MPs on the Justice Committee conducted an inquiry into HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ relationship with the Ministry of Justice.
MPs met at 11.30am for Northern Ireland questions; followed by prime minister's questions.
There were two urgent questions following PMQs: one on the case of Poppi Worthington; the second on treatment of asylum seekers in Middlesbrough.
The main business of the day was the report stage of the Psychoactive Substances Bill.
The House of Lords assembled at 3pm; and after questions peers debated a motion to appoint a select committee to consider the impact of two clauses in the Trade Union Bill.
The Lords considered the Immigration Bill.
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Lord Bates offers to meet with concerned peers on the issue, and that brings an end to the day in the House of Lords.
Peers will return tomorrow at 11am for oral questions on pregnancy tests, social cohesion, humanist marriage ceremonies and funding health and social care.
Immigration Bill
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Lord Kennedy of Southwark says the government is creating a very difficult situation, putting significant pressure on landlords with no oversight from the courts.
He argues that it will lead to landlords not renting to certain people and consequently "great injustices will be done".
Immigration Bill
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A landlord himself, Conservative Lord Howard of Rising says it is "a bit rich" that a landlord should face prison for housing illegal immigrants when it is the government's fault that an illegal immigrant has entered the UK in the first place.
He says that the people most affected will be "the huge army of small landlords".
Immigration Bill
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Lord Bates defends the provisions in the bill that require landlords to carry out checks on prospective tenants.
He tells peers that the government has made it clear that the right to rent is not directed against migrants but a small minority of illegal migrants.
He argues that it is only fair that people who are legally in the UK should have "first call" for funding.
Immigration Bill
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Crossbencher Lord Best co-chaired an expert advisory panel that monitored the pilot "right to rent" scheme.
Although he acknowledges that the evaluation was not definitive and that more time and funding would have been useful, Lord Best insists that the analysis of the pilot was taken "extremely seriously".
He acknowledges that the "no-one" from landlords and tenants welcome the change but believes they will learn to live with it.
He tells peers that no landlord who makes an innocent mistake is going to be hounded; rather it is serial offenders who will be affected.
Immigration Bill
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Conservative Lord Deben also says he opposes the scheme, partly on the grounds that the government has not had the results of the pilot scheme properly analysed.
"You don't behave like this", he adds.
He says he worries that landlords will now be more suspicious of renting to people with foreign accents "as opposed to the crystal accents you hear in this house".
He also objects to discouraging people from renting out rooms at a time of housing shortage.
Finally he tells peers that he does not want to live in a society that encourages "sneaking on one's neighbours".
Immigration Bill
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Liberal Democrat Baroness Sheehan echos Baroness Hamwee's concerns.
She worries that foreign nationals who have a right to rent but who are not in a position to produce the necessary documents will be excluded from the rental market as landlords become more risk averse.
She argues for a delay in the implementation of the scheme until an independent valuation of the associated risks has been carried out.
Immigration Bill
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Peers return to the Immigration Bill and Baroness Hamwee raises concerns about the bill's provisions relating to landlords.
Under the bill's "right to rent scheme", landlords are required to carry out checks to ensure prospective tenants have the right to live in the UK.
Failure to do so could lead to fines or jail sentences.
Baroness Hamwee quotes a letter from the Residential Landlord's Association who worry that the provision will cause "considerable harm" in the relationship between landlords and tenants.
Cancer survival rates
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Health Minister Lord Prior of Brampton promises to write to peers who raised concerns over when screening services are withdrawn.
He acknowledges the importance of early and fast diagnosis, and says the government will commit to an "ambitious target" of ensuring that by 2020 patients receive a diagnosis within 28 days of being referred by a GP.
Cancer survival rate debate
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On diagnosis issues, shadow health spokesman Lord Hunt of Kings Heath asks how the government is ensuring that diagnosis is better than it was.
He also says he wants to know why screening for bowel cancer stops at 74, and expresses concern that the National Screening Committee is not keeping up with demographics.
The committee advises minister on implementing screening strategies.
Cancer survival rates
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Conservative Lord Colwyn welcomes the debate as an opportunity to bring the dental profession "once again" to the attention of the Lords.
He tells peers that dentists play an important role in recognising oral cancer - a disease whose prevalence has increased by 40% in the last decade.
He notes that those in the dental profession are uniquely placed to see the signs of mouth cancer early on, even before the patient has noticed something is wrong.
Nick Triggle, BBC Health Correspondent
Image source, Science Photo LibraryWhen it comes to cancer, there is a mountain of statistics.
But if you want to understand the challenge facing the nation, simply consider this: the disease has now become so common that one out of every two people born after 1960 will develop it during their lifetime.
It means that every two minutes someone in England is diagnosed with the disease.
The major cause is, of course, the fact we are living longer. But lifestyle factors, such as smoking, drinking and obesity are also playing a role.
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Debate on the Immigration Bill is paused whilst peers take part in the dinner break business debate on factors contributing to the cancer survival rates.
The debate is led by Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Walmsley, who laments the fact that the UK lags behind other developed countries in cancer survival rates.
Immigration Bill
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Government spokesman, Lord Ashton of Hyde, says the government will not support this "radical change to existing rules" for asylum seekers.
He points out that asylum seekers are provided with free accommodation and a cash allowance to cover living needs.
He further notes that asylum seeker applicants can take up volunteering activities which help with integration and learning English.
Immigration bill
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Lord Green of Deddington suggests it would be better to process asylum claims more quickly.
He also worries that the change would encourage claims from bogus asylum seekers.
"And, for goodness' sake, anyone who has read the papers for the last few months will understand the need to be careful on that front", he adds.
Immigration Bill
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The Bishop of Southwark tells peers that it is Church of England policy that all asylum seekers should be granted permission to seek employment.
He argues that reducing the timeframe to six months would not be an invitation for economic migrants to enter the UK via "an easy route".
Immigration Bill
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Crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool argues that the current rules mean the asylum seeker loses out "but so does the state".
Being allowed to work, he says, would reduce the taxpayer burden on the taxpayer.
He also says it would stop asylum seekers being forced to work in the black economy.
Immigration Bill
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Labour's Lord Kennedy now rises to speak to amendment 134, a cross party amendment which allows those asylum applicants waiting longer than six months for a decision to be allowed to work in the UK.
Currently asylum seekers can only work after waiting 12 months, and only then in sectors experiencing a labour shortage.
Lord Kennedy tells peers that in Belgium asylum seekers can work after six months whilst in Germany the period is reduced to three.
He points out that those asylum seeker applicants who are allowed to work no longer need to be supported by the tax payer.
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Lord Bates notes the strong feeling in the house and seeks to reassure peers that the government will come forward with proposals to address their concerns before the bill's next stage.
Labour's Lord Rosser expresses a degree of disappointment by the government's response but baring in mind the minister's offer to bring forward new proposals, he withdraws his amendment.
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It's an early finish for the Commons today.
MPs will return for Culture, Media and Sport Questions tomorrow morning at 9:30am.
