We're going to end our live political coverage now, but as ever, there's lots more on our politics pages.

If you want to read up on the issue of strikes - including today's walkout by NHS nurses , and the government's move to bring in minimum service agreements, we have a simple explainer here - it includes who's striking when.

And we have a guide to the issues raised by Scotland's Gender Recognition Bill too, as well as analysis of the devolution situation from our political editor Chris Mason.

That's it from us. Today's writers were Thomas Mackintosh, Emily McGarvey, Richard Morris, Chas Geiger, Paul Seddon and Anna Boyd.

NHS at the heart of rhetorical PMQs battlepublished at 13:22 Greenwich Mean Time 18 January 2023

13:22 GMT 18 January 2023

Chris Mason
Political editor

The rhetorical battle to be seen as trustworthy custodians of the NHS.

Sir Keir Starmer sought to crystallise the realities of a struggling NHS: the time it would take someone with a suspected heart attack to get an ambulance.

His examples were from across England; the prime minister pointed out he wasn’t mentioning Wales, where Labour run the devolved government.

But, Rishi Sunak also - while making that political point - tried to suggest it wasn’t primarily a political problem.

The challenges the health service face around the UK were driven by underlying factors such as flu and the consequences of the Covid pandemic.

It is undeniable that regardless of their political stewardship the NHS was always likely to have a difficult winter.

But, the scale of the problems asks awkward questions of the Conservatives given their longevity in office, and questions for Labour about how quickly things might change - or not - were they to be in government at Westminster after the next election.

Helen Catt
Political correspondent

As expected, the NHS dominated the main exchanges between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak.

Starmer focused on patients' experiences and the current state of the NHS; Rishi Sunak on service levels during strikes.

There was a pointed intervention from Labour's backbenches on strikes too, when Dawn Butler asked Rishi Sunak if he would meet personally with the Royal College of Nursing.

He did not make that commitment but said unions had been meeting with ministers.

It was also the first time we've heard from the prime minister since the government announced it was blocking the Scottish Parliament's gender recognition reforms.

Sunak defended the move, insisting it was purely about the legal implications and not about devolution itself, as claimed by the SNP.

Image source, HoC

Tory MP Aaron Bell asks the PM about controlling UK borders and says he is pleased that one of the PM's five priorities is to stop boats in the channel.

He asks the PM to give reassurance that he will bolster patrols on French beaches and that those who do make that dangerous journey and arrive are removed.

Sunak highlights the new deal the UK has with France which increases funded patrols on French beaches by 40% and adds "we must go further to solve this problem once and for all".

He says that can be achieved by introducing new legislation that makes it clear that "if you enter the UK illegally you will not be able to stay here but will be swiftly detained and removed".

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns references the "heartbreaking" news of the helicopter crash in Ukraine this morning which killed Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.

She goes on to ask for assurances that rural as well as urban areas will be levelled up.

Sunak joins the MP in paying tribute to Monastyrsky's family and confirms that the government believes levelling up should apply everywhere.

(You can follow more on the helicopter crash on our Ukraine live page, here.)

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Alex Sobel Labour (Co-op) MP for Leeds North West , externalasks if the PM was aware of an investigation into Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs when he appointed him to his cabinet and as chairman of the Tory party.

Sunak replies by saying the matter has already been addressed and "there's nothing more that I can add."

The former chancellor has not denied a report he has agreed to pay millions of pounds in tax to settle a dispute with HM Revenue and Customs.

It comes after the Sun on Sunday claimed, external Zahawi's representatives would pay a "seven-figure sum" to HMRC.

BBC News has not been able to verify the Sun story but one of his team didn’t deny it when asked if it was true.

His tax affairs "were and are fully up to date and paid in the UK", they said. HMRC said it would not comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers.

Read more on this story.

Image source, HoC

Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton Graham Stringer asks whether HS2 can be guaranteed to reach Manchester or does he still believe that investment should be taken from poorer areas in the north to the more affluent parts of Kent - a reference to a leaked video of Sunak on a leadership campaign trail in Tunbridge Wells.

Sunak replies by saying the government is investing record sums into transport infrastructure - especially in the north of England and the Midlands citing a £96bn investment figure.

He vows to get on with delivering it.

