House of Commons
Parliament

SNP devolved government spokeswoman Deidre Brock gives her party's backing for the bill but says the budget "should be decided at Stormont, not here".

She says: "Northern Ireland has been without an administration for far too long."

Ms Brock says that if the late former DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness "can find a way to work together...then I am certain that two intelligent women can find agreement and a future direction, without blame or rancour".

She adds: "The focus of the Stormont parties should be and must be on getting it back up and running."

House of Commons
Parliament

Nigel Dodds says the DUP doesn't want fresh elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly or, indeed, a general election for the UK Parliament.

But, he jokes, if such a thing were to happen the DUP would be “the only party in this House that can confidently say" that they would not be worried by the outcome for themselves.

“It would be good for the money as well!” another voice is heard to say.

House of Commons
Parliament

The DUP's Westminster leader, Nigel Dodds, expresses "outrage and condemnation" over the incident in Omagh over the weekend.

"The DUP is a devolutionist party," he says, claiming his party supported devolution to Northern Ireland before some other parties did.

Mr Dodds says that the DUP are willing to resume talks and power-sharing, but Sinn Féin are blocking progress.

"In our view, they do not want a way forward, except on the hardest republican lines," he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

The chairman of the Commons Northern Ireland Committee, Andrew Murrison, says direct rule by the UK government would be "fairly easy to enter into but it would be murderously difficult to unpick".

Turning to Brexit, the Conservative MP says the border between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland is "beautiful but invisible and we must make sure that continues to be the case".

Mr Murrison says that Northern Ireland should have "its voice heard loud and clear" as the UK leaves the EU.

He thinks it is "a dereliction of duty by the institutions and the political parties... that that is not happening".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Smith calls today's bill a "testament to political failure".

He says Westminster is now setting the Northern Ireland budget because of the failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to agree a new power-sharing deal, and a failure of the UK government to facilitate an agreement.

He adds that while the UK government is "at pains to emphasise that it isn't direct rule" he says that it "isn't how [nationalists] would characterise it".

He says it's important for him to raise that view because the Commons currently lacks any sitting nationalist MPs. The SDLP lost all three of their seats in the election, while Sinn Fein do not take up their seats at Westminster.

He goes on to criticise the "unclear" lines of accountability about who is making spending decisions in Northern Ireland while the assembly and government remain suspended.

House of Commons
Parliament

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire says that, separate from today's budget bill, the government will authorise and the Commons will vote on the payment of £50m to the Northern Ireland government for "immediate health and education pressures".

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds intervenes to thank the minister for the first part of the £1bn extra funding agreed for Northern Ireland.

In June the party negotiated a deal to support the Conservative Party, who had lost their majority, in return for the additional cash.

Mr Dodds says that "everyone in Northern Ireland, unionists and nationalists" will welcome the money as a result of "the deal the Democratic Unionist Party did with the government".

He calls it a "a very significant moment".

There have been months of headlines about deadlines to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

It has been without an executive since January, when the governing parties - the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin - split in a bitter row.

Northern Ireland's biggest political crisis for more than a decade has left Stormont in limbo.

Now the UK government is set to take at least one big decision out of the hands of MLAs.

Read more.

House of Commons
Parliament

James Brokenshire insists that the Budget Bill "does not amount to direct rule" from Westminster.

The bill is "necessary to keep public services running in Northern Ireland", he tells MPs.

House of Commons
Parliament

James Brokenshire says he would prefer the Northern Ireland executive to be re-established after nine months of deadlock.

He says that he is introducing a Budget Bill at Westminster "with the utmost reluctance and only because there is no other choice available".

It should not be seen as a barrier to negotiations continuing, he adds.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin have failed to reach agreement in their talks to restore power-sharing at Stormont.

Sinn Féin said the latest talks had "ended in failure" but added that it was prepared to resume negotiations.

