That brings to an end our live coverage of today’s Prime Minister's Questions, but here’s a recap of some of the key developments:

• Labour's Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly pressed the Prime Minister on the Northern Ireland Protocol, asking whether Sunak would get a new EU trading agreement - and whether MPs would be allowed a vote
• After PMQs, the PM’s press secretary told reporters they wouldn’t get into “hypotheticals” about a vote before anything has been agreed, but said "intensive discussions continue" on the deal itself
• Sunak said he is a "Conservative, a Brexiteer and a Unionist" and any agreement "needs to tick all three boxes"

• Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson criticised the protocol, calling it "unfair" that EU laws are imposed on Northern Ireland "with no democratic scrutiny" - Sunak said addressing the "democratic deficit" is an essential part of the ongoing negotiations
• Sunak was also pressed about wages for NHS staff, and praised the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) for coming to the table for talks and averting upcoming strike action

You can read more in our latest news story here. Want to dig a bit deeper on the Northern Ireland Protocol? Here's our simple guide, as well as a rundown of what might or might not be in a deal.

Today’s developments were brought to you by Heather Sharp, Jasmine Taylor-Coleman, Thomas Mackintosh, Emily McGarvey, Oliver Slow, Chas Geiger and Richard Morris.

We've now heard a little bit more from Downing Street on some of the issues that came up in PMQs.

On progress on a Northern Ireland Protocol deal, the prime minister's spokesman said Rishi Sunak had spoken to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday evening.

"The leaders discussed the good progress made in the negotiations. Intensive discussions continue. They agreed to speak again in the coming days," the spokesman.told reporters.

On the question - asked at PMQs by Sir Keir Starmer - of whether Parliament will get a vote on any Northern Ireland Protocol deal that is reached, the PM's press secretary said: "We are not going to get ahead of ourselves... We would be getting into hypotheticals to talk about a vote."

On whether the government will drop the bill going through parliament which would allow minister to override the Northern Ireland Protocol, the spokesman said: "It is a longstanding position of the Government that we want to resolve the issues in partnership with the EU by negotiation rather than legislate domestically.

"In the absence of that negotiated solution, the Protocol Bill is an important piece of legislation to ensure we safeguard Northern Ireland's position in the Union."

Will the protocol treaty with the EU be rewritten?published at 13:32 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2023

13:32 GMT 22 February 2023

Jessica Parker
Brussels Correspondent

The DUP’s Sir Jeffrey Donaldson tried - and failed - during PMQs to get an answer on whether the original protocol treaty is set to be rewritten in a deal with the EU.

But Brussels has long insisted that renegotiating the text is a no-go for them, arguing sufficient flexibilities can be found within the existing treaty.

The UK used to make a lot of noise about how problems with the protocol were so “baked in” that it had to be rewritten.

We’ve heard that a lot less from Rishi Sunak and I’ve had no indications that officials have been fiddling around with the original treaty.

Rather more likely, at this stage, is that a fresh legal text will "overlay" the deal. That way, the EU can say it’s stuck to its guns of "no renegotiation" but the UK can say that the new agreement has, in essence, changed the primary treaty and the way it operates.

Shortly before today’s PMQs, polling company YouGov released a new poll on UK voting intentions - and it was good news for Labour.

The figures show a 2% drop in support for Conservatives - compared to YouGov’s last poll in mid-February - taking support for them to 22%, and an increase of 3% for Labour, putting them at 50%.

The company's figures have shown a general upward trend in support for Labour over the last 18 months, although the gap between the two sides has closed since late October - around the time of Liz Truss’s resignation as Prime Minister - when YouGov figures stood at 56% for Labour and 19% for Conservatives.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have 9% of the vote (down 1%), the Greens have seen no change at 6%, and Reform UK have seen support increase by 1% to 7% overall.

