House of Lords
Parliament

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Today's short debate has been tabled by Labour's Lord Cashman. He wants to ask the government what "their human rights priorities are in the light of Brexit".

Lord Cashman says that the history of human rights in the UK is one of steady progress.

He says that the global standing of the UK means that "we are held to a high standard".

"The process of Brexit has left division and doubt," Lord Cashman says, "Brexit must not reduce our rights, but must be an opportunity to enhance them."

He asks the government to confirm if the UK will remain in the European Convention on Human Rights, warning that Clause 6 of the EU Withdrawal Bill has the potential to "politicise the juidicary".

House of Commons
Parliament

Steve Baker tells the Commons that the government are "committed to transparency" during the process of the UK leaving the EU.

He adds that the government is working to the timetable of the Article 50 process and therefore will require a large number of statutory instruments, external if there is to be certainty and stability.

He says that the UK currently has a wide variety of laws which are handled by EU parliamentarians which means that the government has a lot to process before March 2019.

Mr Baker says that the UK has always had a strong record on environmental protections, and the government intends to set up a new statutory body in order to advise on environmental matters after Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Brexit Minister Steve Baker tells the House that the government will be supporting Conservative Charles Walker's amendments to provide a 'sifting committee' to decide which legislation is most important to be scrutinised.

Mr Baker says that the relationship between the committee and the government would mean that any issues flagged up by the committee would be transparent for the House to see.

He says he believes that this will give adequate scrutiny for Parliament.

He says that Statutory Instruments, which are expected to be used by ministers after exiting, would now require explanatory memoranda as to why they are being used, due to a new amendment tabled by the government. He says this will act for transparency and help scrutiny for the House of Commons.

Westminster Hall

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Earlier today, MPs took part in a debate on refuges for victims of domestic abuse, tabled by Jess Phillips.

Ms Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, previously ran a women's refuge herself, and she told the debating chamber that cuts to funding for local councils risks closure of extra beds and whole refuges if the funding was not ring-fenced.

Ms Phillips told Westminster Hall that currently funding is provided through a mixture of local council ('Supporting People') funding and housing benefit.

She told MPs how refuge funding will be based on current projections of future need using a fixed pot of money, but "there is no clear model for predicting future need," Ms Phillips said.

Conservative MPs joined in to support Ms Phillips' debate. Paul Scully, Chris Green and Luke Graham all expressed concern at the funding changes. Mr Scully and Mr Graham both spoke of their own familial experiences of domestic abuse.

The Communities and Local Government Minister, Marcus Jones, said that the government continues to consult with organisations such as Women's Aid on the changes put forward. A consultation on the matter will close on 23 January.

The proposed changes will not kick in until April 2020, Mr Jones added.

The Spectator's Isabel Hardman has more:

House of Commons
Parliament

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Steven Baker, the Exiting the EU Minister, says the government "does not propose delegated powers lightly".

He says that the delegated powers proposed will not be used by ministers "to change the law simply because they do not like it".

Mr Baker tells the House that delegated powers are subject to a sunset clause two years after exit day, meaning they will no longer apply, and will not allow changes to areas such as human rights.

Mr Baker tells the House that many reports have already been published in relation to the powers extended by the EU Withdrawal Bill, he says that requiring a further report after Royal Assent would be unnecessary.

Mr Baker says that the amendment tabled by Dominic Grieve, limiting the powers of ministers to make changes to EU laws, is heard sympathetically by both him and the secretary of state, David Davis.

However, Mr Baker says that it is impossible now to list all the legislative deficiencies which may occur after the UK leaves the EU, he adds that "we cannot risk undermining the laws which businesses and individuals rely on every day".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour's Jess Phillips says that UK organisations which help protect women will lose EU funding after the UK leaves the European Union.

She says that in the white paper earlier this year, the government said they would continue to work with the EU on security matters.

Ms Phillips called the lack of protections for women fleeing conflict is a "stunning omission," she says that an estimated 1.3m women in the UK experienced domestic abuse last year and that 4.3m women will have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16.

She says despite these figures, the government has not provided assurances of current legal protections for women after Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Lib Dem Tom Brake introduces an amendment which would prevent ministers using regulations to put in place new barriers to continued membership of the single market.

Labour's Ben Bradshaw and Conservative Anna Soubry both express support for the amendment, and Mr Brake confirms he will force a vote on it later.

