The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades.

Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control in part.

Today it remains one of the most militarised zones in the world. China administers parts of the territory.

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MP Philip Davies intervenes on his fellow Conservative to say that, rather then being about the governments of India and Pakistan, the debate is "about the people of Kashmir".

He further suggest that, having campaigned for the people of the UK to have a vote on EU membership, the people of Kashmir should be allowed to determine their future.

David Nuttall agrees, saying he believes that Kashmir's people have "the right to decide their own future, the right to self-determination".

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The first of today's backbench debates begins.

It concerns Kashmir, a territory divided into Indian-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with some of its historic territory controlled by China.

The motion for debate was chosen by the Backbench Business Committee and was signed by a cross-party group of MPs.

One of them is the Conservative MP for Bury North, David Nuttall, who says Kashmir matters to many of his constituents "who are of a Pakistani and Kashmiri heritage".

He argues that the UK was responsible for the territory's partition and many of his constituents feel that the UK can play a part in resolving the situation.

Mr Nuttall notes that Kasmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over 50 years - and both countries are now nuclear powers.

He adds that the situation is "further complicated" by some of "historic" Kashmir being controlled by China.

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Peers now move on to the debate on the impact of Brexit on the creative industries.

Incoming chair of the Arts Council, Sir Nicholas Serota, has said being able to attract international visitors and staff is essential.

He has called on the government not to implement “any artificial barriers” which would make it harder to “attract the skills that we need”.

Brexit Minister Robin Walker has said that the creative industries are “a vital and growing part of the UK economy”.  

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Labour MP Wayne David returns to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's comments about an aide to French President Francois Hollande, who said the UK should not expect a better trading relationship with the EU after leaving it.

Mr Johnson replied: "If Monsieur Hollande wants to administer punishment beatings to anybody who chooses to escape, rather in the manner of some World War Two movie, then I don't think that is the way forward."

Mr David says the prime minister can do one of three things with her foreign secretary: "She can either sack him, she can gag him, or she can educate him".

He asks if MPs could be involved in educating Mr Johnson.

David Lidington treads a diplomatic path on behalf of the government, saying the UK "stood with France" against the Nazis and against "Soviet tyranny" - and stands with France against international terrorism today. 

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The Labour leader in the Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon now asks a private notice question on the likelihood of increased hate crimes against non-UK EU nationals living in the UK following the publication of the Supreme Court's decision on Article 50. 

She says that no one wants to see "another spike in hate crime" that followed the EU referendum or "attacks on judges" that followed the High Court's decision on Article 50. 

She notes that the prime minister said that "every stray word or hyped up media report" makes it harder for Britain to get the right deal.

She asks if the prime minister has conveyed government concern to "sections of the media" as "histrionic reports damage the interests of the UK". 

"It is through society being tolerant that we will make progress" replies Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford " and the media is part and parcel of that". 

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Bristol Labour MP Karin Smyth says she has tried to raise the matter of local authority spending cuts but the government has "simply swatted them aside".

She calls on ministers to address this. 

Leader of the House David Lidington says legislation is planned to let councils keep all the revenue from business rates and "we have provided the power for local authorities to level a social care precept". 

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Lord Collins of Highbury notes that given the foreign secretary's comments yesterday he is not surprised they didn't want to send him to Paris. 

Baroness Anelay says the Boris Johnson has a "wonderfully dramatic way of making a point - it certainly gets attention". 

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Last up is Lib Dem Lord Steel who asks why no UK minister attended the Israel-Palestine peace conference in Paris.

The foreign office stated that it expresses concern over the event and only attended in “an observer status”. 

Delegates at the summit in Paris asserted their commitment to the two-state solution.

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay tells peers that the government welcomes the effort but had concerns that the conference was held so close to the change of the US President and without the attendance of the Israelis and Palestinians.

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Labuor's Lord Hunt says the government is making "all the right noises" but says there is "a problem in the execution".

