Damian Hinds was also asked by the BBC's Jon Kay about the number of apprenticeships in England, saying they number on offer has fallen by 160,000 over the last six years.

The schools minister says the number on offer is still "much higher" than when Labour was in government, but is reminded by Kay that the figure's fallen in the time the Conservatives have been in power.

Hinds insists his party has upgraded the "quality bar of apprenticeships", such as ensuring a minimum length and creating the institute for apprenticeships and technical education.

It's then put to him that UCAS has reported that young people are put off by barriers to apprenticeships such as low pay, lack of availability and having to apply for apprenticeships individually. But Hinds says he plans to put apprenticeships on the UCAS system, so there's equal visibility against university degrees and also reduce the amount of bureaucracy.

Munira Wilson, education spokeswoman for the Lib Dems, said the Tories had "broken the apprenticeship system" and "urgent reform is needed". And Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson called the announcement "laughable".

Following that bit of breaking news, we're going to keep bringing you up to speed on some of this morning's interviews with candidates campaigning for their respective parties.

We heard from Schools Minister Damian Hinds, who was speaking about the government's newly-announced plan to scrap certain degrees in English universities and instead fund apprenticeships.

The policy, he told BBC Breakfast, would "look at things like the drop-out rates and the proportion of graduates that go on to graduate employment, to make sure that if there is a really underperforming course, it can’t recruit more people onto that course”.

Asked about courses such as ancient history or medieval poetry, that might not have great economic benefits or employment prospects, Hinds said there would always be "a natural difference" in earning potential from different degrees - and that the policy would look at a range of quality measures.

Image source, PA Media

Here's a bit more on ITV's announcement that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer's first TV debate will take place next Tuesday at 21:00.

The hour-long debate will be moderated by Julie Etchingham, who moderated debates in 2015, 2017 and 2019. It will take place live in front of a studio audience.

It will be the first of a number of debates between party leaders ahead of the election on 4 July.

ITV has just announced that it'll air the first head-to-head TV debate of the election - between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

It'll take place on Tuesday 4 June at 21:00.

Labour's NHS pledge will be a difficult balancing actpublished at 10:37 British Summer Time 29 May

10:37 BST 29 May

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Labour has said it will make tackling the NHS backlog one of its first steps if it wins power.

It says it's setting aside £1.3bn by tackling tax-dodgers and closing tax loopholes to fund 40,000 extra appointments and operations a week.

It marks the first foray into what polling shows is one of the key priorities of voters: the state of the NHS.

But what has not been set out by Labour - or any of the other main parties for that matter - is just how much they will spend on the health service.

Labour pointed to how waiting times had been brought down by the Blair government in its announcement, but back then the Budget rose by between 6-7% a year on average above inflation to achieve that. Over this Parliament, it has been around half that - and during the 2010s it was between 1 to 2%.

Most experts agree there will be nothing like the funding injection seen in the 2000s, which will create a very challenging balancing act: focus on waiting lists and something else will have to give in the NHS.

Here's a bit more from shadow health secretary Wes Streeting's BBC Breakfast interview earlier - he said Labour's "certainly not going to copy" the Conservatives' NHS policies.

The choice at this election, he said, is a "record of failure" with the Conservatives or a plan from Labour that will deliver 40,000 more appointments.

We need to take "the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS," Streeting said, adding that his party's pledge to make use of "spare capacity" in the independent healthcare sector would also remain "free at the point of use". The "NHS is on the ballot paper" for Labour, he concluded.

Responding to the policy, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins described it as "more 'copy and paste' politics from Labour, who have no plan". She said the Tories "will take bold action ... and continue to deliver the technology and innovation the NHS needs to keep cutting waiting lists".

As we've been reporting, Labour's latest campaign policy is about the NHS - specifically it's a promise that a target to start treatment within 18 weeks in England will be hit within five years.

Earlier, it was put to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting on BBC Breakfast that NHS waiting lists in Wales - where Labour is in power - have reached record highs.

He responded by saying the health service is in crisis "in every part of the UK, because decisions taken in Westminster don't just affect England, but Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland".

"If the Conservatives get another five years in power there is a genuine risk, based on Rishi Sunak's performance to date, that we'll see NHS waiting lists rise as high as 10 million," he said.

"Huge numbers" of people were opting to go private where they could afford it, Streeting added. "I'm not going to see working class people left behind while operating theatres in private hospitals are left empty."

Image source, BBC Breakfast

The SNP's Westminster leader said rolling stock had been nationalised in Scotland and peak time fares scrapped to ease the financial burden - and he said it was important Network Rail was in public ownership to improve punctuality.

Put to him that Labour had already promised to bring the remaining rail companies into public ownership when their contracts expire, Flynn said Labour had "promised many things" under Keir Starmer's leadership - then rattled off a list of pledges he said Labour hadn't kept.

"It's important that where we can, we continue to put pressure on the Labour Party to do the right thing," he told BBC Breakfast.

Shadow Scotland Secretary Ian Murray described it as an "embarrassing blunder" from the SNP, saying Labour "has a real plan to nationalise and modernise rail across the UK".

Sam Hancock
Live reporter

That was quite the flurry of breaking news and follow-up analysis there, thanks for sticking with us.

