House of Lords
Parliament

The second day of committee stage debate on the Higher Education and Research Bill begins. This stage allows for detailed debate on the bill and for amendments to be made.

Over 500 amendments have been tabled to this bill. So contentious is it that peers debated only three groups of amendments on Monday, including a long debate on the autonomy of universities, which led to a vote and a government defeat.

A number of university chancellors were among those voting against the government to back a new clause setting out that universities were autonomous organisations with freedom of expression.

The bill would establish a new higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS). Debate begins on a Liberal Democrat amendment which would require the OfS board to reflect experience of "part-time and distance learning". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng asks the panel what the government could do to improve the situation in the NHS.

Simon Stevens says the NHS would need to be changing, due to demographic changes, even without the funding pressures.

He says there is a "deep consensus" about how health care needs to develop given ageing populations globally. 

"The government needs to be involved in making the infrastructure changes required."

Select Committee
Parliament

Ms Hillier moves on to ask about the health secretary's comments about the four-hour standard in A&E.

Chris Wormald denies that the four-hour standard will be dropped.

Jim Mackey says alternatives to A&E need to be developed, but that he expects the four-hour standard to remain in place.

He goes on to say NHS Improvement are considering applying shorter treatment standards for patients with certain conditions where new treatments have been developed since the four-hour standard was established.

House of Lords
Parliament

Finally, Conservative Baroness McIntosh of Pickering asks about support for farmers once the UK has left the EU.

She says she hopes those farming in upland and "less favoured areas" will attract support and that farmers will be consulted as well as environmental groups.

Minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble says the government is "looking forward" to farmers' contributions to consultations.

Labour spokeswoman Baroness Jones of Whitchurch notes that the government has promised to cut red tape for farmers and asks for assurance that "no red tape covering environmental protection will be affected by this pledge".

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee chair Meg Hillier asks David Williams, Director General of Finance at the Department of Health, if he is concerned about the use of capital budgets and cash reserves by health trusts to cover funding gaps.

Mr Williams agrees that doing this in the long term is not sustainable, but that it has been "a necessary approach" to cover funding gaps.  

He says about a third of the reason for shifting capital to revenue spending was due to NHS Improvement schemes.

The SNP questions whether the triggering of the Brexit process should be delayed over the political crisis in Northern Ireland.

House of Lords
Parliament

Crossbencher Baroness Deech asks what the government is doing to address "the risk to children in unrecognised school settings or receiving home education".

Education Minister Lord Nash tells her that the government is "working to tackle illegal schools" and has secured the closure of a number of institutions.

But Baroness Deech claims the authorities have a "lack of power" to force parents to send children to registered schools. Too many are "below the radar", she claims.

In July 2016, there were calls for a compulsory register of home-taught children in Wales.

It followed the death of an eight-year-old boy from scurvy in 2011.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Reuters

In concluding her speech, Dr Wollaston expresses disappointment that, "for the second time", there have been briefings in the press against Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England.

She asks the health secretary to confirm his "unequivocal support" for Sir Simon.

She tells MPs that in her role as Health Committee chair she expects him to be able to give truthful answers without being subject to negative briefings.

This morning The Times reported, external that senior aides in No 10 had accused him of being insufficiently enthusiastic and responsive. Aides were also said to be irritated by his "political" interventions. 

The UK may have to contribute to the EU budget after leaving unless a deal is done, peers are told.

House of Lords
Parliament

Liberal Democrat Lord Lee of Trafford asks for confirmation that nationals of other EU member states "employed in the agriculture, caring and hospitality sectors" be allowed to remain once the UK leaves the EU.

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford says that the "only way" this would not be possible is if the rights of UK citizens of other EU member states are not guaranteed.

Lord Lee says ministers should "drop this ridiculous pretence that there is a trade-off here". He claims that some parts of the economy would "virtually collapse" if EU nationals were forced to leave the UK.

Baroness Williams responds that the government aims to secure an agreement "at an early stage of negotiations with the EU". 

However, she argues, if the UK does not obtain a reciprocal agreement, UK citizens in other EU states would be left "high and dry".

House of Commons
Parliament

Health Committee Chair Sarah Wollaston says the four hour target should not be viewed as a tick-box but as a way of ensuring patient safety. 

She notes that next year will be the 70th birthday of the NHS. What better present, she suggests, than if politicians were to debate the NHS in a less partisan way.

Labour's Barbara Keeley intervenes to point out that the last time there were cross party talks on the NHS, the Conservatives turned it into an election issue - producing posters on "the death tax".

Dr Wollaston accepts her comments but encourages her to look to the future. She adds that cross party talks would be easier now that MPs are in "a different part of the electoral cycle" ie. not so close to an election. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee chair Meg Hillier puts the first question to NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens, asking if he agrees with Chris Hopson's statement that the NHS does not have the funding it requires.

Mr Stevens says there are clearly funding gaps with "genuine choices" to be made across NHS services.

Select Committee
Parliament

The committee now moves on to hear from the next set of witnesses this afternoon - 

• Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health
• David Williams, Director General, Finance and Group Operations, Department of Health
• Simon Stevens, Chief Executive, NHS England
• Jim Mackey, Chief Executive, NHS Improvement

House of Lords
Parliament

Lord Fowler, the Lord Speaker, opens today's Lords session with the announcement of the death of Conservative peer Lord Lyell, who passed away yesterday.

Lord Lyell had been a member of the House of Lords since 1960.

Lib Dem peer Baroness Benjamin then asks the first question, on whether the government has any plans to "recruit, train and support volunteer reading helpers to go into primary schools and work with children who are struggling with their literacy".

Education Minister Lord Nash says the government has "no plans to recruit volunteers".

Labour peer Lord Harrison notes that volunteering was a part of former Prime Minister David Cameron's "big society" proposals.

Select Committee
Parliament

Lib Dem member John Pugh asks if there is any "coercion" involved in the changes to services.  

He says in any changes there must be "winners and losers".

Chris Hopson says NHS Providers supports the shared delivery plan process generally, and that he has positive feedback from his members.

Mr Hopson says in many parts of the NHS "we are a long way off having a rigorous, credible plan" for long term NHS sustainability.

In response to a question from Anne Marie Morris, Mr Hopson says the NHS cannot deliver everything expected from it.

"We cannot carry on pretending we can do everything on the current funding envelope we have."