Image source, PA Media

Throughout PMQs and this afternoon's debate, many will be looking to see how many MPs are masked up.

MPs and Lords have been asked to start wearing face masks again around Parliament buildings due to a spike in cases in the estate.

Face coverings are already mandatory for Houses of Parliament staff, but it is up to individual MPs as to whether or not they wear them.

The House of Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has urged MPs to "pull together" to stop further infections.

Before the rule change, most opposition MPs have been wearing masks, but the majority of Conservative MPs have not.

It will be interesting to see if there is any difference after Sir Lindsay's pleas...

There was uncertainty earlier about whether the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, would select the amendment needed to put forward those overhaul plans for the standards watchdog in this afternoon's debate.

We now have it confirmed that he has - so MPs will get to vote later on whether to reform the system in light of Owen Paterson's case.

Speaking on the BBC's Politics Live programme, Conservative Miriam Cates says MPs have "agonised" over this issue, but says she will be supporting the amendment - put forward by her colleague Andrea Leadsom.

"I'm not comfortable with how it looks," she says, but adds that "in all conscience I can't accept this [the current system] is a fair process".

But Labour's Thangam Debbonaire says the amendment "drives a coach and horses through any sense of MPs scrutiny”.

Image source, PA Media

Something else that could come up in today's Prime Minister's Questions is the Budget.

Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out the government's tax and spending plans.

He promised his proposals - which committed to spending increases of £150bn - would pave the way for an "economy of higher wages, higher skills, and rising productivity".

The Resolution Foundation think tank said his policies would boost the incomes for the poorest fifth of households by 2.8%.

But, it also said households on middle incomes would see a 2% hit and that the UK's tax burden would increase by £3,000 a year per household.

We will see if this is something Labour takes issue with...

Away from Westminster, all eyes are on Glasgow where world leaders have been meeting at the COP26 climate summit.

A number of announcements have come out of the event so far, including pledges on cutting methane and ending deforestation.

But is the UK government doing enough in the eyes of MPs?

We wouldn't be surprised if the major global event - and climate action closer to home - came up at today's PMQs.

Image source, PA Media

Back to PMQs and normally on Wednesdays, we'd expect to see Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer facing Boris Johnson.

However, last week - less than an hour before question time started - the opposition leader's office announced Starmer had tested positive for coronavirus and would be isolating at home.

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband stood in for the Labour leader then, but today it is the turn of deputy leader Angela Rayner.

She has represented Labour at PMQs before - most recently in September when she attacked the government on rises in the cost of living.

Rayner is usually quite robust when attacking the government, but last week she did apologise for some of her past language and promised to choose her words more carefully in the future.

Ione Wells
Westminster Correspondent, BBC News

Tory MPs pushing to change the process for investigating MPs - while one of their own has just been sanctioned - opens the Conservatives up to criticism from the opposition that they are trying to return to the days of MPs "marking their own homework".

That's because Tory MPs want a new committee set up to redraw the rules for MPs - chaired by the Conservative MP John Whittingdale and consisting of four Tories, three Labour and one SNP MP.

Rather than an independent commissioner and a cross-party committee of MPs, their proposed panel would give the Tories a majority - and give Whittingdale a casting vote in the event of any tie.

Some Conservatives are nervous about how this looks too, and the thought of it passing - worried about accusations of "sleaze".

It's worth remembering that the existing standards committee say Owen Paterson's suspension was unanimously backed - including by the three Tory MPs on the current committee.

Retrospective rule changes are also tricky territory for the Tories. Only a few weeks ago, MPs voted to change the rules so MPs suspended for sexual harassment and bullying for more than 10 sitting days by parliament's independent panel could face recall petitions.

But the Conservatives voted against an amendment to make this rule change applyretrospectively to the former Conservative - now independent - MP Rob Roberts,- arguing rule changes should not be retrospective and people should be punished by the rules that existed at the time.

But Downing Street have denied these attempts to create a new process for judging MPs' conduct is about just this case, instead claiming it's to provide MPs from "all political parties" a fair hearing.

As we mentioned, some Tories want a shake-up of the standards watchdog for MPs as a result of Owen Paterson's case - but now it appears No 10 wants it too.

In a statement, the prime minister's spokesperson says Downing Street backs finding a new appeals process which would ensure "the conclusions of the standards committee and the Commissioner can be looked at".

No 10 says it is essential that there are "tough and robust checks against lobbying for profit".

However, it says people should have the right to appeal, adding: "This is sacrosanct in providing fairness and natural justice.

“This isn’t about one case but providing members of Parliament from all political parties with the right to a fair hearing."

Meanwhile, a senior Conservative backbench has told the BBC it is "invidious.. it's horrible to be bullied into an action you know is wrong".

Image source, PA Media

Tory MP Owen Paterson was found by the Commons Standards Committee to have made an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules.

They said he used his position as an MP to benefit two firms that paid him as a consultant.

As a result, they have recommended a suspension of 30 sitting days from Parliament.

And if that length of suspension is agreed by MPs, he could also face a recall petition in his constituency, meaning his seat could be up for grabs in a by-election.

Paterson has strenuously denied the conclusion of the reports and called the system unfair.

And now, a number of his Tory allies are trying to stop him being suspended by calling for an overhaul of the Standards Committee, allowing him to appeal his case.

Labour, however, says it is just a case of friends sticking up for friends, and there has been plenty of time to call for rule changes before now.

MPs will debate the motion on Paterson's suspension this afternoon and that's when the Tory backbenchers hope to make their attempt to change things. Stick with us for all the noise from the Chamber!

Image source, Reuters

Welcome to a chilly morning in Westminster as we gear up for today's Prime Minister's Questions.

We'll be bringing you all the news and analysis around today's main event, which kicks off at 12:00 GMT.

But also stick with us to follow the debate around the proposed suspension of Tory MP Owen Paterson, which has raised the temperature in the corridors of Parliament.

It is sure to be another busy day!