The Royal Mail is not producing a stamp to mark Brexit, despite issuing one for the UK joining the EEC in 1973.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour spokesman Lord Collins of Highbury rises to speak to the next grouping of amendments, which would require the secretary of state to consult and report in the event of terrorist financing in British overseas territories.

He says the UK rarely imposes rules on overseas territories other than in exceptional circumstances, but he makes a distinction by saying that this is not imposing rules on these territories.

Lord Collins says that the UK's reputation as an international finance centre could be under threat if the UK does not tackle money-laundering and other financial malpractice.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative chair of the Procedure Committee Charles Walker speaks to a set of amendments in his name which would set up a "sifting committee" to sort through the delegated powers in the bill and decide which need extra scrutiny.

He describes it as "a sensible compromise" which commands "broad acceptance".

"With a good and strong chairman, it will do right by this House," he predicts.

Labour's Chris Bryant objects that too often the government does not act on committees' recommendations, and Mr Walker responds that there would be a "significant political cost" of ignoring it.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Mary Creagh introduces a set of amendments designed to maintain current environmental protections after Brexit.

She says the UK is at present a "world leader" on environmental standards, but after it leaves the EU, "we will lose those governance and enforcement mechanisms".

She proposes to preserve retained EU environmental law, arguing the alternative is "unacceptable".

She warns ministers' powers to make regulations under the bill could lead to the "watering down" of rules governing areas such as air pollution.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Dominic Grieve says MPs should be "cautious" when being asked to "change the rule book for what are undoubtedly legislative changes", as is happening in this bill.

He acknowledges that there are mechanisms by which statutory instruments can be debated, but the "process of debate is likely to be incomplete".

He has found Clause 7 "particularly difficult when it comes to supporting the government", he says, but the amendment to set up a sifting committee "will enable this House to do its job properly".

House of Lords
Parliament

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After assurances from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, including explanations on how EU and UN sanctions could be complicated without delegated powers for ministers, Lord Collins of Highbury withdraws the amendments.

He says the issue of delegated powers will be revisited later in the debate, namely after report stage.

House of Lords
Parliament

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The main business is under way in the House of Lords, with the fourth day of committee stage on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill now taking place.

Shadow Foreign Office spokesman Lord Collins of Highbury opens the debate, discussing Amendment 73.

He wants to know why there "needs to be a speeded-up process" for ministers, referencing the delegated powers the bill currently uses without amendments.

Labour's Lord Hain also contributes, saying that there is a record of money-laundering in the City of London and that's why there needs to be extra parliamentary scrutiny.

And a UK minister says decisions on EU nationals' applications shouldn't take more than two weeks.

House of Lords
Parliament

Today's final question comes from Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Baroness Randerson. She wants to know what assessment the government have made of planned increases in rail fares in January 2018.

Transport Minister Baroness Sugg says that the government understands the concern of the cost of train fares.

She says the UK's railways need investment to "make sure they are fit for the 21st century".

Baroness Randerson says the government has frozen fuel duty to help drivers, and asks if the government should freeze rail fares to help passengers.

Baroness Sugg says that freezing rail fares would stop investment "which is sorely needed".

House of Lords
Parliament

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The third question is from Liberal Democrat communities and local government spokesperson Baroness Pinnock.

She wants to know what plans there are to ensure that £8.4bn of European Structural Investment Funds for local government between 2014-20 is made available for the support of businesses. She's also asking for an equivalent funding value after 2020.

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Minister Lord Henley replies to say that under the proposed EU agreement, the UK will continue to benefit from EU funds until 2020.

Lord Henley says in the longer term, the UK government will introduce a United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund to reduce inequalities in line with the Industrial Strategy.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Tommy Sheppard says the bill bestows on ministers "sweeping and general powers", which he finds "alarming".

"The government says 'trust us' - we'd be better able to trust you if we could get a reassurance," he continues.

He's speaking to a number of SNP amendments, including one which would require the secretary of state to define the criteria for the use of Clause 7 powers to deal with deficiencies arising from withdrawal from the EU.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Today's second question comes from Baroness Walmsley, Liberal Demoract health spokesperson. She wants to know what assessment the government has made of the number of doctors from European Economic Area states who may be planning to leave the UK.

Lord O'Shaughnessy says the government values all EU NHS staff. There are now more non-UK doctors working in the NHS than ever before, he adds.

Lord O'Shaughnessy says that the agreement reached last Friday shows how much the UK government values EU citizens living in the UK.

There are 417 more EU doctors working in the NHS in June 2017 compared to June 2016, he adds.