House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Peers resume committee stage scrutiny of the Data Protection Bill, external, which is intended to repeal and replace the UK’s existing data protection laws in preparation for Brexit.

It sets new standards for protecting personal data, in accordance with recent EU data protection measures, giving people more control over use of their data.

Crossbencher Lord Patel, former chancellor of Dundee University, raises concerns that the bill will "counter universities' ability to use data for productive research".

He introduces an amendment which seeks to establish a legal basis for processing personal data in the public interest, pointing out that gaining consent for such data can be difficult and hampers research.

House of Commons
Parliament

Kent MP Kelly Tolhurst praises the training provided by the Royal School of Military Engineering Group in Chatham.

The kind of "flexible training opportunities" offered can help to attract people, particularly women to the services, the Conservative MP says.

"We need to support our forces men and women to keep them in the job," she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Luke Pollard says that pay is a factor in the retention of personnel, as well as flexible working.

"People do not join the armed forces because of the pay," the Plymouth MP says, but he argues that it is an important factor when it comes to buying a house or starting a family.

Flexible working could encourage people who have left the armed forces to return, he adds, calling on the government to outline measures to help returning personnel.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat declares an interest: he is an Army reservist.

"Hear, hear," say some of his colleagues.

"You never mention it!" jokes fellow Conservative Johnny Mercer.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Mark Francois says the bill is important to aid "recruitment and retention" in the armed forces.

"You can buy all the expensive kit in the world but if you haven't got the people to operate it, you are at a disadvantage," he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

The bill would allow members of the regular armed forces to serve part-time and to request geographically restricted deployment.

At present, all regular serving members of the armed forces are required to be available for duty all day, every day, and can be deployed overseas for extended periods.

The government has said the bill's proposals were drawn up after a consultation in which "personnel said they wanted more choice over the way they serve for when their circumstances change, such as starting a family or undertaking caring commitments".

The bill, which has already been passed by the House of Lords, was included in the Queen's Speech in June.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Ruth Smeeth stresses there are issues related to the bill which need to be explored further.

She says we need to ensure flexible working is "more than just a word, more than just a phrase" and we "need to recruit more people to make it work".

In order to promote recruitment, she adds, the government needs to devote its efforts to delivering the Armed Forces Covenant.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Armed Forces spokesperson Carol Monaghan also welcomes the bill before the House on flexible working for those serving in the Army, Air Force and Navy.

She mentions her husband is a retired Royal Navy officer, and says her family was affected by the issues under discussion.

She tells MPs her husband had only six days' leave in his last year of service and that is "not sustainable".

This is an "opportunity to modernise", she observes.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative chair of the Defence Committee Julian Lewis refers to some concerns raised in the Lords by senior retired officers about the terminology of flexible working somehow undermining the contribution made by certain Armed Forces personnel.

He says their concerns were "presentational - and they are four-square behind the principle of the bill".

He specifies that he hopes ministers will consider changing the wording of the bill to remove references to "part-time" work.

Select Committee
Parliament

Before Ms Greenwood closes the session, she asks Mr Holland-Kaye of Heathrow Airport about the Heathrow Security Breach.

He says that there is now an internal review into the situation, and that they are working with the Metropolitan Police.

Any security procedures will be changed where necessary, he says, but he is quick to add that it doesn't seem that there was anything on the USB stick that causes the airport any security concerns.

He adds that he is happy to give the committee an update when the review is complete, which could take a few months.

After that, the session draws to a close.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith confirms that Labour supports this bill.

She welcomes the government's announcement that delegated legislation arising from the bill will be subject to affirmative procedure - that is, debated and approved on the floor of the House.

She asks if defence ministers "could prevail upon colleagues in the Department for Exiting the EU to provide the same transparency on issues such as workers' rights and environmental protection in the EU Withdrawal Bill.

On the substance of the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill, she warns it's not a "panacea" for recruitment and retention.

Select Committee
Parliament

Huw Merriman, Conservative, says that current EU legislation prevents airlines from giving automatic compensation to customers.

He asks if this is something that could be instituted in the UK after Brexit.

Mr Walsh of IAG says that this would inevitably mean higher costs for consumers and there is always a percentage of passengers who do not complete application forms for refunds.

He tells the committee that his company is not a charity, and that there are complexities for customers and their data who book through a travel agent, not directly with an airline.

EasyJet's Ms Dekkers says that the UK could end up in a situation where planes based in the UK could have passengers travelling with different rights to passengers flying the same route on a plane, by the same airline, based in Austria.

House of Commons
Parliament

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MPs now begin second reading of the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill, which will allow regular personnel to undertake part-time working or take career breaks.

Second reading is a chance for MPs to debate the general principles of the bill.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon says the bill is part of an effort to ensure "service reflects a modern lifestyle".

He adds that one of the main reasons for people leaving the Army is the "impact of service on their family life" and the bill will "enhance operational capability through improved retention".

Select Committee
Parliament

"We're not asking for anything different to what we have today", says EasyJet's Ms Dekkers.

She's joining in the conversation on the likelihood of an individual member state vetoing any new aviation agreement between the UK and remaining EU27.

Mr Holland-Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow Airport, adds: "I can't think of any EU market that doesn't currently benefit from having the open aviation market that we currently have".

House of Commons
Parliament

Liberal Democrat Layla Moran says she is proud to be the "first British-Palestinian MP".

She tells the House that her family had to leave the region at the time of Israel's establishment and attacks the government's refusal to recognise a Palestinian state at this time.

She argues that recognition "isn't something to bestow, it is something the Palestinians should just have".

Boris Johnson says he is "full of respect for the suffering of her family" and insists that the government's ultimate aim is to give the Palestinians "the rights that they deserve".

House of Commons
Parliament

Boris Johnson says it is "unfortunate" that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will not be attending a dinner with the Israeli Prime Minister in London this week.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to London by Theresa May to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn has confirmed the Labour leader will not attend, but shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will attend the dinner in his place.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Oliver Dowden praises Israel's "liberty and diversity" and says it provides a safe home for Jewish people "at a time of rising anti-Semitism".

Fellow Tory Andrew Percy says that "the rights of non-Jews in Israel are absolutely protected" and argues this is in keeping with the aims of the Balfour Declaration.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Grahame Morris reminds the foreign secretary that MPs voted, by 274 to 12, in favour of recognising a Palestinian state back in 2014.

The Commons backed the non-binding motion, tabled by Mr Morris, to recognise Palestine as a state alongside Israel - but the government abstained.

Boris Johnson says he agrees with the vote "that we must, in time, recognise a Palestinian state" - but not yet.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers resume committee stage scrutiny of the Data Protection Bill, which is intended to repeal and replace the UK’s existing data protection laws in preparation for Brexit.

It sets new standards for protecting personal data, in accordance with recent EU data protection measures, giving people more control over use of their data.

Labour is seeking clarification regarding the types of personal data to which EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies.

Culture Minister Lord Ashton tells peers the bill seeks to apply it to matters outside the scope of EU law which would otherwise be unprotected.

House of Commons
Parliament

Sir Desmond Swayne, a former international development minister, raises the issue of Jewish settlements on land occupied by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.

"Is there anything we can do about illegal settlements, other than saying we are very, very cross?" the Conservative MP asks.

Boris Johnson says the government backed a UN resolution "which explicitly condemned" new settlements and will "continue to insist" to the Israeli government that such settlements are illegal.