The money is not getting through, he says; and urges the government to ring-fence mental health funding. 

Health Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy says he does not believe this would be the "right approach", adding that clinical commissioners know their area "best" and should take the decisions.

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The third question comes from Labour peer Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.

He asks for the government’s assessment of a report which found that 64% of Clinical Commissioning Groups were diverting new funding for children’s mental health services to other areas.

In 2015 the government pledged an extra £1.4bn over five years to transform child mental health services. 

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Next up is Lib Dem Baroness Grender who asks when the ban on lettings fees will be implemented. 

Last year Baroness Grender introduced a bill to scrap letting fees in England and the government announced it would do so in the Autumn Statement. 

Letting fees, which cover getting references and immigration checks, are already banned in Scotland.

Lord Bourne replies that the government will implement the ban "as soon as possible".

He adds that the government will consult on the issue in March and April before introducing legislation. 

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Labour MP Meg Hillier calls for more parliamentary scrunity of the government's approach to Brexit.

"We recognise that the people have spoken," she says, but argues: "It's not just for the government to decide the detail of that."

She asks: "How many days will this House get to debate and influence the government's thinking?"

The leader of the House says MPs have held several debates already and "I fully expect there will be other such debates".

A bill to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act in the next parliamentary session will also give MPs an opportunity for debate, David Lidington adds. 

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UKIP's Lord Pearson asks can the NHS survive...

"Without migrants" interjects Labour' peer Lord Foulkes of Cumnock.

Lord Pearson continues that he has "never denied we need migrants" however he adds that "we dont want to keep letting in Romanian and Bulgarian gangsters".

Conservative Baroness Sharples has a different concern - "Will there be enough allotments?"

Lord Bourne confesses to being "blindsided" by the question and promises to write to the Baroness. 

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The first question comes from crossbench peer Lord Green of Deddington who asks how many new homes will be required for migrants in England in each year up to 2039.

In the first half of last year net migration stood at 335,000.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth tells peers that the projections suggest "210,000 new households will form each year" up to 2039. He adds that 37% of this is attributed to net migration. 

Lord Green says that, by his calculations, a new home will need to be built every five minutes. 

He adds that there is a lot to be said for migration "but there are also costs".  

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Before questions begin the Lord Speaker Lord Fowler announces the death of Conservative peer - Rachael Heyhoe-Flint. 

Baroness Heyhoe-Flint was a captain of England's cricket team between 1966 - 1978. 

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Pete Wishart, the SNP's spokesman on Commons business, calls for "a debate about how to win friends and influence people" following Boris Johnson's warning to EU leaders not to give the UK "punishment beatings" for Brexit "in the manner of some World War Two movie".

Mr Wishart says Mr Johnson is "touring Europe like a dodgy character out of 'Allo 'Allo, doing his utmost to upset the very people that global Britain needs to negotiate with".

As the government's "obsession" is with free movement and immigration, Mr Wishart says, it could start by confining the foreign secretary to barracks. 

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David Lidington says that Exiting the EU Secretary David Davis made a statement and took questions "for about two hours" in the Commons on Tuesday, after Theresa May gave her Brexit speech.

The leader of the House suggests that Labour MPs are in fact frustrated by "the inability of the leader of the opposition to lay a glove on the prime minister every Wednesday, on this or other matters". 

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Questions are over and Leader of the House David Lidington announces forthcoming business in the Commons.

Shadow leader of the House Valerie Vaz notes that he does not provide the date of this year's summer recess, or when the State Opening of Parliament will take place.

She also repeats a Labour criticism of Prime Minister Theresa May for not making her major Brexit speech this week in the House of Commons - and also for not publishing a policy document. 

The PM set out 12 key points in a speech on leaving the European Union, delivered in central London. 

Ms Vaz says those 12 points "should have been 12 paragraphs in a white paper, as they are government policy initiatives".