MPs question culture ministers
Home Affairs Committee takes evidence on Brook House allegations
There are two ministerial statements on housing and schools and an urgent question on police pay
Peers meet at 11am for questions
Then it's a debate on the English Baccalaureate
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCMPs now move on to consider Conservative MP Peter Bone's bill which would establish a Business of the House Commission.
The Commission would regulate the timetabling of business in the House of Commons rather than the government.
Peter Bone expresses frustration that MPs "cannot debate what we want when we want".
Labour MP tweets
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Sky-Fox merger statement
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Parliament
Conservative Kevin Foster asks "given the lobbying that has gone on", what can be taken account under the quasi judicial test.
"I can only look at the evidence," says Karen Bradley and adds that "shouting the loudest is not the answer".
"I have made this decision despite the lobbying, not because of it."
Sky-Fox merger statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCFormer Labour leader Ed Miliband tells the culture secretary that she has made a brave decision "or she is minded to make a brave decision."
He says it is "a decision the Murdochs will not like".
He also expresses concern about the "unreliable and flawed advice" provided by Ofcom.
Sky-Fox merger statement
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Parliament
Former culture secretary John Whittingdale notes that by the time the CMA reports it will be one year since the merger was proposed.
He expresses the hope that whatever decision the CMA reaches - "that will resolve the matter".
Karen Bradley replies that she wants to get the CMA working on this "as soon as possible".
Sky-Fox merger statement
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Image source, HoCCulture Committee Chair Damian Collins says the process is working and that it is right that decisions are taken by Ofcom and it should not be for politicians to exercise discretion.
Karen Bradley replies that she takes seriously her responsibility to behave "scrupulously and fairly".
SNP spokesperson Brendan O'Hara asks, if the CMA were to say the deal does not pass the public interest tests, would she block the bid or allow Fox to make further representations.
Karen Bradley replies that she can only make a referral to the CMA once.
Sky-Fox merger statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Karen Bradley wonders if she is being "damned with faint praise".
She then turns to a campaign by those seeking to influence her decision on the merger.
She tells MPs that the campaigners went to her constituency and pursued her family. She says her decisions will be taken "on the basis of evidence not harassment".
Tom Watson says he is "very sorry to hear the allegations" and adds that he will find out if any Labour members have been involved.
Reality Check
The government has decided to lift the 1% pay cap on the public sector, although at the moment we don't know by how much, except for the police and prison officers.
How much it would cost is a tricky question. In the case of the police and prison officers, the money is apparently coming from existing budgets, but that means that there will have to be cuts elsewhere or reserves will be run down.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies reckons that an extra 1% pay for the entire public sector would cost about £1.8bn a year, although it would get some of that back in income tax and National Insurance.
But there are other savings that need to be taken into account, for example, some have argued that raising pay in the NHS would stop staff leaving and reduce absence, so reducing the use of more expensive agency staff and saving money.
Sky-Fox merger statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson is fulsome in his praise of his opposite number.
She has taken her "responsibility seriously", he says, adding "she's a good 'un".
He congratulates her on being "the first minister in this government who has stood in the way of the Murdochs".
However, he urges her to now go ahead with the Leveson 2 inquiry.
Sky-Fox merger statement
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCCulture Secretary Karen Bradley begins by telling MPs that her decision has been influenced by facts "and not by who shouts the loudest".
She says that none of the representations have persuaded her to change her mind and that she will refer the deal to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on the grounds of media plurality.
She adds that she is "minded" to refer the merger to the CMA on the grounds of broadcasting standards.
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, PACulture Secretary Karen Bradley is now makes a statement on the proposed merger of Sky and Fox.
Earlier in the year Karen Bradley asked Ofcom to assess whether the takeover would reduce the plurality of media ownership in the UK.
Before the summer recess, Ms Bradley told MPs that "on the basis of Ofcom's assessment, I confirm that I am minded to refer to a phase two investigation on the grounds of media plurality,"
Ofcom said it had no concerns about Fox's genuine commitment to broadcasting standards.
Hurricane Irma statement
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Parliament
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat asks what lessons have been learned given the "different response by different countries".
Alan Duncan says the focus at the moment should be about "giving immediate need" not "leveling criticism".
Hurricane Irma statement
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Parliament
Image source, HoCThe SNP's Chris Law accuses the UK government of displaying a "lack of preparedness" and of "lagging behind" other countries such as France.
Alan Duncan says he is "rather dismayed" by the "sweeping criticism".
He argues that the French were able to deploy military personnel faster because they have troops based on the islands which are governed directly by France.
British overseas territories, he says, are self governing.
Hurricane Irma statement
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Parliament
Alan Duncan "wholeheartedly rejects" Emily Thornberry's criticism.
He says that is inevitable that "people in distress will want more" but argues that "you cannot evacuate half a million people".
He notes that there was a serious threat of "complete breakdown" in the British Virgin Islands including the escape of 100 "very serious prisoners".
However he says that the government's actions meant that law and order was maintained.
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Hurricane Irma statement
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Image source, HoCShadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry tells the minister that she "appreciates the efforts" of the department but that the response has been "too little, too late".
She notes that a week has gone by but the government is "still talking about evacuating British citizens".
She compares this with the actions of the French, Dutch and American governments who she says "swiftly evacuated their citizens".
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Hurricane Irma statement
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Image source, HoCMinister Alan Duncan tells MPs that the foreign secretary is currently on his way to the region.
He adds that "a steady tempo of relief flights" has been sustained and that 997 military personnel are currently working on the islands.
This initial effort, he says, will be reinforced by HMS Ocean which has been ordered to leave its Nato task in the Mediterranean and "steam westwards with all speed".
He reaffirms the UK's commitment to Barbuda whose infrastructure he says "no long exists".
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Image source, Getty ImagesForeign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan now rises to make a statement on Hurricane Irma.
Senior MPs and residents of the Caribbean islands have criticised the UK government's slow response to the hurricane.
Some 700 UK troops, 50 police and over 20 tonnes of aid have been sent to the Caribbean islands devastated by the hurricane.