House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are considering the first batch of amendments up for consideration this afternoon - which largely relate to the body of law made by the National Assembly for Wales and its jurisdiction and application in Wales. 

Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth says that some of the government amendments pick up on points made during committee stage on this issue by former presiding officer of the Welsh Assembly Lord Elis-Thomas. 

Lord Bourne says the amendments clarify that the body of Welsh law made by the Assembly forms part of the wider body of law that applies in Wales. 

Lord Elis-Thomas responds by thanking the minister for the amendment and its "simplicity and its inclusiveness". 

Of other amendments in this group, Lord Elis-Thomas warns that the UK can only work by treating it as an "association of nations" and therefore says ministers need to ensure that there is greater equality of representation in government groups that study devolution issues. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Communities and local government minister Gavin Barwell tells MPs that he is "not hiding from the facts – homelessness is on the rise."

He notes that 60% of rough sleepers in London are not UK nationals and concludes that the migration system contributes to the problem. 

However he identifies the upfront cost of accessing the private rented sector as the main cause of homelessness. He therefore calls the banning of letting agents fees by the government "an important step".

He acknowledges that the affordable housing supply figures from last year were "unacceptably low". He explains this was due to a new programme being late starting. He accepts that this is a "feeble excuse". 

We are determined to make sure it doesn't happen again, he says.

House of Lords
Parliament

The National Citizen Service Bill passes with mutual congratulation from peers and the minister for cooperation between the parties, government and administrative staff in getting the bill through parliament.

We now move on to the main legislative business of the day - the report stage of the Wales Bill. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers move on to debate the National Citizen Service Bill at third reading.

Minister Lord Ashton of Hyde is moving two government amendments to the bill which have been tabled in response to concerns raised by peers during the bill's passage through parliament.

Given the nature of the amendments, the mood in the chamber is very collegiate with compliments being offered to and by the minister. 

House of Lords
Parliament

A number of peers speak in support of the new funding formula. 

Minister Lord Nash agrees that schools are making substantial "efficiency savings" but says that there are financial tool kits on the department's website which offer help. 

This includes, he says, a bottom up analysis of how to remodel schools more efficiently which has brought significant savings in schools at the same time as "dragging up" educational standards quite substantially.  

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow housing secretary John Healey tells the House that Labour will end rough sleeping within "our first-term back in office".

He says that "you can't help the homeless if you don't build the homes" and therefore says that Labour will earmark 4,000 housing association homes for rough sleepers. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Former Labour government minister Lord Adonis says that in 1997 the then Labour government faced a similar issue on a much smaller scale and says the decision they took was that it would not be appropriate for school budgets to be cut.

He says that this was because it would lead to a "massive draining of energy" from the sector and also that schools would subsequently blame "every problem, every failure and every controversy" on government budget cuts. 

Lord Adonis therefore says the government are "extremely courageous" in proposing to cut funding for 46% of schools.  

He warns that this will cause a massive controversy in the sector that will distract from the "essential challenge" in the sector of raising standards. 

There is a very simple remedy to this he says; arguing that no school actually has to have a cut in its budget. Lord Adonis says this will take longer but means no school will have to fire teachers or have an excuse to not to raise standards. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Getty Images

The second opposition day debate tabled by the Labour Party begins.

This motion focuses on homelessness noting that the number of homeless households rose by 44% between 2010 and 2016.

Labour calls on the government to take action to address the root causes of rising homelessness.

The government has tabled an amendment noting their support for the Homelessness Reduction Bill which will ensure everyone gets the “help they need to prevent homelessness”.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have rejected Labour's amendment 307 votes to 234 votes.

The government's amendment to the motion is agreed to without a vote. 

The amendment welcomes the action the government is taking to develop a strong economy that works for everyone, regardless of their background.

House of Lords
Parliament

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Lord Storey welcomes some aspect of the statement, such as those relating to the pupil premium, but says that the figures of proposed cuts are "unimaginable". 

He says that some head teachers are seriously considering cutting the school week to just four days because they cannot afford a full week.

