Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

On a similar theme, Labour's Gill Furniss says she was "horrified" to hear about the difficulties NHS staff are experiencing.

She asks the PM to apologise to GPs for breaking his promise on increasing the number of doctors in the NHS.

Johnson thanks GPs and adds that there are "10,000 more nurses this year than last year" and that more people are working in the NHS now than at any time in history.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey now gets to his feet. He asks about growing ambulance waiting times, and to support his case he highlights cuts to services in the West Midlands.

"When will the prime minster deal with this health crisis?" he asks.

In reply, Johnson says ambulance crews are doing an "amazing job" and adds: "We are supporting them with more cash."

He also says the government's new health and social care levy - to come in next April - will help raise money to tackle waiting list backlogs in hospitals.

The SNP's Ian Blackford continues on the theme of "sleaze" and "corruption" in the government, accusing the prime minister of being at the "rotten core of all these scandals".

He says the issues all stem from the funding of the Conservatives, arguing that since 2010 the party has made nine of its former treasurers members of the House of Lords after they donated £3m to the party.

Blackford asks if the prime minister would accept this is the "very definition of corruption".

Johnson says these "constant attacks" on the UK for alleged corruption do a "massive disservice" to billions of people around the world who "genuinely suffer from governments who are corrupt".

"This is one of the cleanest democracies in the world, and people should be proud of that," the PM adds.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

The SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, is up next.

He describes the Conservative proposals to deal with MPs second jobs as "half-baked" and accuses Boris Johnson's government of being "up to their necks in sleaze".

He asks the prime minister which one of his plans would have stopped the Owen Paterson or other lobbying scandals.

Boris Johnson replies he wants to pursue a cross-party approach to reforming rules on MPs' standards.

You can read more about what Johnson has proposed here.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

Starmer says the prime minister "led his troops through the sewers and he can't even say sorry".

"Beneath the bluster he still thinks it is one rule for the public and another for him and his mates."

Johnson accuses Starmer of "refusing to explain" his work for the legal firm Mishcon de Reya adding his own "mischconduct is absolutely clear".

He says he is wiling to work on a cross-party basis to make changes - but at this point he is interrupted by the Commons Speaker.

Lindsay Hoyle says he struggled to hear the PM but that if Johnson has accused the Labour leader of misconduct he should withdraw the allegation as it is against Commons rules.

The PM insists he is referring to "mischconduct".

That brings an end to the exchanges between Starmer and Johnson.

Hoyle says the debate has been "ill-tempered" so far and urges MPs to show respect to each other.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

Continuing on the issue of second jobs, Keir Starmer says he "kicks out" MPs on his own side who misbehave, whilst the prime minister does not. "I lead, he covers up," he adds.

He also turns to Randox, a healthcare diagnostics firm and one of two companies that paid Owen Paterson as a consultant.

Starmer asks for a "fully transparent investigation" into contracts awarded to the firm, adding there are concerns among the public they "may have been influenced by paid lobbying".

In reply, the prime minister says he would be "very happy" to publish details of contracts handed to Randox, and the National Audit Office has already done its own investigation.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

Starmer says everyone else has apologised for the Owen Paterson row, except the PM.

"A coward, not a leader," says Starmer adding he spent "weeks denying corruption".

He now asks if the PM will shut the "revolving door" on ministers regulating companies one moment then working for them the next.

Johnson says there should be a cross-party approach to these issues.

He then accuses the Labour leader of trying to prosecute others for "the sort of action he took himself" and asks Starmer how much money he received for legal work he did while an MP.

At this point, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle intervenes to tell the PM he should not be putting questions to Starmer during PMQs.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

Keir Starmer accuses the prime minister of breaking promises to the north of England.

Turning to Owen Paterson's case, he calls on Johnson to "do the decent thing" and apologise for the government's botched attempt to block his suspension and review the system.

He says the government's action risked giving "the green light to corruption".

The prime minister admits it was a "mistake" to conflate Paterson's case with the government's plan to overhaul the disciplinary process for MPs.

He says there should be cross-party talks on introducing a way for MPs to appeal the published findings of reports into their conduct.

This is not the first time Johnson has admitted his mistake on the matter.

Starmer then asks if the PM will stand by a promise to develop the eastern leg as well as the whole of HS2.

"Wait and see," replies Johnson.

He adds that people from the whole of the North West will benefit "massively" from the government's announcement, due on Thursday.

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

For his first question, Keir Starmer asks about a government promise to build a new rail line between Manchester and Leeds.

It has been reported that this line will be scrapped when the government unveils a new plan for the railways tomorrow - and replaced with a plan to upgrade existing lines.

Boris Johnson replies the Labour leader will have to "wait and see what is announced tomorrow".

He adds that government investment in the railways will be the biggest "for a century".

Image source, ParliamentLive.TV

The first question comes from independent MP Jonathan Edwards, who asks if the prime minister will support a bill that would block party donors from going to the House of Lords for five years.

Boris Johnson says he will look into the proposals but adds that Labour should stop taking funding from trade unions.

A croaky sounding Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stepped up to the despatch box in the House of Commons - PMQs is under way.

