House of Commons
Parliament

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Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes says the fishing community in his consitituency and neighbouring Grimsby is "looking forward to Brexit".

He asks what support will be given to the fishing industry to expand trade and other "opportunities" of Brexit.

Minister George Eustice says it's a "great opportunity" to look afresh at trade and also issues like Britain's share of fishing's Total Allowable Catch.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman says that when they voted to leave the EU "people didn't vote for dangerous levels of pollution and the weakening of environmental protections".

She says some measures in the EU bill reduce environmental protections.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says that while many parts of EU membership, like the Common Agricultural Policy, have been harmful there have also been "welcome environmental protections" which he wants to guarantee will stay in place.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are currently discussing government plans to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences from six months to five years.

Conservative MP Robert Courts asks if courts have shown desire to use the proposed new powers.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says judges have seen cases of "genuine sadism" towards animals where a higher penalty than the current six months is needed.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Environment questions is underway in the Commons. The first question is from Conservative backbencher David TC Davies on fly tipping on farms.

Minister Therese Coffey says fighting fly tipping is a priority for the government and is working with the Environment Agency to find ways of removing "criminal elements" from the waste disposal industry.

Environment Committee Chair Neil Parish says that currently fines for fly tipping are too low and "unless we get some teeth and some really heavy fines" the problem isn't going to go away.

House of Commons
Parliament

Today's sitting of the House of Commons starts at 9:30am with Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions.

That's followed by an urgent question from the shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer on the possibility of a substantive vote on the final Brexit deal.

MPs will then hear the Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom announce the business for next week, and then take part in two debates on the implementation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and LGBT rights around the world.

Welcome to another day's business in Parliament - and a busy day lies ahead.

We'll be crossing over to the Commons chamber shortly, for the first item of business...

That's all from us today. The House of Commons returns from 9:30am tomorrow for questions to the Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

House of Commons
Parliament

Minister Caroline Dineage says that it's "vital" that the government listen to concerns raised by the supported housing sector, which she says the government is doing. They're also listening to recommendations from a wide variety of sources, including the recent Communities and Local Government select committee report.

The government will publish its strategy for the future of supported housing on Tuesday next week.

The motion again passes without there being a vote. Shadow minister John Healey says that the "unanimous support" for Labour's motion will add pressure to the government for a minister to come to the House next week when the supported housing strategy is published.

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House of Commons
Parliament

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Winding up the debate for Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams says Labour welcomes the prime minister's announcement that the local housing allowance cap will not be applied to those in supported housing or the social rent sector.

She says she hopes the government's strategy for social housing will acknowledge the "design flaws" in universal credit.

She says that since Theresa May stood in Downing Street when she became Prime Minister last year and announced she would govern for the worst off, progress has gone into reverse.

She then goes on to call for the government to stand aside and allow a "Labour government" to sort out the supported housing sector.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Jess Phillips says that, despite the assurances of the minister, one in four women are turned away from a domestic violence refuge every day.

She says this amounts to 78 women a day with "nowhere to live". She says the sector lives "hand to mouth on year-on-year funding".

She says it's "utterly shameful" that the minister said they expected demand to rise, but she says she knows exactly why it will rise: the roll-out of universal credit.

She says universal credit is paid to one person in a household, which she says is most likely to be paid to the man of the household, making it harder for women to "break free if they need to".

If women in abusive relationships can't save money for their escape, they will need a refuge, she says.

She closes by asking the government to provide refuges with a specific, long-term funding model because otherwise "people die".

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House of Commons
Parliament

Today's Labour motion, as well as calling for a cap on the local housing allowance to be abolished, also calls for the government to consider the recommendations of the Communities and Local Government select committee's report on the future of supported housing., external

As well as exempting the sector from the local housing allowance, the committee recommended:

• Introduction of a new, banded, Supported Housing Allowance to pay for the system
• Locally administered grants for emergency accommodation
• A national funding system for domestic violence refuges

Theresa May says MPs will get a say before the UK's EU exit - after David Davis cast doubt on it.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Communities and Local Government Committee chair Clive Betts says that 85% of supported housing schemes currently in the pipeline have been put on hold while the government makes decisions about the future of supported housing.

He says in some extreme cases existing schemes have said they may need to close.

Conservative MP John Lamont says any funding settlement must be "sustainable" and take account of both the needs of supported housing tenants, housing associations and the taxpayer.

Labour's Ivan Lewis welcomes the government's u-turn on the housing allowance cap. But he says that "slash and burn budgets in Whitehall" have harmed the supported housing sector because "too often those without a voice have borne the brunt" of cuts.

He says MPs should "hang our heads in shame" at the increase in rough sleeping and homelessness that he says has resulted in under-funding the supported housing sector.

Social housing tenants will not now see their benefit cut to the same level as private tenants.

House of Commons
Parliament

Minister Marcus Jones says that the supported housing system must work for the government, providers and, most importantly, for vulnerable tenants.

He says the government is listening to supported housing tenants as well as other interested parties and is planning to announce a new settlement for funding supported housing next week.

Supported housing schemes enable vulnerable people to live as independently as possible. The schemes can involve integrated treatment for health issues or drug and alcohol dependency.

Select Committee
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"You've proved my conclusion right at the start of this process that the people are going to benefit most are the lawyers," says chair Nicky Morgan to all the witnesses, as the committee concludes.

"We're very grateful to you for your time and expertise."

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Wes Streeting asks how much more difficult the prime minister's job is when she sets out clear positions in speeches, and is then contradicted by members of her cabinet.

"I think I might duck that really," replies Sir Ivan Rogers.

"I thought you might. That's fair enough, it's worth a try," quips Mr Streeting.