Select Committee
Parliament

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The committee has now moved on to put questions to Nicole Sapstead, Chief Executive, UK Anti-Doping.

Nicole Sapstead says UK Anti-Doping has established that the package in question was prepared by a UK Cycling physiotherapist, and was then collected by Simon Cope.

Ms Sapstead confirms that the only information they have is that the package contained Fluimucil, which is not a banned substance.

She says they cannot confirm, or refute, this account of what was in the package as the physiotherapist who prepared the package "has no memory whatsoever of what he put in the package."

The Commons Speaker's bathroom routine has become an unlikely topic at Prime Minister's Questions.

Conservative MP Rebecca Pow was speaking about micro-beads in cosmetics, which can harm marine life, but began by suggesting that Speaker John Bercow probably "took a shower this morning".

Theresa May said she did not know the answer to that particular question, prompting Mr Bercow to say that his wife, Sally, and Mrs May's husband Philip would be "very reassured" about that.

Select Committee
Parliament

"I think you've been left to dangle," Chris Matheson tells Simon Cope, "by your former colleagues and employers."

Mr Cope agrees.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell the committee?" asks Mr Matheson.

Simon Cope has nothing to add, but admits his reputation has probably been damaged.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Crossbench peer Lord Green of Deddington asks what percentage of the change in the total number of households in the UK between 2010-2014 can be attributed to households with a non-UK born household reference person.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth replies that 90% of growth in households between 2010-2014 can be attributed to households with a household reference person born outside the UK.

Lord Green clarifies that "household reference person" is "modern bureaucratic speak" for head of household. 

He continues by paying tribute to the benefits immigrants bring but says "we need to be frank about the costs". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Cope agrees that he believes there is doping "in general in sport".

Pressed by Mr Nicolson he admits there could be doping in international cycling, but not in British cycling.

"I have never heard anything, no gossip at all" about cheating in British cycling, he says.

Mr Cope says he has consulted his lawyer prior to appearing before the committee, "and also some friends, that's it".

Select Committee
Parliament

The SNP's John Nicolson says Mr Cope is trying to deflect attention onto his employers, but that the focus is on him in this session.

Mr Nicolson says "at the heart of this evidence, people will find something deeply suspicious" in relation to Mr Cope's willingness to take sealed packages through airport security.

Mr Nicolson says Mr Cope's previous answers have indicated that it was "standard" for employees to be told what was in packages they were given to transport.

"Maybe," shrugs Mr Cope. "You'd have to ask the doctors about that," he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Simon Cope admits to being "a bit teed off" to be at the centre of the controversy over the suspicious package, in response to a question from Labour's Christian Matheson.

Labour's Ian Lucas tries to establish how often Mr Cope might have been asked to transport medical packages.

Mr Cope says he didn't know if it was a medical package at the time, and that it may have been the only time he was ever asked to take a medical package.

He reiterates: "I still don't know what was in that package."

Labour's Julie Elliot presses Mr Cope on whether it was "normal practice" to transport mysterious packages.

"I don't know if it was normal practice," says Mr Cope. "I was just asked to take a package."

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative Julian Knight takes up the questions, saying he finds it "strange" that Mr Cope should be asked to fly out to Geneva "just for a few hours".

Mr Cope admits he "probably should've asked what was in the package", but that he's not suspicious about its contents.

Conservative Jason McCartney follows up on the point about airport security and the package Mr Cope was carrying.

Mr Cope says he took the package in his hold luggage, and admits he probably "misled" airport security staff if they asked whether he had packed all luggage himself.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Committee chair Damian Collins is questioning Simon Cope about a package Mr Cope personally delivered to the Team Sky doctor at a race in Geneva in 2011.

Mr Cope has always denied knowing what was in the package.

Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford has since said the package contained Fluimucil, a decongestant.

Mr Collins puts a series of detailed questions to Mr Cope about how he traveled to Geneva, the way the request was made to him and how long he spent in Geneva while delivering the package.

Mr Cope maintains he travelled directly from UK Cycling's HQ in Manchester, collected the sealed package without asking about its contents and spent just several hours in Geneva.  

He says he expected to be given errands by UK Cycling to ferry items out to races as the need arose. 

Jeremy Corbyn has condemned comments by No 10 policy unit head George Freeman, during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons.

Mr Freeman said benefits should go to "really disabled people" not those "taking pills at home, who suffer from anxiety".

The Labour leader recalled a speech Theresa May once made to the Tory conference and said Mr Freeman's remarks were "proof that the nasty party is still around".

The prime minister said Mr Freeman had "rightly" apologised for the remarks and accused the last Labour government of doing "nothing" to give mental health parity with physical health care.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Culture Committee are holding another session in their ongoing inquiry into allegations of doping sport.

The committee are putting questions to Simon Cope, a former professional road racing cyclist.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald says that the bill is acknowledgement that "deregulation hasn't worked" and will help "empower" local government to help improve service. 

He says that the decrease in bus services, particularly in rural areas, had left communities feel "cut-off". 

He says the bill's current form would give local authorities room "to improve services", including working with private companies.

But he says that the power should be extended beyond combined authorities, to any area which wants them, as not all areas want an elected mayor.

He asks the government to allow the option of 'municipal operators' where it might be suitable to meet unprofitable, but still necessary routes. 

DUP MP Nigel Dodds has poked fun at shadow chancellor John McDonnell's claim of a Labour "soft coup".

Mr McDonnell said "a soft coup" has been launched against Jeremy Corbyn by "elements in the Labour Party".

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Dodds compared the comments with talk of a "hard" and "soft" Brexit - and asked when the "soft coup" would be triggered.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers begin their day with the usual 30 minutes of oral questions to ministers.

Today's topics cover immigration, wild animals in circuses, abuse of personal injury claims and business rates.

Then, it's the final day of debate of the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill at committee stage.

There may be a government defeat on the amendment of residence rights for EU citizens living in the UK . 

Other amendments to be debated concern the future of Euratom and the possibility of a parliamentary vote approving a final exit deal.