This is at the same time, he says, as the government propose to spend £240m to reintroduce a grammar school system. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Shadow minister Lord Watson of Invergowrie says the outcome of the formula for schools across the country will "undoubtedly be one of disappointment" as he says there is no new money offered by the government.  

He says that the government seem to have been "oblivious" to the fact that the National Audit Office has released its report on the policy a few hours before the statement was given. 

This report gives a different picture to the scheme to the "upbeat" note of the statement, he says. 

The Labour peer also accuses the government of being "complacent" in its announcement that no school will lose out by more than 3% - saying that school budgets are "already intolerably stretched". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee chair Hilary Benn closes the session giving David Davis an opportunity to "look the committee in the eye and give a simple yes" on whether he intends to give Parliament a vote on the final Brexit deal.

Mr Davis says the government will follow consitutional law "to the letter", but he won't allow Mr Benn to interpret that as a 'yes'.

With that the committee session ends.

House of Commons
Parliament

The debate concludes and the Labour motion is pushed to a vote. 

The motion notes "with concern the disproportionate impact of the government’s policies on women".

It also calls for a new gender equality strategy to be published. 

the result of the vote is expected at 4:15pm. 

Select Committee
Parliament

The DUP's Sammy Wilson has the final question on whether Mr Davis can rule out border controls between the island of Ireland and Great Britain.

Mr Davis says he "hesitates" to promise that, because negotiations with the Irish government are ongoing, but that it would not be his preferred way to go.  

He undertakes to write to Mr Wilson with further detail on progress.

House of Commons
Parliament

In a wide-ranging debate about the impact on women of government policies, shadow women and equalities minister Sarah Champion said that 86% of the Treasury savings have come from women. She asked if the government wants that to be their legacy.

The SNP's Kirsty Blackman said that women are more likely to be lone parents and are therefore more likely to be impacted by reductions in child benefit.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jane Ellison said that under the last Labour government female unemployment fell by a quarter. She adds that the gender pay gap is at an all time low "but all we got from their side is sarcasm".

House of Lords
Parliament

Education Minister Lord Nash is now repeating a statement made earlier in the House of Commons by the education secretary on a new national funding formula for schools and high needs.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative Michael Gove asks directly: "What's the worst they could do?" if the European Commission decided to get really tough with the UK.

Mr Davis says there was an early view in Europe that the UK could be persuaded to change its mind about pushing forward with Brexit, leading to the initial very tough statements from European leaders.

Once Article 50 has been triggered, Mr Davis says he believes there will be a shift in European attitudes to asking "how do we make this work?"

House of Lords
Parliament

The northern Syrian city of Aleppo has been caught in a four-year deadlock - but that has now been broken.

Aleppo has been a key battleground in the war between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels who want to overthrow him.

Since November, Syrian government forces have rapidly retaken almost all of the opposition-held east, leaving the rebels on the brink of defeat.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled those districts, but the UN says hundreds have gone missing since crossing into government-controlled areas - and that rebels are preventing some civilians from leaving.

Meanwhile many of those in the areas seized by troops are suffering serious food and fuel shortages.

Read more here.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour peer Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean has tabled this private notice question on the government's assessment of the conditions for civilians in eastern Aleppo and what prospect there is for humanitarian relief to reach those people.

Department for International Development Minister Lord Bates responds by saying that Aleppo is a "humanitarian catastrophe", but says that the UK is providing food, shelter and health care through the UN and other agencies.

Baroness Symons says that it is almost four weeks since food and medical aid got into eastern Aleppo, and repeats reports of Syrian government forces murdering civilians in the city. 

She says she has heard what the government has done but wants to know what the government's next step is at the UN and with allies to get aid in and evacuate civilians.  

Lord Bates says the government is working with partners in the UN security council, but tells peers this work is limited by the Russian veto. Despite this "meltdown of humanity", Lord Bates says the UK can be proud of the humanitarian aid it has given. 

He concludes by saying this is a "human conflict between human actors and it is within human hands to bring it to an end". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Pat McFadden moves the questions on to immigration.

Mr Davis says the overall aim to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands remains, but that his own view is that this would not be done if it was "against the national interest".

Mr Davis agrees that it is a "reasonable expectation" of the public to see immigration reduced to that level, "but over time".