House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Eddie Hughes tells MPs that his Walsall North constituency is the 17th most deprived in England.

He says that the average salary in his constituency is £23,000 - "that's the same as the starting salary of a qualified nurse", he adds.

He notes that the hairdressers, carpenters and plumbers in his constituency don't get an incremental pay rise or as good a pension.

"The Conservatives value all of the workers in this country," he argues.

Select Committee
Parliament

There are several questions on the Common Fisheries Policy, prompting Michael Gove to describe Brexit as "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to get it right.

"We have got to ensure access to fish stocks now and in the future, and allow them recover where they need to," he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Paul Flynn raises the case of wealthy landowners who receive agricultural subsidies.

Mr Gove tells him "the current system needs reform" in order "not to give to those who already have".

"The most important thing is to produce a public benefit" by assisting those who manage their land well, he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

DUP's Ian Paisley addresses the Labour Party.

"You chide us about the £1bn deal," he says but suggests that Labour would have given the DUP a much better deal.

He says that, by attacking the deal, Labour MPs "only hurt public servants in Northern Ireland who benefit from the deal."

Jean-Claude Juncker says the EU will move on, but Nigel Farage says it has "learnt nothing".

Select Committee
Parliament

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The chair, Neil Parish, asks how close the environment secretary is to Liam Fox and David Davis in order to put across the environmental agenda as Brexit talks progress.

Michael Gove assures him: "We are brothers from a different mother."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Anna Soubry says a strong NHS can only be achieved through "sensible Conservative policies".

The choice for the British people is "absolutely clear", she says "if you want a strong NHS you should support the Conservatives".

"We deliver the economy to pay for the NHS."

Select Committee
Parliament

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Chair Neil Parish opens the questioning by asking how the environment secretary is ensuring that the Brexit negotiating team understand the importance of agriculture.

"Are we going to be sold out for the City of London?" he asks.

Michael Gove replies that Brexit provides "a big opportunity" for agriculture to move away from an "over bureaucratic system of subsidy".

House of Lords
Parliament

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Several peers are speaking out against the unregulated breeding of pedigree dogs and cats.

Conservative Lord Black of Brentwood says breeds such as pugs and Scottish fold cats are in "intolerable pain and unable to breathe properly" because of deformation.

Crossbencher and veterinarian Lord Trees claims "their popularity is increasing because of celebrity endorsements" and we need to do all we can to persuade people it's "not cool".

Environment Minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble replies: "We must respect our animals as they are," adding that it's "self-indulgent to breed animals with genetic defects".

He tells peers the government will work with interested parties to see how this can be tackled through regulation.

Select Committee
Parliament

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At 3:30pm the Environment Secretary Michael Gove is giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

The members of the committee are:

• Neil Parish (Chair), Conservative
• Alan Brown, Scottish National Party
• Paul Flynn, Labour
• John Grogan, Labour
• Dr Caroline Johnson, Conservative
• Sandy Martin, Labour
• Mrs Sheryll Murray, Conservative
• David Simpson, Democratic Unionist Party
• Angela Smith, Labour
• Julian Sturdy, Conservative

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP and nurse Maria Caulfield tells MPs that seven years is "long enough for anyone to live with a pay freeze".

She says that in 2010 there was a "need to tighten our belts" but she adds that "we were promised this would take five years."

"This government has to take responsibility for not having tackled the deficit," she says, and calls for the cap to be scrapped.

She also attacks the fact that nurses start out on "the lowest possible salary".

"You don't say to the Editor of the Evening standard - he's never been a journalist before so he should be paid less than any other journalist".

House of Lords
Parliament

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The Dubs scheme to bring unaccompanied refugee children to the UK was due to close in February of this year.

Then the government admitted had it missed 130 local authority places for children due to an "administrative error", and raised the target number of 350 children to be accommodated to 480.

Labour's Lord Dubs says the latest figures show that 200 children have come here to date, which he describes as "disappointing".

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford replies: "We continue to work with partners in Europe to bring children here where we can but we can't just go in and take them."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb says the "inescapable issue" behind the pay gap is the amount of money being put into the health and social care services.

"The current situation is unsustainable," he says, adding that political parties are "not being honest with people."

He acknowledges that the Lib Dem policy of putting 1% on income tax would not "solve all the problems" however he says it would raise £6bn to ease pressure.

House of Lords
Parliament

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There's a question in the Lords from Labour's Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on a comprehensive timetable for Brexit negotiations with the EU.

He expresses "disappointment" David Davis is not going to give regular updates to the Lords EU Committee.

Brexit Minister Baroness Anelay says there is "a broad framework rather than a hard timetable".

She speaks of "our commitment to the value of parliamentary scrutiny" and tells peers that "when ministers appear before committees the officials with us are negotiators, and we need to ensure negotiations proceed".

The next round of Brexit talks has been postponed by a week to "allow more time for consultation".

The fourth round of UK-EU negotiations, due to begin on 18 September, will start on the 25th instead.

Westminster Hall

Conservative Mims Davies tells MPs she's "not sure" about all-women shortlists, saying she wouldn't like the feeling of being a "token" candidate.

The SNP's Hannah Bardell intervenes to express her view that all-women shortlists are justified but should be "temporary" until representation becomes more balanced.

Westminster Hall

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Conservative Mims Davies addresses some reasons why women not find the prospect of going into politics attractive: "Let me sell you a job with long hours, where you're open to abuse, and you won't see your family as much as you'd like."

She says there's an onus on female MPs to "demonstrate why what we do is worthwhile" in order to bring in "fresh talent".

Getting on the ballot paper is half the battle, she continues, but politicians must also try to "tear down perceived barriers".

A West Midlands MP asked the prime minister to back Birmingham's bid to host the the Commonwealth Games, which would benefit his Lichfield constituency.

But before giving her answer on the games, Theresa May mentioned Michael Fabricant's rumoured appearance on Channel 4's Celebrity First Dates, asking if he was to be the celebrity or the date.

Westminster Hall

Image source, UK Parliament/Mark Duffy

Over in Westminster Hall, a debate is beginning on barriers for women in standing for Parliament.

Following the 2017 general election, 32% of MPs are now women - a record high for the House of Commons.

Last week Labour's Harriet Harman suggested that MPs should be allowed six months maternity leave.

MPs are not considered employees, so have no right to statutory maternity leave.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HOC

Time for another maiden speech: this time it's Stephen Morgan who is the new Labour MP for Portsmouth South.

He points out that the constituency has had SDP and Conservative MPs, and he says he hopes voters have now found a choice they can stick with.

As is traditional in a maiden speech, Portsmouth comes in for praise and he marks some famous names and firsts that the city has produced.

The people of Portsmouth "don't shout about their success" but get on with the job, he says, saying perhaps it's their "military reserve" and he praises the city's endurance through history, particularly during World War II.

"We know from our history there is no challenge we cannot face without working together," he says. He challenges MPs to work together to face problems; highlighting particularly the elderly generation who fought in the war saying "this is not the world we promised them".

What motivates me is that opportunities of a good job and home can be enjoyed by all citizens, he says. Power and wealth should be in the hands of the many, not the privileged few.