Summary

  • Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick confirms the government plans to house migrants in military bases

  • Announcing the plans in the Commons, Jenrick says this will include repurposed barracks in Essex, Lincolnshire and East Sussex

  • Jenrick says the possibility of accommodating migrants on ships is still being considered

  • Labour's Yvette Cooper says the plans are an "admission of failure" on the part of the government

  • Earlier, Deputy PM Dominic Raab and Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner clashed over crime and anti-social behaviour during an angry exchange at Prime Minister's Questions

  • They were standing in for PM Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer, who are attending the funeral of the former Speaker, Betty Boothroyd

  • You can watch live by clicking the play button at the top of this page

  1. Ministers promises new migrant sites will have security on sitepublished at 12:51 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Jenrick says the government is committed to minimising the impact of housing migrants on local communities, and there will be security available on site.

    The immigration minister adds that they will work closely with the police to ensure safety.

  2. Migrants to be housed in repurposed barrack blocks, Jenrick confirmspublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Jenrick says, with these new plans, the government is announcing the first tranche of sites that will provide "basic accommodation at scale".

    These will include military sites being used in Essex and Lincolnshire, and a separate site in East Sussex. Migrants will be housed in repurposed barrack blocks and portacabins will be available, he tells MPs.

    He says Rishi Sunak has also proposed Catterick Garrison barracks in his North Yorkshire constituency as a site to house asylum seekers.

    Jenrick says the possibility of accommodating migrants on vessels is still being considered.

    "These sites on their own will not end the use of hotels overnight," he says.

  3. Funding outlined new migrant planspublished at 12:48 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Jenrick's still speaking. He says the government is unveiling a "new funding package" which will be "a generous new per bed payment".

    He adds that additional payments will be made to local authorities housing migrants in this kind of accommodation.

    Jenrick says this will act as an "additional incentive payment" where properties are made available faster.

  4. Government on track to tackle backlog of asylum decisions - immigration ministerpublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Robert Jenrick speaks in the Commons

    Jenrick says the government's efforts to deal with the migration crisis have been effective.

    He claims the Conservatives are on track to tackle the backlog of initial asylum decisions by the end of this year.

    Talking about the government's new plan to house migrants in ex-military bases, Jenrick says it goes further than any previous legislation, whilst remaining within treaty obligation. He also says his government "will not stop here" because illegal migration impacts the British public.

    The number of small boats coming into the UK have overwhelmed the system, Jenrick adds, and hotels take valuable assets from communities.

  5. On to the next order of business...published at 12:43 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    We're going to leave PMQs there and turn our attention to a statement by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick now.

    Stay tuned.

  6. Chris Bryant remembers Paul O'Gradypublished at 12:42 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Labour MP Chris Bryant now pays tributes to Paul O'Grady, who died unexpectedly yesterday.

    Bryant recalls when police officers raided a pub in Vauxhall where Lily Savage - O'Grady's drag queen persona - was performing. Bryant says officers were wearing rubber gloves to supposedly protect themselves from contracting HIV when touching gay men.

    He then goes on to say that O'Grady's work on campaigning against oppression of every kind

    Bryant asks: "Isn't it time we in this country celebrated our naughty hilarious drag queens and comic of every kind, who inspire us to be a better and more generous nation?"

    Raab responds to Bryant, saying he completely agrees, after briefly tripping up and mispronouncing O'Grady's surname - calling him "Paul Grayson".

    Raab adds that some of the comedy broke glass ceilings and we need to avoid "wokery" and limitations on comedy.

    Media caption,

    Paul O'Grady tribute: Bryant offers to take Raab to Royal Vauxhall Tavern

  7. Online Safety Bill will help victims of revenge porn, Raab sayspublished at 12:40 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Caroline Noakes

    Tory MP Caroline Nokes speaks about Georgia Harrison, a victim of revenge porn, who got justice because she was able prove her perpetrator intended to cause distress.

    She asks if Raab will review case studies Harrison has compiled of victims who couldn't do this, and if he will commit to reviewing legislation to make it more effective.

    Raab says changes to the Online Safety Bill will include a new base offence dealing with intimate images shared without consent, which doesn't require proof of intention to cause distress.

  8. Raab grilled on decreasing number of GPspublished at 12:39 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Next up Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem MP for Richmond, says there are now 850 fewer GPs than in 2019.

    ”What does he say to patients left in pain and staff left in tears due to failed promise to recruit more GPs?” she asks.

    Raab says there has been large increases in GP appointments - including over 29 million carried out across the country since the start of the year”.

    The number of GPs in training is “at record levels” and the government have put in “£1.5bn to create 50m more appoints by 2024”, the deputy PM says.

  9. Postpublished at 12:38 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Sir Robert Neill asks a question on strokes. He says he recently met a doctor who had a stroke but received the medical procedure thrombectomy, also known as mechanical clot retrieval, which allowed him to go back to work as a GP.

    He asks Raab if he agrees the procedure should be offered to more than the current 30% of people who suffer a stroke.

    Raab thanks Sir Robert for his work on behalf of stroke survivors and says a health minister will join Sir Robert on a visit to a clinic offering thrombectomy.

