House of Commons
Parliament

Labour has tabled an amendment to the bill.

The amendment states that this House:

• recognises that the UK will leave the EU
• declines to give the bill a second reading because the bill fails to protect Parliamentary sovereignty

The amendment also states that the bill

• hands the government sweeping powers on key decisions
• allows for rights to be reduced without proper scrutiny
• fails to allowfor the effective transfer of competencies to devolved nations
• believes the bill prevents the UK from implementing strong transitional arrangements including remaining in the customs union and the single market

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

There are no urgent questions or statements today so MPs move straight on to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.

Speaker John Bercow tells MPs that there are 90 speakers due to speak.

This bill has two main functions

• to repeal the European Communities Act 1972 which took the UK into the EC, later the EU.
• to convert EU law into UK law

It also creates temporary powers to make secondary legislation enabling correction to be made to the laws.

This part of the bill has attracted some criticism - Labour has called it a "power grab".

However the government has said the temporary powers are needed to make sure the domestic legal system continues to function correctly.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HOC

Shadow education minister Gordon Marsden cites an NAO report which criticised the government's lack of transparency over where money from the Libor funds had been spent.

"Has the £200m been shoved down the Treasury sofa or been pocketed by the Department for Education?" he asks.

"The money is being spent on those who need it," replies the minister Anne Milton.

House of Lords
Parliament

The bill aims to ensure members of the public are able to access free and impartial money guidance, pensions guidance and debt advice.

It is also designed to ensure that they are able to access high-quality claims handling services by strengthening the regulation of claims management companies.

In order to achieve this, the bill sets up a single financial guidance body, and transfers claims management regulation from the Claims Management Regulation Unit of the Ministry of Justice to the Financial Conduct Authority.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Peers move on to committee stage of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, external, which sets up a new financial guidance body and establishes new funding of debt advice in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The first amendment is from Labour's Lord McKenzie of Luton, which seeks to ensure guidance issued by the secretary of state regarding the guidance body is to be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Government spokesperson Baroness Buscombe resists the amendment, saying it's "unwarranted by the non-binding nature" of the guidance given by the secretary of state.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Reuters

Staying on the subject of international students shadow education secretary Angela Rayner notes that the government "were out by 95%" when estimating the number of foreign students remaining in the country illegally.

She asks if the minister "fully supports" the prime minister's desire to keep international students in the migration targets

Minister Jo Johnson says the statistics are being improved and that there would be no cap on the number of students who come to study in the UK.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable asks about those international students who need to do work experience as part of their vocational courses.

Such work is deemed to be "illegal working" by the Home Office, Vince Cable tells MPs and says this has led to "some heartbreaking deportations".

Minister Jo Johnson says international students "must be able to have the option to do work experience" and that he would study Vince Cable's comments.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Lord Adonis asks if it's right for vice-chancellors to be paid over £300,000.

Education spokesman Viscount Younger replies that universities "must show restraint".

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs now question the government on the roll-out of the policy to offer parents 30 hours of free childcare.

Minister Robert Goodwill says 71% had been able to find a place for their child and has provided £100m to fund an additional 16,000 places "where we need them".

Labour's Daniel Zeichner says some nurseries can only afford to provide the 30 hours by charging for extras such as lunch.

Robert Goodwill replies that nurseries are entitled to charge for lunch "but this must not be a prerequisite for providing the 30 hours".

There are clear reasons for nerves on all sides of the House of Commons about the EU Withdrawal Bill.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's Wes Streeting asks about Ofsted's "damning report" into Learndirect's apprenticeship training.

He argues that other providers in similar situations would have seen their contracts cancelled and asks why the government is "handing over" £45m to Learndirect to provide adult education.

"When is she going to get her eye on the ball?" he asks.

"I most certainly do have my eye on the ball," replies the minister Anne Milton.

She says Learndirect no longer offers apprenticeships and adds that the government would "take action" where provision is inadequate.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

The first question is from Labour's Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on reducing the rate of interest to be charged on student loan debt from September 2017.

From this month, the interest rate that students in England pay on their loans goes up from 4.6% to 6.1% - 24 times the Bank of England base rate.

He accuses ministers of being "determined to put students into even more debt than they are now".

Education spokesman Viscount Younger of Leckie points out "6.1% is the maximum and many pay less than this", and the cost must be "split fairly between taxpayers and graduates".

Following some criticism from his own benches, Viscount Younger says "the details continue to be under review".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, PA

...with Conservative Daniel Kawczynski who asks if the government will increase the core schools funding and introduce a fairer funding formula.

Education Secretary Justine Greening replies that funding will rise by £1.3bn and a new funding formula will be introduced in April 2018.

Labour's Stephen Twigg worries that schools in his constituency will lose out and seeks assurance that factors concerning deprivation will be significant in the new formula.

Justine Greening replies that she hopes that funding for those children with additional needs will be protected.

House of Lords
Parliament

And the Lords get started at 2.30pm with questions on:

• reducing the rate of interest to be charged on student loan debt from September 2017
• opportunities for young United Kingdom citizens to travel, work and study within Europe
• tackling the issue of late payment of commercial debt
• homes for let at a social rent as opposed to an affordable rent.

The main business is committee stage of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, external, which sets up a new financial guidance body and establishes new funding of debt advice in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The dinner break debate is on crossbencher the Earl of Lytton's motion to regret changes to the appeal system for non-domestic rates.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, EPA

Hello and welcome to our coverage of today's business in the Commons.

The big event of the day will be the second reading of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill - a debate that is likely to run to midnight.

There will be votes at midnight - on Labour's amendment and on the bill itself.

For those that have the energy that debate will be followed by a motion to nominate select committees and a half hour adjournment debate on school funding in Northumberland.

First, however MPs begin with questions to the education secretary...

Welcome to our coverage of this week in Westminster.

Today's big event is the second reading debate of the EU Withdrawal Bill - and votes late tonight. We'll be covering the debate all the way so join us tonight.

For more on the bill and on other issues arising this week, take a look at BBC parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy's blog, where he outlines the business in Parliament this week.