House of Commons
Parliament

Following the urgent question, Labour MP Maria Eagle will introduce a bill to introduce limits on the age of tyres on buses and coaches.

The main legislative business of the day is further debate on the government's Finance Bill.

Among the amendments tabled is one from Labour's Stella Creasy, requiring a review of taxation of capital gains on commercial property sold by UK taxpayers with a foreign domicile.

Writing in the Guardian,, external Ms Creasy said: "There is a country that taxes British residents, and British companies, when they make money on selling commercial real estate, but doesn’t tax foreigners."

She described this as "an egregious tax loophole" and claimed it costs the UK £8bn per year.

Later, MPs will consider a motion to appoint members of the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, before Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds leads a short debate on the inherited disorder Pompe disease.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Ronnie Cowan, SNP, has now turned the conversation to athletes cheating the system.

"Probably about 10% of the people who spoke to me raised issues of intentional misrepresentation," Baroness Grey-Thompson says.

"How widespread is it?" asks Mr Cowan.

"I think we need an independent review," replies Baroness Grey-Thompson.

Responding to questions from Rebecca Pow, Conservative, Baroness Grey-Thompson says "It's somebody pretending they can do less than they can."

House of Commons
Parliament

The Commons meets at 11:30am for justice questions.

At around 10:30am, shadow culture secretary Tom Watson will ask an urgent question about a review of gaming machines.

The maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals could drop to as little as £2 under a government review.

Currently, people can bet up to £100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games but ministers are considering a new limit somewhere between £2 and £50.

However, Mr Watson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "disappointed" that the government had launched a review when it should be taking action.

"People who are problem gamblers seem to be drawn to these machines. They're on their doorstep. They're on every estate in Britain. That's why they're so dangerous," he said.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Baroness Grey-Thompson says she felt a "huge pressure" on her from the people coming to speak to her.

She had a part time member of staff from the then Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and she felt that people speaking to her thought she could just "wave a magic wand" and change the whole system.

"It's very sad, in terms of the culture that exists in some sports, but I tried to look at it as a positive, that actually we were able to move forward and do something different."

Select Committee
Parliament

The conversation has turned to whether or not an ombudsman would be appropriate for dealing with cases of problems for athletes.

Baroness Grey-Thompson says that any money from an ombudsman would probably have to come from existing funds.

She says the review was "the hardest piece of work I've ever had to do", adding: "I was listening to just horrific examples of how people were deselected".

Cases of "bullying, intimidation, sexual harassment" were also given in evidence, she says.

But, "sport is amazing, I mean, it's incredible, and we should be hugely proud of what the teams have achieved", she adds, talking about the recent successes of the Paralympic teams.

Select Committee
Parliament

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After a late start, the session is under way. Damian Collins, the committee's chair, explains that Peter Eriksson, external, former head coach of British Athetics, who would have given evidence this morning, will no longer be able to due to technical problems with the video link.

Baroness Grey-Thompson is the first to give evidence this morning.

She's answering questions on the evidence she received from sports people in her review of athletes' welfare.

She says she doesn't think there are appropriate whistle-blowing processes for athletes.

Select Committee
Parliament

• Damian Collins, external (Chair) Conservative
• Julie Elliott, external Labour
• Paul Farrelly, external Labour
• Simon Hart, external Conservative
• Julian Knight, external Conservative
• Ian C. Lucas, external Labour
• Christian Matheson, external Labour
• Brendan O'Hara, external Scottish National Party
• Rebecca Pow, external Conservative
• Jo Stevens, external Labour
• Giles Watling, external Conservative

Select Committee
Parliament

There are three sets of witnesses.

• Baroness Grey-Thompson, external, Paralympian, external, will appear at 10:30am
• Michael Breen, father of Paralympian Olivia Breen, external, at 11:30am

• Tim Hollingsworth OBE, external, Chief Executive, British Paralympic Association, external, at 12:30pm

Select Committee

Image source, Getty Images

This session is part of the ongoing inquiry by the DCMS Committee into sports governance.

You may recall a couple of weeks ago, Eniola Aluko shared evidence to the same committee, however that time it was on allegations of racism in football.

This session does not focus on allegations of racism, but instead looks at the governance of Paralympic sports.

Michael Breen, the father of Paralympian Olivia Breen, has spoken to the BBC this morning and has promised some "explosive" evidence.

Welcome to our coverage of today's events in Westminster.

We'll be covering debates and legislation in the main chambers from the Commons and Lords when they get going.

First of all, today, we'll be covering the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee's inquiry into sports governance at 10.30am.

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords adjourns, and will return at 2.30pm on Tuesday for questions to ministers before debate on the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill.

House of Lords
Parliament

Culture Minister Lord Ashton describes Baroness Howe's amendment to allow the Information Commissioner to set the age of consent for data sharing as "interesting".

But he says he cannot agree to it as it would impose on the Commissioner "an extra demand for which the office is neither designed nor resourced".

It should be a decision for Parliament, he insists, while acknowledging this means it won't be the last he hears of the matter.

Baroness Howe withdraws her amendment.

House of Commons
Parliament

Business in the Commons concludes for the day.

The House sits at 11.30am tomorrow for justice questions, before debating the Finance Bill at report stage.

House of Lords
Parliament

Crossbencher Baroness Howe of Idlicote speaks to her amendment which would mean that the age of consent for data-sharing would be decided by the Information Commissioner "based on relevant evidence and consultation”.

The bill as drafted sets the age of consent at 13, but Baroness Howe is concerned the government has "sleepwalked in to this position without providing evidence" of why it should be the case.

She points to a survey by YouGov which suggested only 2% thought 13 was an appropriate age at which children could consent to sharing their data.

House of Lords
Parliament

Culture Minister Lord Ashton deals with the amendment put forward by Lord Patel on allowing universities to have access to personal data without subjects' explicit consent, in order to carry out research.

He says that the government is satisfied that "such tasks are in the public interest for these purposes", adding: "It is not our intention to impede pioneering medical research."

Of the specific proposals for consent exemption, he says the government will need to consider the question further.

Crossbencher Lord Patel seems concerned the front bench has misconstrued his amendment as saying that no consent at all should be required for the use of personal data, but later withdraws his amendment.

House of Commons
Parliament

Finally in the Commons tonight, Angela Smith, Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, opens the adjournment debate on a constituency matter.

Ms Smith concedes that the threatened closure of the post office in Burncross, Sheffield, is "unlikely to attract a great deal of parliamentary attention" but will cause serious disruption for her constituents.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill is "an important step towards a modern lifestyle for our armed forces", according to Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood.

Concluding the debate for the government, Mr Ellwood says the bill will allow the armed forces to attract "the brightest and the best".

MPs agree to give the bill a second reading without a vote. It will be considered in detail by a committee of MPs at a future date, before returning to the Commons for report stage and third reading.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow defence minister Gerald Jones welcomes the bill's proposals to limit deployment but asks what plans the government has to improve support for spouses when personnel are deployed.

Replying to the debate on behalf of the opposition, Mr Jones calls for a pay rise for the armed forces.

As well as allowing flexible working in the bill, Mr Jones adds, "the government must amend it to allow a fair pay rise" or allow the pay review body to decide.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Kirstene Hair says the bill enables flexibility in the working life of armed forces personnel that is common in other industries.

Also in common with other industries, employees will often find themselves with caring responsibilities at some point in their lives, Ms Hair adds.

"Like other careers, we must adapt to these situations to ensure that a role in the armed forces is as accessible as possible to as large a pool of talent as possible," she says.