Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Lord Darling tells the committee: "WTO is only part of the problem - we'd have to renegotiate with everywhere the EU has treaties with".

"Seven years is the going rate for that," he adds, "even with the best will in the world."

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's Ben Bradshaw is now asking questions of the Health Secretary.

He starts with questions on reported overpayments, external made by the NHS pensions scheme to retired health service workers.

Mr Hunt says the Department is looking into whether or not it can get the money back.

Mr Bradshaw asks about current performance in meeting the 18-week waiting limit for patients. He says that the GP waiting target, A&E target, delayed discharge targets are all being missed.

Mr Hunt says he recognises the picture that Mr Bradshaw "paints" but doesn't accept "the overall inference".

He says that Mr Bradshaw is right in that one important aspect of care is how long people wait.

House of Lords
Parliament

Lord Speaker Lord Fowler opens today's session with a statement about the size of the House.

There are almost 800 members of the House of Lords and a committee, established by the Lord Speaker, has published a report about ways to reduce its size.

"We know that the House is too big," Lord Fowler says, urging peers to read the report.

"A smaller, more effective House will help to build public confidence."

Select Committee
Parliament

The former chancellor Lord Darling predicts businesses will start to activate plans for a no-deal scenario "as they approach this year-end".

"The sooner the government spells out its destination the better", he says.

He continues: "Maybe there's a cunning plan yet to be revealed - but we don't seem to be getting far with the three things that are on the table."

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee Chair Dr Sarah Wollaston has started the questioning of the health secretary.

She asks if Mr Hunt has read the Lords report on the Long Term Sustainability of the NHS, external.

Mr Hunt says he has read a summary of it. He takes on the criticism in some parts of the NHS of a culture of 'short-termism'.

How will the NHS cope with drastic reductions in funding over the coming years? Dr Wollaston asks.

Mr Hunt says they are not drastic reductions in funding, but that it "will be tough".

The Finance Bill enacts measures announced in the government's spring Budget, though was subject to alteration as a result of the June general election and carried over to the current Parliament.

MPs are debating one of Labour's attempts to amend the bill, new clause 1, which would require a review of overseas trusts, used by - often highly-paid - workers from overseas.

Conservative MP Bim Afolami makes the case for a tax environment that he believes will attract talented people from overseas, telling the House: "We live in a smaller world... frankly, things are more competitive."

He gives the example of Premier League footballers, arguing that fans "will recognise the impact that some top foreign players bring".

He adds: "It is not just footballers. It is music stars, artists, creatives, writers, financiers, businesspeople, entrepreneurs.

"All of these people are such an asset to this country."

Select Committee
Parliament

Lord Darling says in his experience of dealing with the EU: "You get deals if you're prepared to do deals - you need the right chemistry."

His impression is that the 27 EU countries can "sit it out longer" than the UK.

He is asked about any advantages of leaving without a deal and replies: "I struggle to see any."

Select Committee
Parliament

• Dr Sarah Wollaston, external (Chair) Conservative
• Luciana Berger, external Labour (Co-op)
• Mr Ben Bradshaw, external Labour
• Dr Lisa Cameron, external Scottish National Party
• Rosie Cooper, external Labour
• Dr Caroline Johnson, external Conservative
• Diana Johnson, external Labour
• Johnny Mercer, external Conservative
• Andrew Selous, external Conservative
• Maggie Throup, external Conservative
• Dr Paul Williams, external Labour

Select Committee
Parliament

This session is on the work of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

These sessions occur once or twice a year and are standard practice in the checks and balances that Parliament provides on the government.

This is the first sitting of this committee in the new Parliament, so expect a wide variety of questions on every aspect of the NHS.

This allows the committee to see how the government views the NHS working, and informs the committee in their other lines of inquiry.

Select Committee
Parliament

Lord Darling says the effects of leaving without a deal could be to slow economic growth.

He goes on to say: "I think a [Brexit] deal will be done but could be four to five years."

He reasons EU nations will still want to trade with us but we are negotiating with 27 countries and they with one.

Select Committee
Parliament

Lord Darling is asked about Brexit and the future of financial services.

He says it's a concern not just for London but Edinburgh and Glasgow.

He adds that he's "sceptical of the idea if you leave the EU everything else will open up".

"I ask myself time and time again - why are we doing this to ourselves? It's self-inflicted."

Select Committee
Parliament

Lord Darling tells the committee the biggest stumbling block to Brexit talks is "we don't seem to know where we're going".

He highlights what he calls "the time factor", arguing that the longer uncertainty continues the less value a transition deal has.

"I would like a frictionless trade agreement with Europe," he says, before confessing he doesn't know how we move from our present arrangement to that.

Select Committee
Parliament

Lord Darling goes on to claim the EU referendum was held because of "divisions within the Tory party" and the problem is ministers don't know where they want to end up.

He contrasts this with 1972 - and says in the case of trade and the Irish border the government doesn't have an end goal.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoL

The Lords EU Select Committee is taking evidence on prospects for a "no deal" Brexit from Labour former chancellor Lord Darling of Roulanish.

Acting chair Lord Jay of Ewelme asks to what extent Theresa May's Florence speech provided clarity.

Lord Darling says it was a chance for her to appear to "emollient" but "the good was undone by manoeuvring of subsequent days".

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Mr Hollingsworth tells the committee that he is "very sorry indeed" for those athletes who feel as though they have not been able to come forward with problems.

But he adds he is "not apologising for failure" on behalf of the organisation.

After a sometimes heated exchange between the committee and Mr Hollingsworth, he is dismissed; and the committee finishes its evidence session.

House of Lords
Parliament

The Lords get started at 2.30pm with questions on:

• the review of probation contracts
• introducing legislation to require letting agents to join a registration scheme
• removing Hamas from the government list of terrorist organisations
• if the UK will remain a member of the European Investment Bank.

Peers are then expected to approve the final stage of the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing Bill, before they hear the repeat of an answer to an urgent question on the Review of Gaming Machines.

The main business is report stage of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, external, which creates a single financial guidance body and transfers claims management regulation to the Financial Conduct Authority.

The dinner-break debate is on measures to improve the reliability of railway services.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are examining the Finance Bill at report stage.

This bill was introduced to the Commons on 6 September - the government says it will make the tax system fairer by cracking down on avoidance and evasion.

It includes changes to personal service companies and general rules against tax avoidance; as well as including new penalties for those who enable use of tax avoidance schemes that are later defeated by HMRC.

House of Commons
Parliament

Maria Eagle's bill follows a campaign by a woman whose son was killed in a coach crash caused by a tyre which was nearly 20 years old.

Michael Molloy, 18, died in the crash as he travelled home to Liverpool from Bestival on the Isle of Wight in 2012.

An inquest found the crash was caused by his coach's worn-out tyre.

The "Tyred" campaign, launched by Michael's mother Frances, calls for a ban on tyres more than 10 years old on buses, coaches and minibuses.

Ms Eagle notes that the tyre on the bus was 19 years old, older than Mr Molloy.

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Hollingsworth tells Conservative Rebecca Pow that there should be a process for independent review and grievance.

He tells Labour's Jo Stevens that he has been feeling this way about making improvements since the Rio Paralympics in 2016.

He says the events surrounding those games brought these issues into focus.

More recently, he says the British Paralympic Association has thought about improving their classification process.