House of Commons
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Conservative MP Stephen Crabb says justice ministers he has spoken to are keen to see a useful and practical piece of legislation on the statute book.

He says he has been moved by the accounts of some police officers he has spoken to. He says those officers believe it is going to happen to each of them; but the sheer number of assaults that happen is startling, even in an area like his where crime is low.

Mr Crabb says the current framework of legislation is too weak to deal with assualts now.

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The bill makes provision for taking of samples when an assailant has spat at an emergency workers.

Chris Bryant says emergency workers should not be worrying about whether they have contracted a communicable disease.

He says he wants to be very careful about how people refer to HIV in this case, but talks about a police officer he spoke to, who was spat at, and it entered his eye and mouth.

The assailant refused to give a sample, but the police officer was given a false positive test for Hepatitis B, external - with his family also being tested.

No-one should have to go through that, says the Labour MP.

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The bill would introduce tougher penalties for people who attack emergency workers.

It seeks to double the maximum sentence for common assault from six months to a year if committed against an emergency worker while they are on duty.

The bill would apply to all emergency workers, and the offence could also be tried in either a magistrate or crown court.

On Monday, the Home Office minister, Nick Hurd confirmed that the government will support the bill.

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"What every single one of us will feel, it is inconceivable, incomprehensible that when someone comes to save your life, they could be attacked," Chris Bryant says.

"There is a cry of outrage at the heart of this bill," he says - and an attempt to give an extra tool to the authorities to stem the tide of these attacks.

And in response to an intervention from Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg - who congratulates him on bringing forward a private members' bill which is widely supported - he says there is no reason why the bill could not be on the statute book by Easter.

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Chris Bryant says he has spoken to government ministers and says he is not sure the definition of emergency workers is correct in the bill - following an intervention from a fellow Labour MP, who mentions PCSOs.

He says he hopes the definition of emergency workers will be clarified in committee stage (which is when the details of the bill are pored over, line-by-line).

House of Commons
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Labour MP Chris Bryant opens his speech saying it's incomprehensible that people attack emergency workers and says it's time we did "everything in our power to protect them".

He remembers PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the line of duty, protecting Parliament during a terror attack in Westminster.

An attack happens every four minutes on police officers, the Police Federation estimates, he says and that does not take into account PCSOs.

Plenty of Labour MPs intervene to recount their own stories, and to point out the cost to the NHS and other services.

Welcome to our coverage of today in Westminster - the first session debating private members' bills in the Commons since the general election.

The first bill to be examined is the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill which is being introduced by Labour MP Chris Bryant.

It's designed to make certain offences aggravated when carried out against such emergency workers, such as the police, paramedics and the fire service.

Leaders gather for a crunch summit as the UK faces EU calls to do more to break the deadlock.

Here's our very own Esther Webber, explaining what's happened to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill...

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's shadow housing minister John Healey accused the government of breaking a series of promises made in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

In an urgent question, Mr Healey also criticised the government's efforts on rehousing and safety tests four months on from the tragedy in west London.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs that 14 families have now accepted offers of permanent accommodation, adding that people were being treated as survivors rather than statistics.

Many MPs expressed concern about safety standards in other blocks of flats.

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That's the end of the debate in the Commons.

We'll be returning tomorrow morning at 9.30am for private members' bills.

Join us then.

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Business Minister Margot James responds to concerns raised by Dame Margaret Hodge, saying all relevant information should be given to the National Crime Agency where they can be investigated.

You can read more about this adjournment debate, Dame Margaret Hodge's speech in full and the minister's response in Hansard here, external.

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Labour's Dame Margaret Hodge opens her adjournment debate about UK companies and Azerbaijan's money-laundering and tax evasion scheme.

She says "we tell ourselves this [the UK] is a country that prides itself on high ethical standards" but leaked documents suggest "our self-belief is flawed".

She says there's evidence Azerbaijani tax evasion and corruption has been given a "safe haven" by the way the Treasury devises our corporate structures.

House of Lords
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Labour frontbencher Lord Hunt of Kings Heath says there's a difference between making "efficiency" savings and cutting community pharmacies.

He says he's glad he's raised the issue and that the House can at least agree that community pharmacies are a crucial part of the NHS. But he withdraws his motion, and, with that, the day ends.

Peers return from 2:30pm on Monday for questions to ministers.

House of Lords
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Health Minister Lord O'Shaughnessy says the government "disagrees" with the premise of today's motion but welcomes the opportunity to discuss a "critical" sector.

He calls community pharmacies "a health asset and a social asset" and says that the review of current structures has been delayed to allow a "proper and wide-ranging" consultation of stakeholders.

He says reforms are not just about efficiency and cutting government spending, but also about improving services.

The government is, he says, moving away from paying pharmacies "solely for operating" and is now making payments to community pharmacies on quality of service rather than quantity of prescriptions distributed.

He says they're also taking account of which areas have higher health needs, where pharmacies have been protected.

He says he wants to assure peers of the governments commitment to the sector and says "pharmacy will continue to be a trusted partner in delivering a world class NHS".