We've just followed another feisty and wide-ranging Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. If you're just catching up here's a quick look at the key takeaways:

• Labour's Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly pressed the PM on the Northern Ireland Protocol, asking whether Sunak would get a new EU trading agreement
• Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson criticised the protocol, saying it its "unfair" that EU laws are imposed on Northern Ireland "with no democratic scrutiny" - Sunak says addressing the "democratic deficit" is an essential part of the ongoing negotiations
• Sunak was also pressed about wages for NHS staff. He praised the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) for coming to the table for talks and averting upcoming strike action
• TransPennine's train service levels were described by Sunak as "unacceptable" - he said ministers were trying to solve the issue but "other decisions may have to be made" if services cannot be turned around
• Lib Dems leader Sir Ed Davey pushed Sunak on the Tory manifesto pledge to build 40 new hospitals - saying many don't even have planning permission three years on. Sunak said the government was investing record sums in the NHS and NHS capital, including the 40 sites
• Sunak also said his thoughts are with the families of Nicola Bulley - whose body was discovered in the River Wyre, Lancashire, weeks after going missing - and of schoolgirl Brianna Ghey who was stabbed to death in Warrington nearly two weeks ago

Reality Check

The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said at PMQs: “Wholesale gas prices have fallen by 75% since their peak yet in just a matter of weeks the British government, the Westminster government, intends to increase energy bills by a further £500.”

There have indeed been considerable falls in wholesale gas prices, although they take time to feed through into energy bills for consumers because companies tend to buy their gas using forward contracts bought in advance.

The government’s Energy Price Guarantee means that a typical dual fuel bill is £2,500 a year, which will rise to £3,000 from April.

There will be cost-of-living payments of £900 for those on means tested benefits, £300 to pensioners and £150 to those on disability benefits.

Without the Energy Price Guarantee, the regulator Ofgem would cap a typical bill at £4,279 a year, but that is expected to come down when the regulator gives its next update on Monday 27 February.

You can read more about what is going to happen to energy bills here.

Labour's Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols said that her constituency had been rocked by the recent death of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey who was fatally stabbed in a park earlier this month.

She asked if the PM would offer to ensure the government supports her classmates and helps them and the area to "heal from the tragedy".

Sunak thanked Nichols for raising the issue, saying Home Secretary Suella Braverman is due to visit the area shortly. He said the government was on hand to help and offer what is needed.

Reality Check

In PMQs, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised Boris Johnson as he talked about the problems with Northern Ireland's Brexit deal - known as the protocol.

He told Rishi Sunak: “His predecessor told businesses that there would be no forms, no checks, no barriers of any kind - that was absolute nonsense.”

Back in 2019 - before agreeing to the protocol - Mr Johnson told Sky News: “There will be no checks on goods going from GB to NI, or NI to GB.”

This ran counter to an internal government assessment of the impact of the deal at the time. Since the protocol came into force, more than a quarter of a million products of animal origin have been inspected at Northern Ireland's ports, according to official figures.

You can read more in this piece.

Labour MP Matt Western said the government had paid £2.3bn to the EU for allowing Chinese fraudsters to flood European markets with cheap goods, he said this was "the worst waste of public money".

He asked if money could be found for this fine, why can't NHS workers get pay increases?

Sunak replied that the Royal College of Nursing "are now in talks with the government about resolving the disputes".

Sunak says Western should "demonstrate he's on the side of hard-working families" by voting to introduce legislation on minimum service levels during strike action.

Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland commends the PM for "grasping the nettle" by trying to negotiate a deal with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He says treaty change is the best way to end the jurisdiction of the EU in Northern Ireland, not legislation in Parliament - in reference to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would allow the UK to unilaterally override the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Sunak does not comment on the bill, but says Buckland is right, we must "keep going" in trying to find "enduring solutions" and new arrangements that secure Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan said the government had broken its promises on new hospitals and new doctors, and that the number of new doctors had actually fallen.

She said GPs in Shropshire were seeing more patients than they did in 2016. She asked when the government would "end the neglect of local health services".

"There are 2,200 more GPs in general practice today," Sunak replied, adding that there are 15,000 more doctors and 30,000 more nurses.

