House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Carol Monaghan says that in Scotland STEM (Science, Technology, English and Maths) teachers need a relevant degree in order to teach their subject.

She asks what representations Justine Greening is making to toy manufacturers to prevent stereotyping of boys' and girls' jobs.

Ms Greening says Ms Monaghan should be focussing on the underlying strategy "we all need to have" to get women into studying STEM subjects.

The number of women accepted onto STEM undergraduate courses has increased 25% since 2010, she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner asks a question on education funding, which she says has been cut, especially in the healthy schools budget area.

She says that the spending review cut education capital by a billion pounds.

Education Minister Nick Gibb says that Ms Rayner has "misunderstood" the budget process. He says that an "element" of the healthy schools budget has been put into revenue spending.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Baroness Lister of Burtersett is asking the second question today on the effectiveness of local welfare schemes in meeting need.

She describes these measures as the "final safety net", which have been undermined by the abolition of the social fund crisis loans.

Work and Pensions Minister Baroness Buscombe says it's right that local authorities have the "flexibility" to determine their own local emergency provision.

Image source, House of Commons

Labour MP Mary Creagh is wearing an eye-catching top, prompting the Speaker John Bercow to remark that she's "so keen to demonstrate her commitment to equality that she's wearing what I'll call a rainbow pullover - the rainbow symbol of equality".

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The first question today comes from Liberal Democrat Lord Teverson, who asks whether UK citizens who wish to retain their EU citizenship after Brexit may do so.

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan replies that they will not unless they have dual nationality with another EU country.

Lord Teverson says this is "disappointing" as many UK nationals feel their EU citizenship is "important".

Lord Callanan tells him the 27 EU countries have shown "no interest whatsoever in doing that" and it's not currently part of negotiations, but he is willing to look at proposals.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Chair of the Education Committee, Robert Halfon, welcomes the news on reading standards in schools.

He asks if Ms Greening will consider providing 30 hours of free childcare for foster children, in line with working parents, by dropping the eligibility criteria.

The Education Secretary says the government is actively looking into the area of foster children for eligibility in free childcare.

House of Commons
Parliament

The first question today comes from a Conservative James Cartlidge.

He says that reading standards in schools are now at their highest level for 15 years.

Education Secretary Justine Greening says she agrees that this is a good sign of social mobility.

Labour's Nic Dakin chips in to say that underfunding of post-16 funding now threatens social mobility.

Ms Greening says that the government is putting more money into post-16 education to make sure it is "consistently gold standard".

Welcome to our live coverage of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The main attraction today is Theresa May's statement to MPs about last week's Brexit negotiations.

We'll be reporting on that and keeping track of other debates in the Commons and the Lords until the end of play.