But progress towards a deal has been held up by Sinn Féin's "narrow political agenda", claimed the DUP.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, PRESS EYE

The Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire opens the second reading debate on the Northern Ireland Budget Bill.

The bill has been introduced to facilitate a budget for Northern Ireland following the collapse of its power-sharing executive.

The Northern Ireland secretary opens by commenting on the discovery of what police described as a viable pipe bomb type device ahead of a wreath-laying ceremony in Omagh, which caused a security alert at the weekend.

"People who are intent on killing and harming others left a small but lethal bomb in Omagh prior to Remembrance Sunday commemorations," Mr Brokenshire says.

"Their actions stand in stark contrast to those brave men and women that the community was gathering to honour."

He calls the act "appalling" and "repugnant" and urges anyone with information to inform the police.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge proposes an urgent debate on the Paradise Papers.

She calls revelations of tax avoidance "not a minor, but a mega-issue of public concern".

Under the rules of Standing Order No. 24, an MP can apply to the Speaker for permission to hold a debate on the following sitting day.

Her Labour colleagues stand in support and the Speaker says the debate will take place tomorrow before MPs debate the EU Withdrawal Bill. It will last for up to two hours.

House of Lords
Parliament

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan says the government's amendment on Brexit timing was tabled in response to those seeking more detail.

He reiterates: "We are leaving on 29 March 2019."

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

Image source, PA

I know this doesn't sound that exciting unless you are as much of a nerd as I am. However, the Brexit secretary's announcement in the House of Commons in the last few minutes really matters.

It matters because the Brexit deal that shapes the future of the country will now be the subject of a specific new Act of Parliament that MPs and Lords will have to approve in early 2019, before we leave the EU.

It matters because Parliament will now be given specific votes, therefore, on the deal itself once the broad outlines have been agreed (Remember, the thrust of it is expected in about a year's time, although that feels hard to believe sometimes.)

It matters because the decision is a big concession to the Tory rebels and Labour MPs who were threatening to vote against the government, in part, because of ministers' refusal to promise a new set of laws.

And it matters because it demonstrates that the government was unlikely to be able to persuade enough of their own side to vote with them to keep the show on the road this week.

Read more from Laura.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Clive Efford, called late in the question session following David Davis's statement, thanks the Speaker for "your contribution to my fitness regime".

This is likely to be a reference to the fact that MPs stand up, sit down and stand up again in the hope of "catching the Speaker's eye" and being called to speak.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Shadow Brexit spokesperson Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town welcomes the news that the withdrawal agreement will be introduced through primary legislation.

But she asks about the meaning of the government's "gimmick" amendment, timing the moment of the UK's departure from the EU down to the minute.

She warns it doesn't allow for contingencies and "cuts across the prime minister's Florence speech".

House of Lords
Parliament

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan is updating peers on the latest round of talks on leaving the EU.

David Davis told the Commons that the government will introduce separate legislation to enact the eventual withdrawal agreement with the EU.

He also specified the government is "seeking further movement" from the EU on voting rights for citizens and will "pursue this issue bilaterally with member states".

Westminster Hall

Conservative MP for Moray, Douglas Ross says the SNP government at Holyrood is "so obsessed with independence and separation that it takes its eye off the ball" on the day to day business of governing the country. He says the party should take heed of their recent problems and "listen instead of lecturing".

Labour MP for East Lothian Martin Whitfield says 70% of voters in his constituency voted for parties who are opposed to a second independence referendum, partly because the SNP government has not been able to move on from the referendum in an inclusive way.

House of Commons
Parliament

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards warns of "disastrous consequences" for Welsh ports if there is "a hard border" with the Republic of Ireland.

David Davis says he wants "frictionless" trade with the rest of the EU.

House of Commons
Parliament

Jim Shannon of the DUP, a Northern Ireland party which backs Brexit, says the Republic of Ireland's government should not allow its future relations with the UK "to be dictated by EU negotiators".