Select Committee
Parliament

"What's the worst that could happen?" ponders Sir Ivan, when considering the prospect of no deal being agreed with the EU by 30 March 2019.

"We become a third country, in the awful jargon of Brussels, so we have no more rights than Venezuala or Yemen in the EU market... because we've got no preferential treatment, we've got no legal agreement."

Select Committee
Parliament

Sir Keir Starmer tells the Procedure Committee he's "not convinced by the argument time is too tight" for extra scrutiny of the repeal bill's delegated powers.

He also cautions against questioning the motives of those who are seeking more scrutiny.

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords is starting work shortly, with questions to government ministers.

Questions concern announcements relating to terrorism focussing on perpetrator's creed rather than their crime; protecting members of the armed forces from repeated inquiries into the same incident and the Register of Hereditary Peers who wish to stand for election to the House of Lords.

Following that, peers will examine the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill at third reading, followed by the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing Bill - and then second reading debate on the European Union (Approvals) Bill.

You can watch the House of Lords proceedings using the tab above.

Select Committee
Parliament

Sir Ivan says that the United States will not make a free trade agreement with the British or anyone else, without a major agriculture component in it, warning that they'll make a set of demands as their "price" in that deal.

He says that could lead to a "divergence" from European standards, as a condition of any agreement.

"Congress cares more about agriculture and agricultural market access more than any other issue.

"You may think that's very sad, but it's true."

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer is asked how he would manage the process of getting EU law into UK law.

In many cases, he says, "I think they [aspects of the bill] shouldn't be dealt with by delegated legislation at all - such as Clause 9 on Article 50".

The restrictions on delegated powers in the EU Withdrawal Bill are "too narrow", he says, and he would like to see "enhanced scrutiny for important policy issues".

You can watch the Procedure Committee here, external.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Derek Thomas says he felt the "full force" of anger over dementia tax at the election. He held his St Ives seat by just 312 votes from the Liberal Democrats.

He says he's since met constituents who had to sell their homes to pay for care of a family member. He says in that context, the Conservative manifesto promise makes some sense.

The since-revoked manifesto pledge promised that £100,000 worth of someone's assets would always be protected when paying for social care.

Currently local councils will only step in to pay for care once someone's assets have gone down to £23,000.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Procedure Committee is holding an evidence session on exiting the EU and the scrutiny of delegated legislation.

The government has faced extensive criticism over plans to enact its "corrections" to the statute book after Brexit using what are known as Henry VIII powers, without the usual parliamentary scrutiny process.

Ministers have attempted to reassure critics by saying such measures will be time limited and not used to make policy changes.

The witnesses are:

• Sir Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit secretary
• Valerie Vaz, shadow leader of the Commons
• Dominic Grieve, Conservative former attorney general
• Dr Ruth Fox, director, Hansard Society
• Joel Blackwell, senior researcher, Hansard Society

Select Committee
Parliament

On differences between the UK's single market membership and what a future trading relationship with the EU may look like:

The PM sis asked to explain how it is possible to have a "meaningful vote on something that has already taken place"

Select Committee
Parliament

Professor Catherine Barnard says that the prime minister's Florence speech suggests greater realism around the way that Brexit is proceeding.

According to Professor Barnard, in that speech, Theresa May recognised that the "divorce" is separate from the future trade deal, and that they will be done under different legal regimes.

Select Committee
Parliament

"You won't be surprised to know that we have a long list of questions," says committee chair Nicky Morgan, opening the session.

She asks for the panel's impressions of progress so far, and the objective of an orderly exit being achieved.

Sir Ivan Rogers says that it's always very difficult to judge, but calls the decision that the European Council took this month not to move to trade talks with the UK "predictable".

Sir Ivan predicts that the 27 EU countries will set out what sort of transitional arrangement will be on offer at December's European Council and outline how long it would last.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Health Committee Chair and Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston says that the "challenges are so enormous" that both frontbenches need to agree to work jointly to find a solution to funding social care.

She says that "no political party has a monopoly on good ideas".

On a similar theme Labour's Liz Kendall says that whenever a party comes up with a serious way of funding social care, their opponents try to "destroy" them for raising taxes.

She cites charges at the 2010 election that Labour was planning a "death tax" and the Conservative Party's "dementia tax" at the 2017 election as examples. She also calls for a cross party approach.

Image source, HoC

Select Committee
Parliament

We'll shortly begin our coverage of the Treasury Committee's evidence session.

In this inquiry, members will consider transitional arrangements, preparations for “no deal” and the long-term economic relationship.

Witnesses this afternoon are:

• Sir Ivan Rogers, former Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union
• Professor Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Union Law, University of Cambridge
• Professor Sir Alan Dashwood QC, Barrister, Henderson Chambers and former Director, Council of the European Union Legal Service

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The SNP's health spokesperson Philippa Whitford stresses that while people are living longer "the number of funded places for care has gone down by a quarter".

She says in Scotland the SNP government is providing various initiatives but "we may not seen a return on that for 50 or 60 years".

Of care homes, she says, "the statutory system isn't supporting them", mentioning cost pressures caused by local authority budget cuts and minimum wage requirements.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price opens for the government in today's opposition day debate on social care.

She points out that 80% of care settings have been rated good or outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, and it continues to be a "key priority for this government".

She speaks of the need for further long-term reform to ensure a sustainable system to meet the challenges of an ageing population.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Shadow health minister Barbara Keeley is introducing the first of today's two opposition day debates, on a Labour motion which states:

She says her party is concerned that after the "debacle" of the Conservatives' abandoned plans for social care, the question is now "not being addressed".

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Theresa Villiers introduces a bill which aims to end the "cruel" export of live animals after Brexit.