We're keeping an eye on the Diane Abbott story and will bring you any developments. For now, the Labour leadership is yet to comment on her claim that she's been barred by the party from standing at the next election.

Now, though, we're going to turn to some interviews from this morning's news programmes - with Labour and Tory MPs discussing their respective parties' new policy pledges.

We've been seeking further comment from Diane Abbott since she told the BBC that Labour had banned her from standing for the party in the election.

BBC reporters asked if she had anything to say to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Abbott didn't respond.

The Labour Party are yet to comment - we're still chasing a response from them and we'll let you know when we get it.

We're still waiting to hear from Labour HQ about Diane Abbott's claim that the party's banned her from standing at the election - but shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, who's doing the media round this morning, has been asked about it a few times.

He tells Radio 4's Today programme that it's a "decision for the Labour Party's National Executive Committee" - the party's government body.

Pressed by the BBC's Justin Webb on whether Streeting wants Abbott to remain as an MP, he says "it's not a decision for me" - but that he has "enormous respect" for his colleague and everything she's achieved in politics.

Put to him that some of Abbott's allies think the party's leadership may have "stitched her up", Streeting says he "not going to rely on hearsay.

Andrew Kerr
Scotland political correspondent

The SNP have criticised Labour - claiming the party has shown a "total lack of judgement" over their MP, Diane Abbott.

It’s an unclear picture on Abbott this morning - she’s told a BBC reporter that she’s been barred from standing for the party at the general election.

The SNP MP Tommy Sheppard claims it’s an attempt by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to "block anyone who disagrees with him". He went on to say:

Will Labour face backlash over Abbott?published at 08:32 British Summer Time 29 May

08:32 BST 29 May

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

It’s certainly true that there has been unease from lots of MPs for some time about how long Diane Abbott’s suspension has lasted - and that unease has spread across the Labour Party, far beyond Abbott’s usual allies on the left.

There are some who think that her apology should have been sufficient for her to be readmitted as it has been in some other disciplinary cases.

Others think that it was right that Abbott’s time as an MP was drawing to a close but that the process has been needlessly fractious and undignified, especially given her status as a trailblazer.

However, it’s worth remembering that Labour MPs are now scattered around the country campaigning in their local areas.

Backlashes usually build in Parliament when MPs get together to vent - that is physically harder now.

In addition, lots of Labour MPs will be wary about attacking Labour leader Keir Starmer or his team during an election campaign, for fear that it will damage his standing with the public.

Joe Pike
Political investigations correspondent

Image source, PA Media

"Although the whip has been restored, I am banned from standing as a Labour candidate." That's what Diane Abbott has told me.

This intervention comes just hours after Labour’s chief whip contacted Abbott to restore the whip after more than a year’s suspension.

One parliamentary ally of the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP tells me that after decades of public service, Abbott should've been allowed to "retire with dignity". The confused choreography of recent days does not seem to have achieved that.

It's unclear whether the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party have made a final decision about Abbott’s position.

The other unknown is whether she might follow the lead of her friend Jeremy Corbyn and stand as an independent candidate in her borough.

The breaking news about Diane Abbott was just put to Labour's shadow health secretary Wes Streeting on BBC Breakfast.

"I'm hearing this for the first time," he tells the programme, adding that he is glad that her suspension from the party was lifted yesterday.

He says he's not up to speed with the latest decisions around her status as a potential candidate.

It's worth pointing out that we've not yet heard anything directly from Labour HQ on Abbott's claim that she's been barred from standing for the party at the general election. We're calling them at the moment and will let you know as soon as we get something.

A bit on this story for you now - Diane Abbott has told the BBC's Joe Pike: "Although the whip has been restored, I am banned from standing as a Labour candidate."

In the last few moments, Diane Abbott has confirmed to the BBC that she's been barred by Labour from standing for the party at the general election.

At the end of her interview with the Today programme, Jacqueline McKenzie says she doesn't know whether her friend Diane Abbott will run as an independent - but she "hasn't expressed any wishes to do that".

"Labour ought to afford Diane Abbott greater respect and and greater dignity," she says, pointing to other MPs who've said controversial things and had the whip restored.

"Why is Diane being treated differently?" McKenzie asks.

When asked if Abbott wants to run for Parliament as a Labour MP, her friend says she wants to be "given the opportunity to make that decision".

Abbott's a hugely important figure in the Labour party, Jacqueline McKenzie says, adding that the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was the first black woman elected to Parliament in 1987 - and has an "extremely incredible track record of service" representing all communities in the borough.

McKenzie says it's "nonsense" that Abbott may be discredited "because of some remarks that she made, withdrew, and apologised for". She adds that her friend is "truly sorry" for those remarks, and that she meant no offense and is "not antisemitic".

For context: Labour launched an investigation in April last year after Abbott wrote in the Observer that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people "undoubtedly experience prejudice" which she said is "similar to racism". Read more on the story here.

We’re now hearing from McKenzie, an immigration lawyer and friend who has been in contact with Abbott.

McKenzie says Abbott is “really shocked and has been for a very long time” as the investigation into her conduct has continued for 13 months.

Referring to a Newsnight report from yesterday, she says those around her were surprised to learn that the investigation had concluded in December.

“What was really astonishing about all of that was ... the leader of the Labour party and senior officials saying an investigation was still under way," she says.