Boris Johnson facing questions from MPs for the first time in 2022
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner is standing in for Sir Keir Starmer, who has Covid
At PMQs, Rayner challenges the PM over the cost of living and energy bills, poorer households spend more of their income on fuel bills
Labour is calling for VAT on energy bills to be scrapped to ease the pressure
Boris Johnson highlights warm homes discount, and winter fuel and cold weather payments to help poorer households
SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford says cost of living crisis due to "Tory cuts", but PM says it was crucial people continued in work during pandemic
At the start of PMQs, Boris Johnson takes the opportunity to yet again urge people to get their booster vaccines, with the campaign to get jabs in arms continuing over the festive period.
He says the "heroic" efforts of the campaign meant people "could still celebrate Christmas" - without restrictions on gatherings like last year.
Boris Johnson is on his feet in the Commons chamber, as he prepares to face MPs' questions for the first time in 2022.
Image source, UK PoolBoris Johnson has just left Downing Street to make the short journey over to the Commons in his official ministerial car.
Image source, UP ParliamentThe government has moved the writ for the by-election in Southend West, the seat left vacant by the killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess (pictured) last October.
We don't have the date for the vote yet, but it is likely to be 10 February, or possibly a week earlier on 3 February.
Image source, PA MediaLabour's deputy leader, who will face Boris Johnson at PMQs, after Sir Keir Starmer tested positive for Covid, was born in Stockport and left school at 16 with no qualifications.
On her official website, she says he was told at the time she would "never amount to anything".
After returning to college part-time, she had a career as a care worker and later a union rep, before being elected as the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne at the 2015 election.
She did not back Jeremy Corbyn in that year's party leadership contest, but went on to serve as an opposition whip and then shadow minister in his frontbench team.
She was elected deputy leader alongside Sir Keir Starmer as leader in April 2020, but was sacked from her role as party chair after last year's local election results in England.
MPs are gathering in the Commons chamber ahead of the first session of Prime Minister's Questions in 2022.
It comes after the government confirmed people in England who test positive for Covid after a lateral flow test will no longer be asked to have a PCR test to confirm their result, in a change of guidance.
Separately, pre-departure tests for those entering the UK could also be scrapped.
Covid developments are likely to feature at PMQs but the PM is making a statement on his Plan B directly afterwards - we will bring you the latest from PMQs here so do stay with us.
For all the latest pandemic developments see our main Covid live page
BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme
Conservative MP Bim Afolami (pictured) tells BBC Two's Politics Live the government is increasing the amount of money some people get with the reforms made to Universal Credit made in last autumn's Budget.
The comments come as the cost of living is set to increase over the next few months.
Labour MP Chris Bryant says the UK should do more to make life easier "for ordinary people" and do more to deal with the expected surge in energy and food prices.
More money should be spent on insulating homes to cut bills, he adds.
Image source, PA MediaFeel funny PMQs starting this late? It's happening because Parliament isn't back from its Christmas break until 14:30 GMT.
The question-and-answer session has taken place at mid-day on Wednesdays for decades now.
Today's session gets under way at 15:00 GMT.
It might have been even later, had the Hansard Society, set up to increase voter engagement, had had its way. Back in 2014 it recommended starting PMQs at a "peak" TV time on Wednesday, say 19:30, instead of its usual 12:00 slot.
Competing with the likes of Coronation Street, the idea was that the weekly toing and froing of then PM David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband would bring Westminster rivalry to a whole new audience.
It never happened.
BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme
Image source, EPAFrench President Emmanuel Macron has promised to make life harder for those refusing Covid vaccines, using some rather strong language in doing so.
Conservative MP Bim Afolami tells BBC Two's Politics Live he agrees there's a need to be "tougher" on the unvaccinated, in an effort to get them jabbed. He does, however, criticise Mr Macron's "populist" approach.
Labour MP Chris Bryant argues a better approach than the French president's is to argue against "ludicrous claims" made about the effects of vaccines.
Follow the latest pandemic developments around the world on our Covid live page
Image source, EPAExperts say average fuel bills could hit £2,000 in 2022
Boris Johnson is also facing pressure to act over high energy costs, amid warnings that soaring fuel bills will squeeze living standards for millions over winter.
Some Conservative MPs want him to scrap the 5% VAT rate on energy to bring bills down – a move now possible now the UK has left the EU.
In October, Labour backed a six-month suspension of the tax on household bills over the winter, arguing people were being hit by a “cost of living crisis”.
The prime minister did not rule out a cut, when asked about it on Tuesday, but told a press conference it was a “blunt instrument” that could end up cutting costs for those “who perhaps don’t need the support”.
Image source, PA MediaHealth Secretary Sajid Javid arrives for this morning's cabinet meeting
So what happened when the cabinet met this morning? According to Downing street, the PM set out the latest details on measures in place to deal with Covid, including the booster roll-out.
He told fellow ministers the next few weeks would be "very challenging", especially with hospitalisations set to rise. But Boris Johnson added that, with evidence that Omicron is less severe than Delta, it was right to stick with current measures.
The PM also informed colleagues that 2022 "must be the year of delivery" on public services, jobs, cutting NHS backlogs and improving skills.
So what will Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner bring up in her questions to Boris Johnson? One subject which may well feature is the cost of living.
By all accounts it's set to rise sharply over the next few months. In a report last week, the Resolution Foundation think tank predicted higher energy bills, tax rises and stagnant incomes could leave households £1,200 a year worse off.
The government says it's providing more help with Universal Credit, and that measures to assist with bills, including cold weather payments and a freeze in alcohol and fuel duty, will also ease the strain on people's pockets.
But the absent Sir Keir Starmer, in a speech on Tuesday, argued that more needed to be done to protect prosperity. Will Rayner try to hammer home this message from 15:00 GMT?
Image source, ReutersFootball fans are among those in England affected by the new Covid pass scheme
News of the surge in Omicron cases over the Christmas period, with the UK recording over 1.2m new cases over the last week is likely to feature heavily at PMQs.
But with the prime minister making a statement, and taking questions, on his "Plan B" measures directly after PMQs at about 1530, MPs may opt to keep their powder dry and focus on other issues.
The government has introduced tighter rules in England in response to the new Covid variant, including bringing back mandatory mask-wearing and Covid passes for certain venues.
Boris Johnson has so far resisted calls from some health officials for stronger curbs – with other parts of the UK closing nightclubs, bringing back restrictions on bars and restaurants, and banning big events.
On Tuesday, he said the country could "ride out" the Omnicrom wave but he has also acknowledged the extreme pressure the NHS is under.
You can follow the latest pandemic developments on our main Covid live page
Image source, ReutersBoris Johnson made his first public appearance of 2022 at a press conference on Tuesday
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the first Prime Minister's Questions of 2022.
Today’s question-and-answer session comes at the slightly later time of 15.00 rather than midday, as Parliament does not return from its Christmas recess until 14.30.
That’s not the only break from tradition today – the PM will be facing Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, as Sir Keir Starmer is isolating after testing positive for Covid for a second time this morning.
The pair last squared off in November, when Sir Keir was also in isolation after his first positive test.
That was a lively exchange and we could be for more of the same this afternoon, given Ms Rayner's combative style and ear for an attack line.
Image source, UK Parliament/Jessica TaylorAngela Rayner last stood in for Sir Keir in October