House of Lords
Parliament

Peers now turn a government defeat inflicted by the House of Lords, which has been reversed by MPs.

Peers had added an amendment to ensure that the Oil and Gas Authorities' objectives incorporated oversight of the decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure and securing its reuse in Carbon Capture and Storage Projects.

Energy Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth argues that the change detracts from the OGA's main aims of maximising the use of UK petroleum and its economic return.

Despite some angry speeches peers agree to overturn their earlier amendment.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former coalition health minister Norman Lamb is not a fan of his former coalition partners' proposals on support for victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

The Liberal Democrat MP says it is wrong that victims in the rest of the UK will not receive as much money as those in Scotland.

"Surely everyone should be treated exactly the same as a result of this scandal," he argues, also criticising the end of the "inflation-proofing" of UK government payments.

He asks Conservative ministers to "withdraw these proposals and think again".

House of Lords
Parliament

First up is a series of technical amendments to ensure that the decision on whether an oil field operation is complete is transferred to the Oil and Gas Authority, the regulator for both onshore and offshore oil.

The amendments are accepted without a vote.

Image source, PA

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers now move to the consideration of amendments made to the Energy Bill in the House of Commons.

House of Lords
Parliament

After some final speeches, the Immigration Bill passes the third reading, its final stage in the House of Lords.

MPs will get one last chance to review the bill and any changes made in the Lords before the bill becomes law.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers have voted to reject Lord Wallace's proposal to delay the proposed "immigration skills charge" until 31 March 2018 and until transitional provision has been made for institutions in the public sector.

With all votes counted peers have decided 232 to 180 against the measure.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman, the Father of the House, external, says the contaminated blood scandal does not have a solution in health terms but argues for improved support.

"I am looking for the government to show that it cares," he says, calling on it to "alleviate the anxieties and concerns of the people who live with this affliction every single day".

House of Lords
Parliament

Lib Dem peer Lord Wallace of Saltaire says there is still "much confusion over how we get from here to where we all want to be".

"We have not been informed about new scheme on how department of health and education will get the skilled individuals they need," he says and pushes the amendment to a vote. 

Results are expected at 5.35pm.

House of Lords
Parliament

Government minister Earl Howe says that he does not see the need for transitional provisions to be made for institutions in the public sector because they are "employers like any other" and should be incentivised to consider the UK labour market first before recruiting outside Europe.

Earl Howe says "we simply must do something" about the issue of non-EU workers filling positions of skilled workers in the UK.

Eleanor Bradford
BBC Scotland health correspondent

Image source, SPL

Victims of the infected blood scandal in Scotland will get increased financial support, the Scottish government announced earlier this year.

Those suffering from advanced hepatitis C infection will get £27,000 per year - the equivalent of the average income.

Victims with chronic hepatitis C will also now receive a £50,000 lump sum payment, up from £20,000 previously.

The widows and widowers of those who have died from hepatitis will receive annual payments for the first time.

The settlement is significantly higher than that currently proposed for victims in the rest of the UK.

Read more.

House of Lords
Parliament

The immigration skills charge would introduce an effective fine on employers for the recruiting of non-UK and EU skilled workers. 

The government say the policy seeks to encourage businesses to source the skilled workers that they need from the resident labour market.  

House of Lords
Parliament

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Wallace of Saltaire is moving the last amendment being considered during the third reading of this bill.

Amendment 9 seeks to delay the provisions in the bill that would bring in the proposed "immigration skills charge" until 31 March 2018 and until transitional provision has been made for institutions in the public sector.

Lord Wallace argues that the immigration skills charge is "fine for the private sector", but points out that "the government is the employer in the public sector".

"So here we have the government encouraging itself to expand training to fill skills shortages in schools and hospitals by fining those schools and hospitals out of government funds for recruiting outside of the UK and EU - that is absurd." 

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP MP Paul Monaghan says the additional £100m for victims announced in January (see entry below0 "takes the total to £225m over a five-years to 2020".

The government's consultation, external on the changes to support closes this week, he notes, adding that the proposals have been widely criticised as "outdated and confused in structure".

He claims analysis shows the government will "cap annual payments for victims in England at £15,000".

These payments will not increase in line with inflation, he adds, and victims will lose other payments such as the winter fuel allowance.

Select Committee
Parliament

And with that Crispin Blunt draws the evidence session to an end. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee chair Crispin Blunt asks whether current moves for greater European Union co-operation over defence is a good thing, after finding himself as the "lone voice against" at a recent EU meeting.

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind is against the idea but says that "without the UK in the EU it would mean the single most important country that always gives priority to Nato would no longer be there and countries who want a EU army would be that much more powerful".

Former defence secretary Liam Fox says that "EU defence protections duplicate and undermine Nato" and "divert scarce resources away from Nato at a time when we cannot afford it".

BBC News Health

Image source, PA

The government wants to increase the amount of money on offer for those affected by the blood contamination scandal by a further £100m, public health minister Jane Ellison said.

Thousands of people were infected with Hepatitis C and HIV through NHS blood products in the 1970s and 80s.

Ms Ellison said the money would come from the Department of Health's budget, and she apologised again to victims.

In March last year the Penrose report, external was published after a six-year inquiry.

Lord Penrose, a retired judge, concluded that more should have been done to screen blood and donors for hepatitis C in the early 1990s.

Many of those affected were in Scotland, which was the only part of the UK to hold an inquiry.

Read more.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Mike Gapes asks whether the UK leaving the European Union "undermines the democratic pillar of the EU which acts as a magnet to countries away from authoritarianism and towards western democracy".

Gisela Stuart says she finds Mike Gapes comments "quite extraordinary".

She argues Mr Gapes is saying "the only way these countries can develop is by ultimately aiming to be part of supranational organisation". 

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are now debating amendment 8 which seeks to remove from the bill the ability of the secretary of state to amend the meaning of what an "unaccompanied" child is by parliamentary regulations.

The amendment would instead replace this power with a strict definition of what is meant by an unaccompanied child.

Government spokesperson Lord Keen of Elie explains the government position on this issue as seeking to legislate for unforeseen circumstances in future where flexibility in defining what an "unaccompanied" child is could in fact help save children from traffickers.

Lord Keen says that there is already a strict definition of what is meant by "unaccompanied" in existing legislation.

"It is not in guidance alone; it is in the immigration rules themselves," he says.

With these assurances Baroness Hamwee withdraws her amendment 8.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP John Baron says that "EU bureaucrats" have told the committee the "systems of the EU will be eventually geared towards" everyone joining the euro "achieving economic and fiscal union".

These bureaucrats said the UK's position outside the euro and inside the EU was "untenable", he says.

Alex Salmond says just because some sections of the EU hold this view it "does not make it the view of the EU".

Member states "cannot be dragooned into joining the euro", he adds.