations for the purpose of ensuring the transmission to specified persons (who could include the National Grid and electricity distribution network operators) of certain kinds of data relating to charge points.
This could include, for example, data relating to energy consumption and geographical data.
Debate on government environment strategy
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, HoLLiberal Democrat environment pokesperson Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville says that the government are acting too late.
"Targets need to be set" on phasing out the use of single-use plastic coffee cups, she specifies, and the government plan to phase out plastic relies heavily on international co-operation.
"There is sadly more evidence that the government is talking the talk, but not walking the walk," she says.
She asks if the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will set out more steps for their plan in environmental goals and protections.