  10. Plans for 33 new special schoolspublished at 12:35 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Mark Eastwood at PMQs

    We're now hearing from Mark Eastwood, Tory MP for Dewsbury, who pays tribute "to Dewsbury's greatest daughter, Betty Boothroyd".

    Eastwood goes on to describe his visit to two schools in his local area, which focus on providing education to pupils with special needs.

    He asks Raab to join him in "thanking the teachers and staff" for all the work they do.

    Raab echoes Eastwood's thanks and says in March the government published new national standards, including plans to open 33 new special schools - with more in the pipeline.

  11. Raab blames pandemic for Royal Mail pay issuespublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Labour's Cat Smith says the Royal Mail board is threatening to put itself into administration over pay disputes, if a pay deal is not reached. She asks what is being done to deal with the situation.

    Raab says the pandemic has had a "particular impact" on postal services and that Smith will get a ministerial meeting to discuss the issue further.

  12. Raab: Northern Ireland's police will be supportedpublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson

    DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is called to ask a question now. He speaks about MI5 increasing the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland, meaning an attack is highly likely.

    He asks Raab whether the government will provide the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) with the resources it needs to counter the threat.

    Raab says it's disappointing that the threat level has gone up, but the PSNI will be supported.

  13. Bullying inquiry overshadows Raab's PMQspublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Chris Mason
    Political editor

    The deputy prime minister finds himself in the big seat today, with his political career hanging by a thread.

    Expected soon, the report by Adam Tolley KC into allegations of bullying against Dominic Raab, which he denies.

    And so it was inevitable that questions that must be excruciating for him would rain down throughout this session.

    First it was deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner, who began and ended her sequence of questions on the issue - completing her questions by asking if he would jump before he was pushed, a question he ducked.

    And then Mhairi Black, the deputy leader of the SNP at Westminster, said it was inevitable that he would be "booted out of office".

    Privately, that is a view shared by many Conservative MPs, who struggle to see how the inquiry Raab faces is politically survivable for him.

  14. Raab calls out David Lammy for second earningspublished at 12:29 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Raab says he's delighted that the majority of health unions have accepted recent pay settlements and insists the government continues to work on curbing second jobs.

    Pointing at the opposite benches, he says various shadow ministers were looking sheepish and that the shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has second earnings from 40 different sources.

    The deputy PM adds that his government has done everything possible to ensure transparency and accountability.

  15. Matt Hancock called out for recent pay prankpublished at 12:27 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Black is back on her feet. She says people across the UK are being “led by donkeys” - referring to the recent sting by the Led by Donkeys campaign group that appeared to show former Health Secretary Matt Hancock agreeing to work for a fake firm for £10,000 a day.

    She says Hancock offered to “impart his wisdom for £1,500 an hour” while most nurses “earn little above £15 an hour”.

    “Who offers best value for the public?” she asks.

    It's worth mentioning here that MPs are allowed to have second jobs, and there is no suggestion of parliamentary rule-breaking. Hancock's spokesperson said he had acted properly and within the rules. You can read more about that here.

  16. Raab defends government's record on MPs' second jobspublished at 12:25 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Raab responds to Black by saying the government's "system of declaration is there to ensure transparency and accountability".

    He says the Conservatives have worked to tighten up the rules on outside jobs.

    He also wishes new Scottish FM Humza Yousaf the best, and says he's sure Yousaf will work in the best interests of the people of Scotland.

    Media caption,

    Black teases Raab on pay when he is 'booted out of office'

  17. Raab pressed on political futurepublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Mhairi Black at PMQs

    Next up is Deputy SNP Westminster leader Mhairi Black, who gives her condolences to TV and radio presenter Paul O'Grady's family - and congratulates Humza Yousaf on his appointment as Scotland's new first minister.

    She speaks about footage that emerged in recent days of the former Chancellor and the former chair of the 1922 Committee offering their services for an extra fee.

    She asks Raab what his going rate will be when "he's eventually booted out of office".

  18. You care more about political games, Raab tells Raynerpublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    "One thing never changes," Raab says, adding Rayner always comes "with political opportunism".

    Raab goes on to list the bills and policies his government has worked on this week, including the anti-social behaviour and victims and prisoners bills.

    He adds that the government has delivered for Britain, while "she [Rayner] likes to play political games".

  19. Rayner asks Raab if he'll resign before he's sackedpublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Rayner turns her focus to Raab's job, accusing him of “spending all his time trying to save his own job and none of his time on his actual job" while "people in Britain feel more and more unsafe".

    She takes a tour of Raab’s “highlights” as she sees them:

    • "A criminal justice system on its knees”
    • “The largest court backlog on record”
    • and “racking up 24 formal complaints fromm his own civil servants”

    She ends by asking if Raab “will walk before he’s pushed” out of his job.

    Media caption,

    Rayner on Raab: Will he walk before he’s pushed?

  20. Raab insists victims are supported under his policiespublished at 12:18 British Summer Time 29 March 2023

    Dominic Raab at PMQs in Commons

    Raab accuses Rayner of "ignoring" the impact of the pandemic on courts.

    He says funding for victims has been "quadrupled" and there is now a 24/7 phone line to help those in need of one.

    The justice secretary says women are able to give pre-recorded evidence in court and adds that the government is doing "everything it can" to support victims.