House of Commons
Parliament

That's the end of the day in the Commons. MPs return at 11:30am tomorrow for Scotland questions, followed by Prime Minister's Questions at noon.

Image source, HoC

House of Commons
Parliament

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Brexit Minister Steve Baker says the government is working for a deal, but is making "extensive preparations" for the "unlikely" event that the UK leaves the EU with no deal.

He says that since the Prime Minister's Florence Speech, talks have been conducted in a "new spirit" and that both the UK and the EU are "determined to work together for an agreement".

But he says the government is "taking the actions of a responsible government...determined to ensure a smooth exit".

He says that the Treasury is now committing £250m of "new money" for "exit preparations, including for no deal".

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers have just voted on Amendment 12 to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, which was defeated by 167 to 80, a first government victory for today.

The Labour amendment committed the financial guidance body, to be created by the bill, to raise awareness of scams and frauds relating to financial products.

House of Commons
Parliament

The programme motion has passed by 314 votes to 228.

The House now moves to the adjournment debate. Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke is using his debate to call for a billion pounds to be set aside for a "no deal" Brexit scenario. He is proposing that the money be used to upgrade border systems and infrastructure.

He says that doing so is the "responsible thing to do".

House of Commons
Parliament

After the end of the second reading debate on the Smart Meters Bill the bill itself passes without a division, but Labour MPs loudly oppose the bill's programme motion, resulting in a division.

The programme motion is the government's timetable for getting a bill through the House.

Labour will have forced a vote as a procedural tactic to force Conservative MPs to stay in Westminster until the close of business today, even though the bill itself is uncontroversial.

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House of Lords
Parliament

Amendment 11 - which relates to access to financial services for people in vulnerable circumstances - is introduced by Crossbencher Baroness Finlay of Llandaff.

She says that improving access should run right through the core function of the bill.

"I really do hope that the government will be able to look favorably on this amendment", she adds.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Lord McKenzie of Luton opens a debate on amendments 8 and 17, which relate to financial inclusion and exclusion.

"We have very serious issues to confront," he tells peers

Lib Dem Baroness Kramer says she supports amendment 8, saying that "most members of the house" feel that financial inclusion is sufficiently important that it should be expressed through financial bodies that are being created.

Responding, Minister Lord Young of Cookham says that he "doesn't disagree" with the challenges that confronts the government in the area.

"We do take the issues of financial exclusion very seriously."

The amendments are withdrawn after Lord Young promises to reflect on what has been said.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's consumer affairs spokesperson, Patricia Gibson, points out: "Those in fuel poverty find it most dificult to pay their bills."

She explains that they are paying for smart meters through their bills, and "consumers should know they can refuse" to have them installed.

Otherwise they are "subsidising the most affluent", she claims.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are currently debating an amendment that would create a "pensions dashboard", allowing people to see all their pension schemes in one place online.

Last week the government gave their support to the scheme in principle, with minister Guy Opperman calling it "revolutionary".

Labour's Lord McKenzie of Luton welcomes government support for the idea but says the delivery of the dashboard will be a "huge challenge".

Minister Baroness Buscombe says the government will not be supporting the amendment tonight, saying legislation on a dashboard is "premature", but she emphasises the government is "committed to taking it forward".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey welcomes the goal of better regulation of smart meters, which can amount to more than £5bn of savings for consumers.

But she says there is "poor public awareness" of the meters, and an "obvious lack of confidence in potential benefits".

She asks the government to give details of the costs borne by consumers for the installation of smart meters.

Select Committee
Parliament

Chair Yvette Cooper ends the session by asking if there needs to be a step change in the country's response to the terror threat, or whether it needs to be incremental.

If the ambition remains to stay matched to the threat, then it is going to take a step in resources, says Mark Rowley

"Otherwise what I see is the choices made on surveillance... you can't have hundreds of surveillance teams," he argues.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers have voted for Amendment 2 to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill by 253 votes to 205, inflicting a second defeat of the day on the government.

Amendment 2 allows a minister to ban cold calling in relation to pensions and other financial products.

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House of Commons
Parliament

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MPs begin second reading of the Smart Meters Bill, external, which extends the secretary of state's powers to regulate smart metering and introduces a special administration regime for the national smart meter communication and data service provider to ensure the service continues to be provided in the event of its insolvency.

Second reading is a chance for MPs to debate a bill's general principles and suggest changes they might like to see without formally tabling amendments.

Business Secretary Greg Clark predicts metering will have benefits for energy companies and consumers and move us towards a "prosperous" future.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Winding up on this afternoon's debate for Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams expresses "disappointment" the government does not seem to have heard the opposition's objections on universal credit.

"We are willing to work together to ensure universal credit is a success," she says.

"We will keep holding them to account, we will keep fighting."

There's no vote forced on the motion that the House has considered the government's response to the universal credit debate last week.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative Christopher Chope asks about deterrents, asking what is stopping the 3,000 "subjects of interest" from "doing their worst".

The police and security services have said they are running 500 separate investigations into 3,000 individuals, with a further 20,000 former "subjects of interests" being kept under review.

"We will do everything we can do to put them in prison," says Mark Rowley

He says that the police use every disruptive tactic available to them.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers have voted for Amendment 1 to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, by 263 votes to 208, on adding consumer protection functions to the Financial Conduct Authority, to allow them to deal with cases of bad advice given by debt advice firms.

Peers are now voting on a related amendment, Amendment 2.

A Tory MP is under fire after writing to universities asking for names of staff who teach courses on Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Kevin Hollinrake tells MPs he is "in no way in denial" but "the vast majority have not suffered difficulties" as universal credit was rolled out in his Thirsk constituency.

"Do I want to go back to the old system? I absolutely do not," he says, claiming the previous system incentivised people to turn down work and "we cannot want to go back to that".

House of Lords
Parliament

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In the House of Lords, peers are considering amendments to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill at report stage.

The bill creates a new financial guidance body to allow the public to access free and impartial guidance on money, pensions and debt.

Speaking in response to an amendment that would ban cold calling by pensions firms, minister Baroness Buscome says that the amendment presented to the House wouldn't work, but says the government supports the principle.

She says the government plans to put down an amendment banning it when the bill reaches the Commons.

On another two amendments the government doesn't agree, and Lib Dem peer Lord Sharkey pushes the first to a vote. Amendment 1 would add consumer protection functions to the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Ruth George says the government's research on how many universal credit claimants will be moved into work is out of date.

She urges MPs to "listen" to the concerns of the Citizens' Advice Bureau and Child Poverty Action Group.

"It is putting people into debt," she says, "and it's not how to start your way into the world of work."