Select Committee
Parliament

• Angus Brendan McNeil (Chair), external (SNP)
• Julia Dockerill, external (Conservative)
• Mr Nigel Evans, external (Conservative)
• Mr Marcus Fysh, external (Conservative)
• Mr Ranil Jayawardena, external (Conservative)
• Mr Chris Leslie, external (Labour (Co-op)
• Emma Little Pengelly, external (DUP)
• Faisal Rashid, external (Labour)
• Rt Hon Keith Vaz, external (Labour)
• Catherine West, external (Labour)
• Matt Western, external (Labour)

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, Reuters

This session is set to focus on the work of the Department for International Trade.

This is the first session for this committee looking at the work of the department, so expect a wide remit of questions so the committee can see what the department are working on. This, in turn, helps them in their other inquiries, external.

Select Committee
Parliament

• Greg Clark, external, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Margot James, external, Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility, BEIS
• Jeremy Pocklington, external, Director General for Energy and Security, BEIS

Select Committee
Parliament

Rachel Reeves, external (Chair) Labour

Vernon Coaker, external Labour

Drew Hendry, external Scottish National Party

Stephen Kerr, external Conservative

Peter Kyle, external Labour

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger, external Conservative

Rachel Maclean, external Conservative

Albert Owen, external Labour

Mark Pawsey, external Conservative

Antoinette Sandbach, external Conservative

Anna Turley, external Labour (Co-op)

Image source, Reuters

To add to a busy day, the Business Committee is questioning Business Secretary Greg Clark.

This session is on the Draft Energy Price Cap Bill brought forward by the government.

The draft bill has now been published by the government, and is available to read, external.

The legislation will not come into effect for this winter, but would likely be enacted by next winter. Ofgem is reluctant to enact energy price caps before new legislation is brought in.

The committee will likely be hosting further evidence sessions in January and December.

Welcome to today's coverage of events in Parliament - and what promises to be another busy day.

We're starting with questions to International Trade Secretary Liam Fox shortly.

There's PMQs to come at noon, as well as further select committee sessions - including a Q&A session with Boris Johnson at the Foreign Affairs Committee - as well as debates and legislation throughout the day for both chambers.

Thanks for joining us...

David Davis says the prospect of no deal is "not impossible but very, very improbable".

House of Lords
Parliament

Work and Pensions Minister Baroness Buscombe confirms the government will bring in an amendment to ban cold-calling by claims management companies.

Lord Sharkey thanks her and withdraws his amendment.

That's where we're leaving our parliamentary coverage for today - the Lords return for questions to ministers at 3pm tomorrow, and the Commons sits at 11.30am.

House of Lords
Parliament

Lib Dem Lord Sharkey is introducing an amendment which seeks to ban cold-calling by claims management companies.

The government has already been defeated once on this issue in the passage of this bill, and he says it would be "disappointing" if ministers did not act on these "flagrant abuses".

House of Lords
Parliament

Government spokesman Lord Young of Cookham responds, saying ministers will introduce a fee cap on claims management services at third reading.

"We want to ensure consumers are protected from excessive fees as soon as possible," he tells peers.

He explains the government's amendment will go further than that proposed by Lord Kirkwood.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Lib Dem Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope introduces an amendment designed to set up interim rules restricting charges for claims management services.

He explains this would cap what can be charged for services such as reclaiming mis-sold PPI.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs call it a night.

They will return tomorrow for questions to Wales Office ministers at 11.30am, before Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn face off at prime minister's questions at noon.

The House will also hold a debate on armed forces pay.

Select Committee
Parliament

After a couple of clarification and wrap-up questions, the sitting draws to a close.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he will write to members of the Committee with responses to any further questions they have.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's Rosie Cooper is asking questions on the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, external and how well it is working in terms of accountability.

Jeremy Hunt says that one of the advantages of the new system is that "you don't get the health secretary endlessly introducing this and that", referencing the more local decisions that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) can make.

Ms Cooper presses the health secretary on accountability. He says NHS England does have powers to intervene in cases where CCG governance is failing.

Select Committee
Parliament

David Davis tells the committee the government intends to have an "implementation agreement by the second quarter of next year".

He adds: "What happens thereafter is: we hope and intend to have a future trade relationship."

After a question from Conservative Baroness Verma, Mr Davis says he won't comment on how long the EU Withdrawal Bill might take.

The session then draws to a close.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Maggie Throup is asking questions on sustainability and transformation partnerships, external in the NHS. The idea behind these plans is for the NHS and local authorities to work closer together.

Jeremy Hunt says such schemes are effective when they have good leadership in place. If there is a proper board in place, then better decisions are made, he argues.

Mr Hunt says that Greater Manchester, where NHS spending is now devolved, is a good example of STPs working well.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoL

David Davis says "we have underestimated opportunities" of trade deals after Brexit.

He argues the EU has a "structural flaw" when it comes to making agreements as there have been 28 members to negotiate with.

He says the UK can be much faster at striking trade deals after Brexit, in the manner of South Korea or Chile and that the UK could be "the most proactive protagonist of free trade in the world" after Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Finance Bill passes third reading by 302 votes to 276.

MPs then approve a motion to appoint MPs to the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority without a vote.

Image source, House of Lords

Peers would be limited to 15 years in the House of Lords as part of plans to cut membership by a quarter from the current 800 over the next decade.

With 799 eligible members, the Lords is the world's second largest legislative body after China's People's Congress.

Ex-civil servant and crossbench peer Lord Burns was commissioned by Lords Speaker Lord Fowler to look at ways to slim down the size of the Lords.

His report proposes, external capping the size of the House of Lords to 600 members.

Read more.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Dr Sarah Wollaston asks if England might get minimum unit pricing on alcohol.

Wales already has minimum unit pricing for alcohol, Scotland is currently undergoing a legal challenge over the planned introduction of such a scheme.

Dr Wollaston says that by leaving England free of minimum pricing, it undermines the whole system and prevents true data being collected on the effectiveness of such schemes.

Mr Hunt says that this is something the government has to accept when there are devolved responsibilities for health in any country.