Peers debate Private Members' Bills
Oral questions
House of Lords
Parliament
Conservative Baroness Warsi asks the government when it will publish a definition of far-right extremism.
Home Office Minister Baroness Williams replies that the government's definition of extremism is "vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values".
This applies to all forms of extremism, including far-right extremism, she adds.
Ways and Means Resolutions
House of Commons
Parliament
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Peter Dowd opens the debate for Labour, lamenting the lateness of these measures coming before the House.
He takes aim at what he calls "a chaotic government stumbling from crisis to crisis".
He argues the resolutions could have been published before the recess, allowing MPs and businesses to scrutinise them, but instead the debate has been "cynically restricted".
Oral questions
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, MPSinthesky / Metropolitan PoliceConservative Lord Leigh of Hurley asks if the government is planning to reduce unnecessary regulation of financial services.
He also wants to know if the government intends to review the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ascertain if the regulator is going beyond what is appropriate.
Treasury Minister Lord Bates replies that the government is committed to reducing financial regulation.
He adds that the FCA must protect consumers but must also create an efficient and effective market so that consumers get good value for money.
Anybody who abuses a child must be stopped regardless of race, age and gender, and "political or cultural sensitivities" must not get in the way of preventing and uncovering abuse", Theresa May said.
The prime minister was responding to Conservative MP Tim Loughton, as the former children's minister raised claims of people speaking against child abuse being "castigated and gagged".
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, HoLLib Dem Baroness Humphreys asks if there are plans to raise the electoral spending limits in Wales to take account of the costs of producing campaign materials in both Welsh and English.
Government Spokesman Lord Young of Cookham replies that the Electoral Commission has recommended just that and that responsibility for taking this forward will rest with the Welsh Assembly.
He says that the reforms could be in place by the next general election, which will be in 2022. "We hope," he adds.
Ways and Means Resolutions
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCMPs now move on to debating a series of Ways and Means Resolutions, which have to be agreed before the formal presentation of the Finance Bill enacting the Budget.
MPs are expected to discuss the government’s plans for digital tax returns, a strategy to implement a new system of digital tax accounts to be used by businesses, the self-employed and landlords.
Following a consultation exercise last year, in the 2017 Budget the Government confirmed its plans to roll-out digital tax returns from next April.
The resolutions before the House today also cover a wide range of tax measures including taxable benefits, pensions advice and tax exemption, and income tax treatment of certain legal expenses.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mel Stride says together these measures will "refine our tax system to make it fairer and more sustainable".
House of Lords
Parliament
Business in the House of Lords begins shortly.
To start off peers will put questions to government ministers on
There will then be repeats of the statement on shipbuilding and the answer to an urgent question on the implementation of free childcare entitlements.
The rest of the day will be taken up with the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill which establishes a new financial guidance body.
In the evening there will be a debate on the shelving of an NHS target which ensured that patients waiting for non-urgent surgery were treated within 18 weeks.
Shipbuilding statement
The SNP's Christopher Stephens says he and colleagues are "still on the hunt for the mystical frigate factory he cancelled".
He argues the frigate "should be built at centre of the excellence on the Clyde".
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon accuses him of "turning sunshine into a grievance", noting that "Govan is going to build eight enormous frigates - a factory by any definition".
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Shipbuilding statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, PAA sailor looks out at spectators on the Round Tower as HMS Queen Elizabeth, the UK"s newest aircraft carrier, arrives in Portsmouth for the first time
Lib Dem deputy leader Jo Swinson says "the Navy needs to modernise, and skilled personnel are needed to operate these vessels".
"What's he doing about the experience of those working in the Armed Forces so they don't want to leave?" she asks.
The defence secretary acknowledges "it is not easy" and "we have got to make sure our offer to people is as attractive as possible", highlighting the bill on Armed Forces' personnel's working conditions currently before Parliament.
Dangerous driving offences should be extended to cyclists, as the existing 1861 laws used after the death of HR director Kim Briggs were "hopelessly outdated and wholly inadequate", said Labour's Heidi Alexander, at Prime Minister's Questions.
Theresa May replied that the transport secretary would look at ensuring the law stays up to date, after the fatal collision in London's Old Street.
Shipbuilding statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Defence Committee Chair Julian Lewis "warmly welcomes" the strategy.
He tells the defence secretary that he is on the right lines on the need to grow the numbers of the fleet.
However he warns that if the ship building process becomes more complex and more expensive "we will end up with fewer ships".
Sir Michael seeks to assure him that the "light general purpose" frigates are specifically designed to avoid "that fault which has plagued previous programmes."
Shipbuilding statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCReplying to Nia Griffith, Sir Michael says the strategy had been ready earlier in the year but "I think I recall a general election" which he says delayed publication.
On the impact of Brexit, he says that the government will shortly be setting out how the UK will participate in future European defence programmes.
MOD tweets
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Shipbuilding statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCShadow defence secretary Nia Griffith welcomes the strategy as "a step in the right direction".
However she asks why has it taken so long, noting that the development of a new strategy was announced two years ago.
She also asks how the government will ensure that Brexit does not deter defence companies from investing in the UK.
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, BAE/PADefence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon is giving a statement on a new national shipbuilding strategy intended to benefit UK shipyards.
The government plans to buy at least five frigates, and share the work between shipyards around the UK.
The first batch of new Type 31e frigates will bolster a depleted Royal Navy fleet, but it is hoped future ships will be bought by foreign navies.
It comes as the Ministry of Defence aims to save billions of pounds.
The new frigates would be built across different shipyards, but assembled at a central site, and ready for service by 2023.
Points of Order
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HocConservative Julian Lewis raises a point of order expressing concern about the delays in setting up the Committee of Selection. Dr Lewis says this could lead to a delay in committees being able to do their job.
The Committee of Selection decides which MPs can sit on which committees.
Speaker John Bercow warns the whips that delaying the process "is not clever" and "will build up ill will".
"My simple message is: for goodness sake stop faffing about and get on with it."
Urgent question
House of Commons
Parliament
Conservative Michelle Donelan accuses opposition MPs of "glossing over the fact" that the pilot has proved that the policy will enable parents to go back to work "and transform lives".
Robert Goodwill agrees and adds that he has not "heard a peep" from the pilot areas saying the scheme is not working.
Urgent question
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCLabour's Ellie Reeves tells MPs that parents on zero hour contracts face being excluded from the entitlement because they cannot guarantee that they will work more than 16 hours per week.
"Their employers will not guarantee those hours so neither can they," she says.
Robert Goodwill replies that the new entitlement has enabled many mothers and fathers to take additional hours at work.
Urgent question
House of Commons
Parliament
Independent MP Sylvia Hermon expresses concern that childcare entitlement may be falling behind because of uncertainty about the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
She asks who the minister has been talking to in Northern Ireland about delivery of the policy.
The minister admits that he has not liaised with anyone but promises to talk to the Northern Ireland Secretary, James Brokenshire.