Pressure mounting on Sunak to deliver on pledgespublished at 12:42 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2023

12:42 GMT 22 February 2023

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

PMQs was pretty tame and not full of high drama clashes, but it was sprinkled with a taste of trouble heading down the road for the prime minister.

Firstly - conflicting pressures on him when it comes to agreeing a new deal with the EU over trade arrangements for Northern Ireland.

One of the more uncomfortable moments for him was from the DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, who issued a reminder of his party’s opposition to the current Northern Ireland Protocol, saying it is “unacceptable” for EU laws to be “imposed” on Northern Ireland without “democratic scrutiny".

If the DUP’s "tests" aren’t met in any new deal the government reaches with the EU, they could continue to refuse to go back into government in Northern Ireland, leaving people there without proper representation.

Then there was the intervention from backbench Tory MP Esther McVey who asked when new laws would be introduced to try to stop small boats crossing the Channel.

Multiple other Tory MPs raised concerns about asylum seekers being housed in hotels in their constituencies.

Rishi Sunak said preventing channel crossings is a priority for him - but the pressure is mounting on him to outline how and when.

David Mundell, Conservative MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, raised concerns about the level of service offered by the rail service TransPennine, and asked the prime minister if he agrees that the level of services it is offering is "unacceptable".

Sunak said he agreed that the current service levels are unacceptable, and that government ministers were meeting with relevant parties to try and solve the issue. If ministers conclude services cannot be turned around then "other decisions may have to be made", he added.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey pointed out the Conservative manifesto promised 40 new hospitals. But he said that after three years, most of those have not even got planning permission.

Davey said communities feel betrayed - and no patients, doctors or nurses should have to put up with unacceptable conditions.

Sunak responded, saying he is proud the government is investing record sums in the NHS and NHS capital, upgrading hospitals and equipment. The most recent figures, he added, show a considerable improvement in waiting times for emergency care.

Prime Minister's Questions has now finished, but stay with us as we bring you more of the questions that MPs have been putting to Rishi Sunak, as well as more explanation and analysis.

Labour MP for Slough, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi asks Sunak when the government will recover money lost on PPE contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to pay NHS nurses "the wage they deserve".

Sunak acknowledges the talks due to happen with the health secretary later today and then accuses the Labour Party of not "standing up" to their "union paymasters".

Conservative MP Esther McVey says Rishi Sunak said he would make "fixing illegal immigration across the Channel" one of his priorities. She asks when legislation to stop Channel crossings will come forward.

Sunak says one of his five pledges is to "stop the boats". He says the government is working "at pace" on legislation, and the UK has deals with France and Albania.

Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson also speaks about the Northern Ireland Protocol, saying it "harms our place" in the UK.

He calls for it to be replaced with "arrangements that are acceptable" and which ensure Northern Ireland's place in the UK. He says it's "unfair" that EU laws are imposed on Northern Ireland "with no democratic scrutiny", and asks Sunak if he will "address these fundamental constitutional issues".

Sunak responds by thanking Donaldson for the role he has played in "articulating Unionist concerns" regarding the Protocol.He says he agrees that addressing the "democratic deficit" is an essential part of the negotiations that remain ongoing, and says these concerns are "at the very heart of the issues that must be addressed".

Sunak faces a tougher ride when he agrees NI dealpublished at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2023

12:21 GMT 22 February 2023

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

There weren’t many fireworks at this PMQs.

Sir Keir Starmer tried to push the prime minister to give further details about what concessions, or not, he will give in negotiations to get a new deal with the EU over trading agreements for Northern Ireland.

In a way, despite the government wanting one by now, it helped Rishi Sunak in his back-and-forth with the Labour leader to say that a deal isn’t done yet so everyone will have to “wait and see” before they critique it.

He faces a tougher ride when, as promised, he brings any deal that is agreed to parliament for the detail to be unpacked by opposition parties, his own Tory backbench MPs and of course the DUP.