Summary

  • Brexit Committee questions David Davis

  • MPs in Commons chamber question Northern Ireland ministers

  • PMQs is at noon

  • MPs consider amendments to Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Bill

  • Peers meet at 3pm for questions

  • Main business in Lords is Higher Education and Research Bill

  1. How has the economy fared since the Brexit vote?published at 17:20 British Summer Time 28 March 2017

    With the UK about to trigger Article 50, the BBC looks at how the economy has fared since June 2016.

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  2. Peers adjournpublished at 20:53 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    ClockImage source, HoL

    Peers have voted to reject the amendment 142 votes to 101.

    That concludes report stage of the bill. Peers will next consider the bill at third reading.

    And so the day in the House of Lords comes to an end.

    Peers are back tomorrow at 11am for oral questions followed by a debate on the Commonwealth.

  3. What are peers voting on?published at 20:40 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Peers are voting on amendment 194A, which states that the Office for Students should make joint decisions with UK Research and Innovation on the power to award research degrees and over research students. 

  4. Peers vote on final amendmentpublished at 20:39 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    House of LordsImage source, HoL

    Lord Smith disagrees with the minister, arguing that there is "a world of difference" between giving advice and taking a joint decision.

    It is, he says, a question of who has ultimate responsibility and ultimate accountability.

    He therefore pushes the amendment to a vote. 

  5. Prior: Peers are dancing on pinheadspublished at 20:18 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education Research Bills

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Responding for the government, Lord Prior suggests that peers are "dancing on the head of a pin" over this amendment.

    There is, he argues, not "a huge distinction" between what the amendment calls for and what is already in the bill.

    He says the bill currently says that the Office for Students will "take advice" from the UKRI.

    Requiring the two bodies to make every decision jointly will not make sense, he says. 

  6. UKRI decision-making powerspublished at 20:01 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord SmithImage source, HoL

    Peers now come to the final amendment of the evening - amendment 194A which may be pushed to a vote.

    It has been tabled by Conservative backbencher Lord McKay of Clashfern but has Labour's support.

    The amendment stipulates that the Office for Students and the UKRI must make joint decision where there are matters that relate either to awarding research degrees or research students.

    Speaking in favour of the amendment Crossbencher Lord Smith of Finsbury argues that such decisions should not be taken without the "full expertise" of both bodies. 

  7. The Haldane Principlepublished at 19:39 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Test tubesImage source, Science Photo Library

    Lord Prior of Brampton now speaks to a group of government amendments which make explicit that the government must have regard to the Haldane Principle when making decisions concerning UKRI (UK Research and Innovation).

    The Haldane Principle states that researchers, rather than politicians should make decisions on research spending.

    The amendment has been tabled in response to concerns raised by peers during earlier debates.

    Lord Prior says he is "delighted" to be tabling the amendment and he expresses the hope that peers will be equally delighted to accept it.

  8. Peers debate the membership of Innovate UKpublished at 19:25 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness BrownImage source, HoL

    Baroness Brown of Cambridge now speaks to her amendment, which would ensure that the majority of Innovate UK members must be from a science-related business background.

    Innovate UK is a government agency tasked with supporting innovation.

    In the light of assurances by the government, she withdraws her amendment.

  9. Prior: Amendment would hinder recruitmentpublished at 19:07 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord PriorImage source, HoL

    Business Minister Lord Prior of Brampton argues that the bill already places a duty on the government to consider appointing someone with experience of a devolved nation. 

    He also worries that Labour's amendment could hinder the recruitment process.

    Lord Stevenson describes the minister as "an honest and good man". He says he is therefore willing to accept his assurances and withdraws his amendment. 

  10. Commons risespublished at 19:01 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    clockImage source, HoC

    That wraps up our coverage of the House of Commons for today. MPs will be back for questions to the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley and her team tomorrow morning at 9.30am.

  11. Peers seek greater representation for devolved nationspublished at 18:38 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Higher Education and Research Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Wallace of TankernessImage source, HoL

    Labour's Lord Stevenson of Balmacara introduces his amendment, which would ensure that the membership of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) includes representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

    The UKRI is an umbrella body that will oversee the distribution of £6bn of research funding annually.  

    Lib Dem Lord Wallace has also tabled an amendment. His would require the government to consult the devolved governments before approving a UKRI strategy. 

  12. Adjournment debate beginspublished at 18:36 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk is introducing an adjournment debate on parental alienation.

    The adjournment debate is the last item of business in the Commons day and is frequently on a subject of importance to an individual MP.

  13. Debate on Higher Education Bill beginspublished at 18:17 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Birmingham graduates

    And that ends debate of the Neighbourhood Planning Bill at third reading. 

    The bill will now return to the House of Commons for MPs to consider the added amendments.

    Peers, meanwhile, move on to the last business of the day - finishing off the report stage of the Higher Education and Research Bill.

    The bill:

    • Makes it easier for new providers to award degrees and secure university status
    • Implements a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) to judge teaching in universities
    • Allows universities to charge higher tuition fees if they achieve high TEF scores
    • Establishes the Office for Students to regulate higher education institutions
    • Establishes United Kingdom Research and Innovate to fund research
  14. New memberspublished at 18:15 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Motion on Standards Committee

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Neighbourhood Planning Bill receives third reading without opposition.

    Now Lib Dem Tom Brake is proposing lay appointments to the Committee on Standards. These people are from outside the House of Commons.

  15. New perspectivepublished at 18:13 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

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  16. Government will help relieve office-to-residential conversion pressures published at 18:11 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Neighbourhood Planning Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Communities and Local Government Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth says that the amendment allows "flexibility" where housing targets are met. 

    Under Article 4 Direction, some conversions do not planning permission - most notably office to residential conversions. However, the amendment will mean in areas where housing targets are met, local planning authorities can bring back planning permission. 

    Despite this, he says that other policy will be submitted in the future on the topic and Lord True withdraws his amendment.

  17. Change of heartpublished at 18:11 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

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  18. Office-to-home conversions 'detrimental' to some economiespublished at 18:05 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    Neighbourhood Planning Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord TrueImage source, HoL

    Lord True introduces his amendment which would allow local authorities who meet housing targets to prevent office-to-residential conversions. 

    He says that the new powers would help ensure that there is sufficient office spaces for new businesses, particularly in bigger cities where demand for housing high. 

    He says the move would go some way to "balance" office conversion which have been detrimental to the economy in some areas.  

  19. What's EVEL?published at 17:58 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

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  20. MPs deal with final stage of National Citizen Service Billpublished at 17:57 Greenwich Mean Time 15 March 2017

    National Citizen Service Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The sitting briefly suspends while the Commons resolves itself into a Grand Committee for parts of the bill only affecting England. 

    Then Culture Minister Rob Wilson opens third reading by expressing the government's hope that NCS will become a "national institution" and facilitate social integration. 

    He says a youth representative will attend all board meetings which will help it be held to the "highest possible standards".