We'll have the key lines and questions here so stand by.

Image source, Reuters

Boris Johnson has now left Downing Street and is making the short journey to the Commons for Prime Minister's Questions, which begins at 12:00 GMT.

Much of the focus is expected to be on both the Conservative and Labour proposals to restrict which second jobs MPs are allowed to hold.

Stick with us and we'll bring you the prime minister's statement, as well as all the key exchanges between Johnson and MPs.

There's nothing to stop MPs - other than government ministers - doing extra work on top of the £81,932 salary they earn from the job they were elected to do.

MPs can continue to work, for example, as lawyers or doctors. Or they can work as consultants for companies, offering advice on political strategy.

But they must not lobby - to try to alter government policy - on behalf of companies paying them, or use public facilities, such as their Commons office, to work on behalf of their employers.

MPs have to register their outside earnings, and if they take part in a debate or other parliamentary activities in which their employer/client is involved, they have to declare their interest.

Any breaches of Parliament's code of conduct can result in punishment, including a suspension from the Commons in some cases.

A suspension for longer than 10 days can trigger what's called a "recall petition" in the MP's constituency,, external which could ultimately lead to them being removed.

It's a busy day for Boris Johnson - he will face a lot of questions and have to do a fair bit of talking.

But will his voice hold up?

He sounded very croaky when he was speaking in the House of Commons on Monday.

The prime minister will be hoping not to emulate his predecessor Theresa May, who you may remember struggled her way through a bad cough when giving her conference speech.

For anyone wanting to relive that awkward episode, the video is here.

Image source, Reuters

A parliamentary watchdog has warned that an entirely new lobbying scandal could be sparked by the work of MPs sitting on informal committees.

Labour's Chris Bryant - who chairs the House of Commons standards committee - fears some All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are being used as a "backdoor" for the interests of private businesses.

Around £30m has been funnelled into APPGs over the past five years, a BBC investigation has discovered.

Bryant's committee has launched an investigation into the regulation and operation of APPGs in Westminster.

He tells BBC News many "now seem to have become the parliamentary arm of lobbying and PR companies", and there were real concerns about their "transparency and propriety".

Read more about our investigation into APPGs here.

PM rattled into taking action on lobbyingpublished at 11:32 Greenwich Mean Time 17 November 2021

11:32 GMT 17 November 2021

Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor

Image source, PA

The Conservatives are suggesting banning work as "paid consultants or lobbyists" - but it's not clear specifically how far that ban would go in terms of MPs' outside interests.

Meanwhile, Labour's plan would go further to disallow all second jobs apart from public service roles.

Sir Keir's thunder might have been stolen by the PM on Tuesday. But the rumblings might continue.

No 10's action reveals the political pressure was enough to rattle Boris Johnson into taking action.

And ahead of a vote on the issue today, that's a victory that the Labour leadership will be only too happy to try to claim.

Read more from Laura here.

Image source, PA Media

The row over Owen Paterson has prompted wider questions over whether MPs' work for outside companies is influencing their decision-making, or undermining their ability to represent their constituents.

After weeks of political pressure, Boris Johnson yesterday announced a plan to ban MPs from earning money by advising firms on how Parliament works.

He also proposed a new rule that any outside role, paid or unpaid, should be "within reasonable limits" and not stop MPs fully serving their constituents.

Labour has welcomed the ban on paid political consultancy, which it has advocated for a number of years. But it has proposed a different plan for second jobs.

Under its proposals, all second jobs would be banned, apart from some "public service" roles, or professions requiring registration.

Yesterday, Labour leader Keir Starmer suggested the exemptions would include working as a doctor or nurse, or a role in the police and as Army reservists.

Image source, PA Media

There has been increasing scrutiny in recent weeks over MPs' second jobs, after the government botched an attempt to block former Tory MP Owen Paterson from being suspended from Parliament.

Paterson, a former cabinet minister, was found to have breached Commons rules by lobbying the government on behalf of two companies that employed him.

Paterson, who has always denied wrongdoing, called the investigation into his conduct unfair.

The government initially backed an attempt to put his proposed 30-day suspension on hold, and have the whole disciplinary process reviewed by a new Tory-majority committee.

However, the government U-turned the next day amid fury from opposition and some Tory MPs. Paterson then resigned as an MP.

Image source, Reuters

Thanks for joining us on our live page ahead of what will be a busy afternoon for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as a row about MPs’ second jobs continues to engulf Westminster.

First up is Prime Minister’s Questions at 12:00 GMT and then, at 15:00, Johnson will answer questions from senior MPs on the liaison committee.

As well as the subject of second jobs, we’re expecting questions from the committee on propriety and ethics in government, violence against women and girls, COP26 and the Budget and Spending Review.

There’s also a vote scheduled in the Commons later, where MPs will vote on whether to back the government's or Labour's blueprint for outside roles.

Johnson announced plans on Tuesday to stop MPs working as political consultants, while Labour wants to ban all second jobs, apart from "public service" roles or professions requiring registration.

The row was prompted by ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson breaking Commons lobbying rules.

Stick with us for updates throughout the rest of the day.