House of Lords
Parliament

Communities and Local Government Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth supports the bill's localising factor.

He says that the power will be giving to local authorities rather than combined authorities, but that - where applicable - authorities will be able to share the power. 

Lord Taylor of Goss Morr, who introduced the amendment, says that if they get it right, it will see rejuvination of communities rather than "bland" housing estates. 

The amendment passes.

House of Commons
Parliament

Culture Minister Rob Wilson responds to Nicky Morgan: "I don't want there to be any barriers to young people volunteering on heritage railways."

He says as long as health and safety rules are followed and existing laws followed sensibly, there's nothing preventing them from doing so. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor introduces his amendment, which would give local planning authorities the power to appoint planning boards and approve any expenditures and subsequent developments of a new town. 

The power would have a "localising" impact, allowing for "local accountability being made to work".

It would allow for local authorities to decide the development of new areas according to needs. 

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are now debating the National Citizen Service Bill at report stage. 

The bill will create a statutory framework for the National Citizen Service (NCS), with the aim of ensuring proper oversight of the management of public funding for the service. 

At the same time, a Royal Charter will incorporate the body that will deliver the NCS, to be known as the NCS Trust. 

Conservative MP Nicky Morgan is introducing an amendment which would allow children to be able to take part in voluntary work within a railway setting. 

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs vote 288 to 241 to back a motion to disagree with a Lords amendment which would add a duty to have regard to the life sciences sector and rapid access to new medicines and treatments.    

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are voting on a motion to disagree with a Lords amendment which would add a duty to have regard to the life sciences sector and rapid access to new medicines and treatments. 

Brexit Secretary says there is "quite a lot of design work to do" on a system to monitor goods crossing the Irish border.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow health minister Justin Madders explains Labour supports the broad thrust of the bill, which he thinks will help prevent a minority of "unscrupulous" companies to exploit loopholes on pricing. 

He speaks in favour of the Lords amendment introducing a duty to have regard to the life sciences, arguing it would be a safeguard as the UK leaves the EU and potentially the European Medicines Agency. 

He also says it's necessary at a time of "fallinig investment in research and development". 

House of Lords
Parliament

The bill is now at third reading - this gives peers a last chance to debate the legislation and changes made.

There are also a few amendments to debate including three government amendments which deal with concerns raised during the bill's passage through the Lords.

Specifically the government is introducing changes that will set out the expectations of how local authorities engage with those drawing up neighbourhood planning groups.

Neighbourhood planning groups, external allow local communities to draw up documents setting out how they would like their local area to develop - including what new buildings should like.

House of Lords
Parliament

With all those urgent questions and statements done and dusted peers can now settle down for debate of the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, external .

The bill has two aims:

• To help identify and free up more land to build homes
• To speed up the delivery of new homes

The bill includes measures that will:

• Give neighbourhood development plans full legal effect at an early stage in the planning process
• Require local authorities to support neighbourhood planning groups

• Speed up the compulsory purchase order process

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Corssbencher Lord Bilimoria hopes that the government has broken its "biggest" manifesto commitment to keep the UK in the single market and asks the government to backtrack on that as well.

Labour's Lord Rooker suggests the government looks at "the greatest unfairness" that is National Insurance contributions ending at the state pension age.

Jeremy Corbyn has said the national insurance U-turn shows a government "in chaos".

The Labour leader was speaking at Prime Minister's Questions after the government said it will not proceed with the increases in NI for the self-employed, which were criticised for breaking a 2015 manifesto pledge.

House of Commons
Parliament

Health Minister Philip Dunne says the bill aims to improve value for money for the NHS.

He is asking MPs to disagree with a Lords amendment which would add a duty to have regard to the life sciences sector and rapid access to new medicines and treatments.

He says every drug company could argue it is a life science body, and therefore the amendment would "significantly hinder" the government's effort to get the best price.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Acting chair Richard Bacon congratulates and thanks the witnesses for an encouraging session, bringing it to a close. 

He says the anti-fraud measures will help reassure the public who in general have great support for their department. 

He says it will be interesting to see how they cope with increased funding, as international aid is now fixed at 0.7% of the budget. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Lord Young tells the House that the government is "not minded to borrow more" to make up for the revenue loss of scrapping the tax rise.

He gives a firm assurance that all spending commitments made in the Budget will be honoured.

He says Matthew Taylor's review into modern employment practices will go ahead because there is "a threat to the tax base that we need to address".

However he says "certain proposals" have now been ruled out.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Science Photo Library

MPs move on to consideration of Lords amendments to the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Bill.

Currently, the cost of branded medicines is regulated primarily through a voluntary scheme and manufacturers/suppliers who do not join the voluntary scheme automatically join a statutory scheme. 

The bill brings the current statutory medicines pricing scheme, which applies to branded medicines, into line with the voluntary scheme: the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS). 

The bill would allows the secretary of state to make regulations to limit prices of, or profits relating to, unbranded medicines. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Lib Dem spokeswoman Baroness Kramer seeks a guarantee that the hole left by the u-turn will not be filled by "severe public spending cuts".

She suggests that the government needs to review "Victorian structure of business and employment taxes".

She expresses concern that the government's "tin ear" on this issue will be worse during negotiations with the EU.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Next Lord Young of Cookham repeats the Chancellor’s statement on Class 4 National insurance Contributions.

Earlier today, Philip Hammond dropped his plans to increase National Insurance levels for self-employed people.

Budgets and U-turns seem to go hand in hand these days, says Labour's Lord Davies of Oldham.

He notes that the change has left an "obvious gaping hole in public finances" and seeks confirmation that the extra money for social care will be safeguarded.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Drew Hendry is introducing a bill which would require the transfer of land and assets in Scotland currently in the ownership of Network Rail to a body nominated by the Scottish government.

He argues "bringing power as close to home as possible" would improve efficiency and effectiveness.