PMQs: As it happened

1. Boris Johnson has been pushed on problems with availability of coronavirus testing
2. Keir Starmer tells PM, the government has "lacked competence" over virus testing
3. The PM will hold a press conference at 16:00 BST with Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientist Sir Patrick Vallance
4. Controversial Internal Markets Bill has been published
5. The bill would give minister powers to makes changes to the Brexit withdrawal agreement
6. The government's top lawyer Sir Jonathan Jones resigned on Tuesday over measures in the bill
7. Social gatherings in England will be restricted to six people from Monday due to concerns over a rise in coronavirus infections
8. Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry have been re-elected as co-leaders of the Green party

Thanks for reading!

BBC

Well, that was a busy Prime Minister's Questions and the fall-out is likely to roll on throughout the day.

We will keep you updated on the reaction to the government's new Brexit law in our story here.

And don't forget to visit our coronavirus live page for Boris Johnson's press conference at 16:00 BST (15:00 GMT).

We will see you next week.

PMQs recap: Johnson and Starmer on testing capacity

PMQs recap: Government "lacks competence" on testing - Starmer

PMQs recap: Starmer and Johnson on virus testing

Cleverly: Bill will protect the UK internal market

BBC Politics Live

BBC2's lunchtime political programme

BBC

Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly says the bill will "protect the internal market of the United Kingdom."

Speaking on Politics Live on BBC Two, he added:

"The Prime Minister, and the whole government has made it absolutely clear that we want to make sure that Northern Ireland has unfettered access to the United Kingdom, as an integral part of the United Kingdom.

"We are working to make sure the whole of the United Kingdom has got good access to the European market. These are the two things that we're negotiating towards. And actually, if the EU shows the pragmatism and flexibility that I think and we think they should, then we can achieve both."

O'Neill: Overriding international law is not acceptable

BBC

The deputy first minister of Northern Ireland has called on the Irish government to insist the UK adheres to international law.

Michelle O'Neill - vice president of Sinn Fein - said: "We have fought very hard for the last three-and-a-half years, since the Brexit debate started, to protect the Good Friday Agreement, to make sure there is no hard border on this island and to protect our all-island economy.

"That was achieved in the protocol, that's what must be delivered upon and any attempt by the British Government to circumvent that, to try to override that is not acceptable to the EU side and certainly shouldn't be acceptable to the Irish Government."

Labour looking at amendments to new bill

PA Media

Sir Keir Starmer has 'serious concerns' about the new bill

There was already a lot of fury from the opposition parties over the controversial UK Internal Markets Bill.

Now it's been published, Labour says it has "serious concerns", and it is already looking at "potential amendments" for the legislation.

Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesman also said they were concerned about potential breaches in the ministerial code if civil servants have been directed by ministers to break the law over the withdrawal agreement - remember what Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said about the new bill yesterday.

The spokesman said: "Yes, there are concerns and there's an urgent question in the Commons tomorrow on this matter."

What's in the Internal Markets Bill?

BBC Politics

As you would expect, there's a huge amount of detail in the legislation that has just been published, running to 50 pages.

But here are the main points of the Internal Markets Bill, which sets out how the internal market between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will operate after the Brexit transition period ends.

• It says "special regard" must be given to Northern Ireland’s place in the UK's internal market and customs territory and there should be no new checks on goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of Great Britain.
• The bill gives ministers powers to modify or "disapply" rules relating to the movement of goods that will come into force from 1 January if the UK and EU are unable to reach an alternative agreement through a trade deal
• The same powers would apply over the issue of state aid, effectively giving the UK the scope to override obligations within the EU Withdrawal Agreement agreed prior to Brexit
• It also explicitly states that these powers should apply even if they are incompatible with international law.

President of the EU Commission tweets:

No renegotiation of Withdrawal Agreement - EU

BBC Politics

The Internal Markets Bill may have only just been published but the European Commission has already made its concerns clear, saying they are "very urgent and very pressing".

While the bloc says it has yet to study the legislation in detail, it is seeking an urgent meeting of the Joint EU-UK Committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement as the "most appropriate venue" for discussing the repercussions.

Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission's vice president, says he is seeking assurances the UK will "fully and timely comply" with the Agreement including the protocol on Northern Ireland.

"The Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation and we expect the letter and the spirit of the withdrawal agreement will be fully respected. I think on that we have to be very, very clear."

Kuenssberg: Government presses the nuclear option

Laura Kuenssberg

Political editor

After all of the enormous palaver and concern over the last few days, the bill has now been published.

In black and white, it confirms the government wants ministers to have powers over state aid - government financial support for businesses - in Northern Ireland.

And it wants ministers to have powers to make regulations and rules about goods in Northern Ireland.

