House of Lords
Parliament

Crossbench peer Baroness Deech argues that the benefits of EU membership are outweighed by the EU's weakness over proper governance.

She suggests that the judgement of peers may be affected by their close ties with the EU.

She questions the wisdom of holding a second referendum, asking what would happen if leave lost.

Would it go to best of three? she wonders.

She urges the House of Lords not to act like "tinpot dictators" and give the bill "a fair wind".

House of Commons
Parliament

A Conservative MP asked the Speaker of the House of Commons directly if a vote of no confidence will be held in him earlier today.

James Duddridge raised a point of order and asked the Speaker John Bercow if the “government or indeed the Backbench Business Committee contacted you in any way to allocate time for this unresolved matter to be debated and indeed voted on”.

He also acknowledged that there had been a “somewhat underwhelming” response to his call for a vote of no confidence.

Speaker Bercow said “the short answer is no and there is absolutely no reason why they should have done”.

He said his point was “fortified in the knowledge that it is also the sound advice of the experienced clerk of the House”.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen later raised another point of order and asked the Speaker to “apologise” in the Commons for “unilaterally seeking to ban the President of United States from Westminster Hall”.

Speaker Bercow said he had “treated of that matter very fully” when he addressed previous points of order in the House of Commons, adding “we shall leave it there”.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Lord Harrison suggests that the UK voted for Brexit because "we don't learn foreign languages".

He tells peers that he will do his "patriotic duty" and vote against the bill.

He adds that he has no wish to "dive into the murky waters" of "illusory independence in a world of increasing interdependence".

"I was sent to the Lords to use my block," he says "not to be part of the block vote of Brexiteers."

House of Commons
Parliament

There's still a long evening ahead in the House of Lords, but for now the House of Commons has adjourned until 11.30am tomorrow.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Andrew Murrison says the World War I centenary is the "last opportunity to shine a light on the unforgotten", in this case the 646 who died in the Mendi tragedy.

He says the incident is a story of "stoicism and bravery in the face of adversity", but also raises questions about our attitudes to race in the early 20th Century and how far we have come. 

He finishes by saying they "were denied the respect they deserved then, so we must honour them today."

House of Lords
Parliament

Conservative Lord Lansley tells the House that he regrets that the remain side lost the referendum but accepts the result and so "must back the bill".

He says the government's mandate to leave the EU lies in the referendum but adds that the authority over future agreements with the EU "derives from this Parliament".

"We must exercise this authority at the right time," he says, "ie before the die is cast."

He objects to the idea that "no deal is better than a bad deal."

No deal is potentially the worst deal, he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Andrew Murrison starts his adjournment debate on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Mendi. 

The SS Mendi was a troop ship carrying more than 800 predominantly black South African men recruited to work as manual labourers. The ship was hit in thick fog off the Isle of Wight by a cargo steamship.

The men on board were travelling to France to assist the allies in World War I. A total of 646 people died in the tragedy. 

Andrew Murrison says he wants to make "amends" for the fact that, at the time, the incident was not mentioned in the House of Commons.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Town and Country Planning motion has been approved with a majority of 166.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are voting on the Town and Country Planning motion.

This makes amendments to the Housing and Planning Act, regarding permissions needed for local planning. 

House of Commons
Parliament

The order passes without a vote, sealing an increase in some pension and social security payments. 

In response to Opposition fears that other benefits are not receiving equal weight, Work and Pension Minister Caroline Nokes notes that "difficult decisions on spending" have been made. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Crossbencher Lord Pannick is one of the lawyers who represented Gina Miller in the lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court ruling that a bill must be passed through Parliament before the Brexit process can begin. 

He pays tribute to her and says that "the whole House should be very grateful to Mrs Miller" for giving them the opportunity to debate the manner and timing of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

He says that the bill needs amendment and that the government must return to Parliament to ratify the terms of the deal, giving it "at least the same powers as the European Parliament has".

Lord Pannick goes on to refute two arguments made by peers and MPs who oppose amendment of the bill. 

In response to those who say we should "get on with it", he says that amending the bill will not affect the March deadline set by the PM to trigger Article 50.

And in response to the argument that amendments would "weaken the negotiating power of the government in Europe" he says the prime minister has already committed to return to Parliament. It "should strengthen her hand", to be able to say to the EU that she "has to get this deal through Parliament".

House of Commons
Parliament

Work and Pensions Minister Caroline Nokes is announcing increases in social security and pensions from 2 April 2017. 

The new state pension will increase from £155.65 to £159.35 per week, an increase of 2.5%. 

Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will increase from £139.58 to £140.98 per week. 

The order fulfills the duty of the Work and Pensions Secretary to review the rates of social security benefits and pensions in line with general price increases. 

Shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams says she "will not stand in the way" of increases, but raises her "concern" that other social security benefits have been cut or frozen. 

House of Commons
Parliament

The Criminal Finances Bill has passed third reading and will now head to the House of Lords.

House of Commons
Parliament

Home Office Minister Ben Wallace makes the case for the Criminal Finances Bill at third reading. 

He calls for "further steps" to be taken by Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies in improving transparency. 

Much of the debate at report stage was dedicated to the subject, but the minister notes that this was not the point of the bill. 

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott welcomes the bill, but argues that tax evasion and avoidance were "not victimless crimes" due to their impact on decreasing tax revenue in both the UK and developing world. 

She believes that there is, therefore, space for improving transparency in the legislation. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Lord Grocott says "there really is no wiggle room" for Remain supporters in Parliament after the referendum. 

"If you enter a contest, particularly one you have written the rules for, you must accept the result." 

He has no patience with people who say the referendum was "advisory" either.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have voted against New Clause 19, with a majority of 59.

Amendments 2-19 and 20-72 were approved without a vote. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Former leader of the SDP, Lord Owen, criticises the former prime minister David Cameron for making "no preparations" for the referendum.

He also attacks  another former prime minister, Tony Blair, for his speech urging people "to rise up".

What we need, he argues, is "the maximum unity possible".

He tells peers that the UK needs to come out of the EU "as quickly as possible". 

He adds that the EU has proved itself to be "dysfunctional" and "unable to grapple" with its problems.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have divided once again over New Clause 19. 

This calls for a review into the extent 'banking culture' contributed to the failure to stop tax evasion in the banking sector. 

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have voted against New Clause 17, with a majority of 113. 

The clause, tabled by the Labour frontbench, would have established public registers of beneficial ownership of companies registered in Crown dependencies. 

Select Committee
Parliament

And that's it from the Health Committee. 

Most striking in today's session was the call from all three representatives of health and social care employers that recruitment of health professionals from abroad be made easier after Brexit, their criticisms of the current immigration system for non-EU migrants, and their instance that the NHS, social care and medical training need access to migrants to function.