Image source, HoC

Labour's Dawn Butler talks of the "phenomenal" care she had from nurses when she had breast cancer and how she was rushed to A & E by ambulance.

With nurses on strike, she says she's spoken to head of the Royal College of Nursing Pat Cullen, who told her she just needs a meeting with Sunak to resolve their dispute. So will the PM meet the health union leaders?

Sunak says the government has invited the unions to meet their relevant secretaries of state, he is pleased these meetings are happening in a range of sectors, and he hopes a constructive way can be found through this.

Image source, Getty Images

Conservative MP Bob Blackman pays tribute to Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper, whom he says died aged 93 in the early hours of this morning.

Rishi Sunak says his thoughts are with his family, and commends his "wonderful energy and humanity". He says he is sure MPs will want to endorse his message of "do not hate".

Image source, HoC

Wayne David, the Labour MP for Caerphilly, raises the issue of dangerous dogs.

He says two of his constituents have been kiiled by dogs in the last year, including a 10-year-old boy.

Mr David says the government must do more to strengthen the law on the matter.

Rishi Sunak says he recognises that dog attacks can have serious consequences and the government is taking the matter seriously with a working group looking at the issue.

Image source, HoC

Lib Dem MP Sarah Green says many of her constituents in Chesham and Amersham are being punished for falling behind on paying energy bills by being switched over to pre-payment meters which is more expensive.

She asks the PM whether he will back calls to ban energy companies from forcibly installing pre-payment meters and stop energy companies from switching smart meters over to pre-payment meters remotely.

Sunak says that Ofgem has specific regulations in place regarding the use of prepayment meters and how energy companies should treat those struggling with bills.

He says her constituents will receive £900 minimum of support with energy bills this winter as a result of the actions of this government.

Image source, HoC

With the exchange with the main parties over, questions are now coming from MPs across the House.

Tory MP Edward Timpson talks about the quality of childcare across the UK and asks the prime minister if the government will commit to address issues in the child care system as it is too expensive for some parents.

Sunak replies that it is essential for people to access quality childcare highlighting that the government currently provides every child with 15 hours of free childcare.

The PM says the government is considering new plans to improve the cost, choice and affordability of childcare.

Helen Catt
Political correspondent

It was a fairly predictable set of exchanges between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak.

Sir Keir Starmer was highlighting the individual, and relatable, experiences of people waiting long times for ambulances in general, outside of strike days, pinning them on the government's management of the NHS.

Rishi Sunak was, in the main, turning that back to highlight Labour's opposition to its bill to allow ministers to set national levels of service for ambulance services on strike days, although he did set out what the government is doing to try to ease the current problems.

Sunak rejects the idea the UK government block is a threat to devolution, saying it is about protecting UK legislation and ensuring the safety of women and children.

He calls on the SNP to "consider engaging" on the UK government's criticism of the bill, to help find a "constructive way forward".

Flynn accuses the Conservative government of trying "to stoke a culture war against some of the most marginalised people in society."

Scottish democracy, he says, is "simply collateral damage".

Flynn suggests that Scottish devolution is on a "slippery slope to direct rule".

Sunak responds by saying the decision in this case is centred on legislation within in the Scotland act which established the Scottish parliament and which was not opposed by the SNP at the time.

He says this bill would have a significant adverse affect on UK-wide equality matters.

"The Scottish secretary, with regeret, has rightly acted," Sunank says.

Image source, HoC

The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has now taken the floor.

He talks about the government's intention to block Scotland's Gender Recognition Bill and says it's a "dangerous moment for devolution".

He accuses the government of seeking to overturn its promise that the Scottish people would be able to make their own decisions.

Sunak, in his final answer to Starmer, insists the government is delivering on the public's priorities.

He launches a broad attack on Starmer's time as Labour leader, accusing him of breaking promises during his leadership campaign to nationalise public services, and of "saying anything if the politics suits him".

He says this shows the commitment of Starmer, a Remainer at the Brexit referendum, to the "free movement of principles".

Starmer accuses Sunak of continuing to deflect and blame others.

Over the course of PMQs, Starmer says, about 700 people will call an ambulance - two of them with fatal heart attacks. Many of them, he adds, will have to go on waiting.

Starmer calls on Sunak to apologise for "the lethal chaos under his watch".