Why does that matter?

Remember in the withdrawal agreement with the EU, Northern Ireland is still in the UK, but it has to follow elements of the EU's customs code.

It will be seen by the EU as a pretty brazen attempt to override the deal that has been done.

For legal eagles out there, the bill contains the word "notwithstanding".

That basically means this law sets aside a law we have already agreed.

That was described to me earlier in the week as being a completely nuclear option.

And they have pressed it.

This row isn't going to go away.

Controversial Brexit bill published

House of Commons

Parliament

We may have started talking about the new UK Internal Market Bill on Monday, but it has finally been published and introduced to the House.

Our research team is going through it with a fine tooth-comb as we speak, so we will bring you all the detail of what it means as soon as possible.

The next stage will be its second reading, which will be the first time MPs will debate its contents in detail.

But, for now, for the nerds among you (like us), here's a link to the bill itself... enjoy!

Watch: SNP leader asks 'why does the PM think he is above the law'

Reality Check

How much has testing capacity increased?

The prime minister also said that coronavirus testing had increased from 2,000 in March to 320,000 now.

As of 2 September, labs had the capacity to process 369,000 tests a day, according to government figures.

However, just under 250,000 of this capacity is reserved for Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 tests, or the tests used by those with coronavirus symptoms and should be self-isolating.

On September 2, just over 170,000 tests were processed within this capacity.

The rest of the capacity is reserved for antibody or other tests, which can see if you’ve had the virus in the past.

Since 23 March, when the UK went into lockdown, capacity has increased from 10,000 tests.

Speaker issues 'blistering rebuke' to Matt Hancock

Speaker: Health Secretary's 'total disregard' for Commons

HoC

PMQs may be over but there is one more bit of drama in the chamber.

Sir Desmond Swayne - a Tory MP known for criticising lockdown restrictions - complains that the latest measure to reduce the number who can gather was not announced in the Commons, meaning MPs couldn't question the minister.

He asks the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle: "What remedy is there for those who enthusiastically support the prime minister but nevertheless want to restrain the government's ability to govern by order without debate?"

Sir Lindsay says he is "very sympathetic" with the point, and that decisions made by government are having to be made fast.

But, he says, it is "really not good enough", revealing he has sent a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock on the matter.

Raising his voice, the Speaker adds: "I think the total disregard for this chamber is not acceptable."

And he calls on the PM to ensure it doesn't happen again - and to get his colleague to apologise to MPs.

PMQs: Interesting for what was not raised

Iain Watson

Political correspondent

PMQs was interesting for what was not raised as well as what was.

A range of former Conservative ministers and chairs of cross party committees have said on social media and in some cases privately that they were worried about the government breaching international law but not one raised concerns publicly with the PM.

Labour maintained a laser-like focus on testing with Keir Starmer's theme taken up from backbenchers too.

Boris Johnson will hope his tactic -that Labour is attacking an "heroic" NHS service not the government - will resonate with those worried about the testing regime.

The press and public will get their opportunity to ask the PM questions on his handling of the crisis at the media conference at 16:00.

PM seeking 'safety net' for Northern Ireland

HoC

The last question of the session is from Lib Dem former Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael, returning to the subject of Brexit.

He says he would never support a "wildcat" independence referendum for Scotland, because it would be a breach of international law.

He asks the PM how he could counter future attempts to hold an unauthorised vote in Scotland when his government has threatened to breach international law itself over the Withdrawal Agreement.

In response, the PM seeks at greater length to explain his position, saying he is seeking to give the UK and NI a "legal safety net" should a future relationship deal with the EU not be agreed,

He says the government has an obligation to protect Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement from an "excessive and irrational" interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement which would create a border down the Irish Sea.

Reality Check

How long does it take to get test results?

During PMQs, the prime minister said “most people get an in-person test result within 24 hours”.

The latest testing statistics run up to 26 August.

In pillar 1 testing - that’s tests carried out by Public Health England labs and NHS hospitals - 89% of tests were completed within 24 hours of receipt at the lab.

For pillar 2 testing - which is most other testing - the median turnaround time for regional test sites was 24 hours, which means half of tests took more than a day and half took less.

For mobile testing units the figure was 22 hours, satellite testing centres took 76 hours and home testing kits took 86 hours.

Johnson promises swift exits from local lockdowns

HoC

Tory MP Mark Eastwood asks the prime minister to reassure the people of Dewsbury that that they will be taken out of local lockdown measures "sooner rather than later" if the infection rates drop.

Johnson thanks the people of the town for their "fortitude and local action" while restrictions have been in place.

He adds: "As soon as we see results in local lockdowns, we do take them out of local lockdown, and I have no doubt that will happen in Dewsbury and elsewhere."