Summary

  • Boris Johnson tells MPs people's reaction to the death of Sarah Everard is "wholly justified" and says "we need cultural change"

  • Keir Starmer says Labour will try to make changes to the Policing, Crime and Sentencing Bill and calls for longer sentences for rape and sexual violence

  • The prime minister says he received the invitation to get his coronavirus vaccine, and it will be the Oxford AstraZeneca jab

  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced all over 50s in England will now be invited for their coronavirus vaccine

  • The PM's former aide Dominic Cummings has told a committee of MPs there will have to be a "very hard look" at what went wrong with the government's handling of the pandemic

  • Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said the government is looking at vaccine passports to allow people more freedom after they have been immunised

  • A report by the National Audit Office says the government's programme to help pupils catch up on missed school time may not be reaching the most disadvantaged children

  1. Stamer urges PM to support victims' lawpublished at 12:12 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    PMQsImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir says 9 out of 10 women who have experienced sexual assault do not feel confident in coming forward.

    He asks the PM to commit to a "tight timetable" to legislation to improve support for victims.

    Boris Johnson says the government has invested £100m on advisers and has invested in prosecutions to speed up cases.

    But he also repeats his calls for wider cultural change.

  2. UK must 'rise to this moment' of protecting women - Starmerpublished at 12:09 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Keir StarmerImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir Starmer says there are practical challenges to "rise to this moment" of trying to help women. He says "many, many women and girls feel unprotected on our streets, particularly at night."

    He says there needs to be "meaningful change" to protect women and girls on UK streets, and from stalking.

    Mr Johnson says that the government is always "open to new proposals" and there are new measures being introduced to protect women from stalking. He says the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill works to help protect women.

  3. 'Cultural change' over female violence needed - PMpublished at 12:08 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    For his first question, Sir Keir Starmer asks about women's safety in the wake of the killing of Sarah Everard.

    The Labour leader asks the PM whether he agrees it should be a "turning point" in how the country tackles violence against women and girls.

    Boris Johnson says he does agree, and the reaction to the case has been "wholly justified and understandable".

    He outlines areas where he says the government is taking action, including over the prosecuting service and domestic violence law.

    But he says there is a need for a "cultural and societal change in attitudes" over the issue.

  4. What might come up at PMQs?published at 12:02 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Vicki Young
    Deputy Political Editor

    Women’s safety has dominated the headlines for several days and is sure to be raised.

    However, MPs will need to tread carefully – many see this as a moment for politicians to work together, rather than accuse each other of past failures.

    It’s just been announced that everyone in England over 50 can book their covid jab, but with several EU countries pausing their roll-out of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, Boris Johnson will take any chance he gets to hammer home the message that it’s safe.

    Watch out too, for any Conservative MPs uneasy about the prime minister’s plan to build deeper trade links with China, despite its poor human rights record.

  5. PMQs beginspublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has called the prime minister to the dispatch box and this week's Prime Minister's Questions is under way.

  6. Cummings says Department of Health was "smoking ruin"published at 11:59 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Dominc CummingsImage source, HoC

    The most eye catching event in Westminster this morning has been the appearance of the PM's former chief adviser Dominic Cummings, who's been giving evidence to a committee of MPs.

    And he didn't hold back.

    He said that there should be an “urgent very, very hard look” by parliament at “what went wrong and why” during the pandemic.

    And he told MPs on the science and technology committee that the Department of Health was a “smoking ruin” at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and that the vaccine programme had to be taken away from the department.

    Read more here.

  7. PM heads for the Commonspublished at 11:55 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Boris JohnsonImage source, Reuters

    Boris Johnson has just been snapped leaving No 10 as he heads over to Parliament for this week's PMQs.

    Our cue to stand by for the start of question time in a few minutes.

    The PM ignored shouts from waiting reporters about his former aide Dominic Cummings, who has been creating some headlines of his own this morning....

  8. Vaccine passports being discussed in governmentpublished at 11:47 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Covid vaccine vial and face maskImage source, Getty Images

    Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed discussions are taking place about introducing vaccine passports to allow people more freedom after they have been immunised.

    Speaking on BBC Breakfast earlier Mr Kwarteng said: “We are having conversations all the time about what the best steps should be.”

    “Once we’ve reopened the economy I’m sure we’ll be looking at other measures to keep people safe,” he added.

  9. Catch-up programme not helping poorest pupils, says watchdogpublished at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    Children's drawings of home schoolingImage source, Reuters

    MPs may also ask the PM about the government's programme to help pupils catch up on missed school time, after a report said the scheme may not be reaching the most disadvantaged children.

    The National Audit Office - which scrutinises public spending - says fewer than half of pupils who have already received tuition as part of the scheme are from the poorest families.

    The National Tutoring Programme was launched last year to give extra tuition to the UK's poorest pupils.

    Read more here.

  10. All over-50s in England invited for coronavirus jabpublished at 11:27 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    The vaccine roll-out programme may be one of the topics MPs could raise with the PM.

    Earlier, the health secretary took to Twitter with this announcement:

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    The over 50s group is the final one on the priority list which covers 99% of those at high risk of dying from Covid-19.

    Everyone in the top nine priority groups should be offered a second dose by mid-July, up to 12 weeks after the first.

  11. Good morningpublished at 10:58 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2021

    BBC Politics

    Boris Johnson at the dispatch box during last week's question timeImage source, UK Parliament
    Image caption,

    Last week's question time

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this week's Prime Minister's Questions.

    As always, the proceedings kick off at 12:00 GMT.

    We'll bring you all the developments, with analysis from our political correspondents, and the BBC Reality Check team.

    Thanks for joining us.