House of Commons
Parliament

Labour shadow health minister Julie Cooper asks the government to reconsider budget cuts that threaten the "valuable service" provided by community pharmacies, and says ministers should look to expand the role of pharmacies and the services they provide to reduce costs for the NHS.

Minister David Mowat responds saying that the community pharmacy model needs to move away from a dispensing model to one that provides services. 

He also says that the 11,500 community pharmacies across the country provide an "excellent service".

House of Commons
Parliament

In response to a question about how leaving the EU will affect NHS staffing levels, Jeremy Hunt says there are currently 127,000 staff from the EU doing a "vital job" for patients in the NHS and social care system.

The health secretary says he salutes their "excellent work" and remains confident they will be able to continue it. 

The SNP's Gavin Newlands says that there are "extensive rota gaps" in the NHS due to shortages of senior and junior doctors, and asks for Mr Hunt to join Nicola Sturgeon in demanding an "unequivocal guarantee" that all EU nationals already in the UK have a right to remain. 

Mr Hunt says this is exactly what the government intend to achieve through negotiations - but warns that MPs should remember the rights of British people in the EU "whose rights we also wish to protect".   

Select Committee
Parliament

Nicola Sturgeon says it would be possible for the UK to remain in the single market after Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt begins by paying tribute to the people of Berlin following the suspected terrorist attack in the city yesterday. 

The first question today is about clinical leadership in the NHS; and Mr Hunt tells MPs that evidence from all over the world suggests that higher standards of care for patients correlates directly to good clinical leadership. 

Former shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander remarks that in a year when Mr Hunt been "knocking clinicians" it is "good to hear" him speak positively of them. 

She asks the health secretary what responsibility he accepts for the lack of suitably qualified individuals prepared to take on the top jobs in the NHS.  

Jeremy Hunt responds that he takes responsibility for there being "more doctors, more nurses, and more funding than ever before" in the NHS. 

Select Committee
Parliament

When asked when a UK minister last visited Russia, there is some discussion among the witnesses and Foreign Office staff. 

They seem unsure but then decide it was in December 2015.

Sir Alan Duncan tells the committee there are "many other forums than visiting the country itself" and he lists some of the recent discussions there have been with Russian ministers as well as the prime minister's conversations with Vladimir Putin. 

He says that they are in discussions about a meeting but one has not yet been set.

It is then pointed out that earlier this year UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Russia risked becoming a "pariah" state over their bombing in Syria. Sir Alan says the foreign secretary has had many encounters with Russian ministers and the dialogue is constant.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, AP

Crispin Blunt is asking the witnesses about the Magnitsky affair.

Sergei Magnitsky was found guilty of tax fraud by a Moscow court on 11 July 2013, as was his former boss, US-born investment fund manager Bill Browder. Mr Magnitsky died in prison in 2009 - allegedly after beatings - but Russia dropped an investigation into his death. 

Sir Tim Barrow says people have not been held accountable for Mr Magnitsky's death and that is a "failing". Sir Alan Duncan tells the committee the government have been "outspoken" about criticising the closure of the investigation into his death and the posthumous conviction.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has tabled an urgent question on the 21st Century Fox takeover bid of Sky, which will follow health questions at 12.30pm. 

Broadcaster Sky and 21st Century Fox have reached agreement on the terms of a takeover deal.

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox will pay £11.7bn for the 61% stake it does not already own.

Sky shareholders will receive £10.75 in cash for each share, valuing the entire company at £18.5bn.

The deal comes amid concerns that Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the Sun and the Times newspapers, will have excessive influence over UK media.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Ian Murray asks about Russia's role in Syria in the future and whether it can contribute to ending the conflict.

Sir Alan Duncan is sceptical about the Russians' role, and he says: "I think they've been a very malign influence, they've made the situation worse and that has to be pointed out very robustly."

He adds: "Whether they want to help solve the problem, I find that unconvincing at the moment."

Russian President Vladimir Putin orders more security at embassies after its Turkey envoy is killed.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, PA

MPs begin at 11.30am today for their last day of term for 2016.

First up is an hour of oral questions to ministers from the Department of Health.

Then Conservative MP Tim Loughton will present his Rail Ombudsman Bill under the ten minute rule - this seeks to establish a Rail Ombudsman to scrutinise the performance or rail operators.

After that will be a backbench business debate on leasehold and commonhold reform.

There will then be the usual 'any other business' debate where MPs can raise any and all matters that come to mind.

Labour's Matthew Pennycook has the honour of playing out the year in the House of Commons with today's adjournment debate, which is on the subject of the proposed closure of Woolwich barracks.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Mike Gapes is asking the minister whether the Russian military have committed war crimes in Syria.

Sir Alan Duncan says this is a very technical legal matter and adds that Syria is not part of his role as minister.

Crispin Blunt presses him saying that the United Nations has implied they have violated international law.

Neil Crompton from the Foreign Office says only a court can take a judgement on whether a war crime has been committed. He tells the committee that the UK are providing objective evidence from the ground.

Image source, BBCBC

Select Committee
Parliament

Returning to the question of the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, killed yesterday, Sir Alan Duncan says it's too early to say what was in the mind of the shooter and he'd like to hold back from commenting further. 

He says there are some very strong "sensitivities" around the killing, but he reiterates that the government "totally, totally condemn it". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee chair Crispin Blunt asks the witnesses: "What does Russia want from us?"

Sir Alan suggests "respect" but adds that he doesn't think there's an easy answer to that question.

Sir Tim Barrow, who is the political director at the Foreign Office, says Russia would like to see development on economic relations and also for the UK to see the world more like they do, but he says, "on that one differences will continue". 

Sir Tim also says that Russia is "looking for some common ground with the West on terrorism".

Select Committee
Parliament

Alan Duncan is telling the committee how the UK must strike a balance when dealing with Russia. He says Russia is a great power which must be respected but says: "They are doing things of which we disapprove and of which we should disapprove."

He goes on to specifically name the UK's problems with Russian actions, including the annexing of Crimea and the "prosecution of conflict in Aleppo", which he describes as "unacceptable".

Select Committee
Parliament

The Foreign Office Minister, Sir Alan Duncan, condemns the murder of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.  

He said "obviously we fully condemn this heinous attack". He said the Foreign Office has been in touch with counterparts in Turkey and Russia to send condolences.

Select Committee
Parliament

Our first port of call this morning is the Foreign Affairs Committee where MPs are holding the last evidence session for their inquiry into the UK's relations with Russia.

Witnesses are: 

• Sir Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Sir Tim Barrow, Political Director, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.