House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcomes the movement to phase two of negotiations but says too many details of phase one are "unclear".

He tells MPs the agreement was "cobbled together at eleventh hour after a DUP veto" and she needs to ensure the next phase of talks are not "mishandled".

He asks the PM to welcome Parliament voting to "take back control" in last week's government defeat, and to condemn abuse of backbench MPs who rebelled.

He also highlights reports ministers are seeking to scrap the Working Time Directive and cautions against any "watering down" of workers' rights.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Theresa May is updating MPs on the recent summit of EU leaders.

The EU has agreed that Brexit negotiations can now move on to discussing the UK and the EU's future relationship, having reached an agreement on the financial settlement, EU citizens' rights and the Irish border.

She hails it as "an important step" on the way to achieving "a smooth, orderly Brexit".

She adds: "I will not be derailed from the process of delivering the will of the British people."

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Liberal Democrat Lord Paddick, formerly of the Metropolitan Police, says it is "perfectly obvious that this material should have been looked at".

He says it was either lack of resources in the police and the CPS or a deliberate attempt to pervert the course of justice. He asks for an estimate of how many people are in prison as a result of similar mistakes having happened in the past.

Lord Keen says he suspects that Lord Paddick knows the answer to his own question and that the matter of disclosure not being made at an appropriate time will now be investigated by a high level review.

It was not his place to anticipate the outcome of that review, he adds.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Baroness Chakrabarti, Shadow Attorney General, says that early and fair disclosure is at the heart of the criminal justice system.

She says one of the figures at the centre of the recent story, a senior independent prosecutor at the Bar, a former Conservative MP, described a system "creaking for lack of resources". She asks the Minister if he will come back to the House after more and full consideration can be given to the recent case.

Lord Keen says there will be a joint review in relation to the recent case, which has been proposed by the police and the CPS.

He says the CPS has acknowledged the case fell below the standards expected, and has apologised to all parties involved.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The SNP's Neil Gray asks if it's true that Michael Gove is starting "a campaign to scrap the Working Time Directive", warning that it would amount to "ripping up workers' rights".

David Gauke tells him "don't believe everything you read in the newspapers" and says ministers are "committed to protecting workers' rights".

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Labour's Lord Morris of Aberavon has tabled a Private Notice Question on whether the government is satisfied that the Crown Prosecution Service has adequate resources to fully disclose all relevant evidence that might support a defendant's case or undermine the prosection's.

Lord Keen of Elie, of the Attorney General's Office, says that prosecutors are obliged to provide evidence which can help the defence. It is not down to cost, he adds.

The CPS is considering, with the police, a recent independent review by Her Majesty's Inspector of the CPS, of disclosure policies and practice.

Select Committee
Parliament

Judith Hackitt says there needs to be "shift in responsibility" from government to those constructing the building who "ought to be the experts".

She wants governments to set the standards and outcomes and says it should be up to the industry to specify which materials would meet those standards.

Conservative Kevin Hollinrake suggests that leaving the industry to interpret government rules is "where we have gone wrong".

"The complexity of the current guidance is not helpful in terms of people getting to the right answer," replies Dame Judith.

House of Lords
Parliament

Liberal Democrat Lord Wallace of Saltaire gets the final question today, asking what the government is doing to improve surveillance at the UK's borders, particularly at smaller ports and harbours, coastal waters and private airstrips.

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford says the Border Force works closely with other enforcement agencies on safety and security at the UK border.

Lord Wallace says the UK is going to double the number of Cutters for patrolling - bringing the total number to four. He estimates that there will be one for every 3,000 miles of coastline.

Baroness Williams says it is not purely about the number of Cutters. It is multi-agency, intelligence-led assessments which are the most effective, she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's Helen Hayes says universal credit is affecting "families trying to provide a happy Christmas without the means to buy the basics".

Shadow work and pensions minister Margaret Greenwood echoes her concerns, focusing on the fact that 18- to 21-year-olds are not eligible for housing benefits under the scheme.

The Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke replies that there is a range of exemptions and Labour is "causing unnecessary anxiety".

To jeers from the opposition benches, he says universal credit is a system which "encourages them to work".

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, Science Photo Library

Liberal Democrat Baroness Taylor of Enfield is asking what progress the government has made with testing new approaches to mental health assessments for looked-after children. They were due to start in April or May of this year.

Education Minister Lord Agnew of Oulton says the government is trying to identify a suitable organisation to implement the recommendations. He says the planned pilots were delayed by the general election but will start next year.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Where do the principle problems lie, asks a Conservative committee member Mark Prisk.

Dame Judith says the regulations need to be "streamlined, risk-based and proportionate".

She also says responsibilities need to be more clearly defined. Currently, she tells the committee, people "point to each other and say: 'I think that is their job not mine.'"

She argues that there are "no real penalties" for organisations taking shortcuts. The system encourages people to "hope they won't get caught," she says.

She also calls for residents to be given a "stronger voice" in the process.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, MoD / Crown Copyright 2017

The second question comes from Liberal Democrat Baroness Sheehan, who wants to know what assessment the government has made of the Disaster and Emergencies Preparedness Programme.

International Development Minister Lord Bates replies that DfID evaluates the programme annually in reports that are publicly available.

Baroness Sheehan asks if he agrees that preparedness is better than acting during or after the event.

Lord Bates agrees, saying that every £1 spent in getting prepared saves £2 during a natural disaster.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Shadow disability minister Marsha de Cordova accuses the government of "scapegoating" disabled people for low productivity following comments made by the Chancellor Philip Hammond at a select committee hearing.

The Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke insists there is "a clear and coherent message" from the government, which has overseen "significant increases" in the number of disabled people in work.

Select Committee
Parliament

Chair of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, Judith Hackitt begins with a statement.

She says that there is currently a "systemic failure" in building regulations. She argues that the system is confusing and that "a change of culture" is needed.

"That's a pretty damning comment" about the current system, says committee chair Labour's Clive Betts.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, Getty Images

The first question today comes from Conservative Lord Holmes of Richmond, who wants to know if the government is considering changing the law to end unpaid internships.

Business Minister, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, says the law already prohibits using unpaid interns as workers - so the government believes further legislation is not necessary.

Lord Holmes says there are low rates of investigation and virtually no prosecutions that could bring the practice to an end "once and for all".

Baroness Vere says the government is recruiting extra staff to deal with "exploitative businesses".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The first question in the Commons is from Conservative James Morris, on implementing the Disability Confident scheme.

He says it's "a very effective way of breaking down barriers" but Labour's Melanie Onn objects that it "simply isn't working".

She raises the case of a blind graduate constituent who has applied for 857 jobs without success.

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke hails the scheme as "engaging employers at a local level" but acknowledges there is more to do.

Select Committee
Parliament

The members of the Communities and Local Government Committee are:

• Mr Clive Betts (Chair), Labour
• Mike Amesbury, Labour
• Bob Blackman, Conservative
• Helen Hayes, Labour
• Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative
• Andrew Lewer, Conservative
• Fiona Onasanya,Labour
• Jo Platt, Labour (Co-op)
• Mr Mark Prisk,Conservative
• Mary Robinson,Conservative
• Liz Twist, Labour

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs get started at 2.30pm with work and pensions questions, before three statements, covering:

• the EU Council
• Grenfell tower and building safety
• harassment in public life.

The main business is committee stage of the Finance Bill, which enacts the measures announced in the Budget.

The adjournment debate today is on the closure of RBS branches in rural areas.

Select Committee
Parliament

At 2:30pm the Communities and Local Government Committee will take evidence from Dame Judith Hackitt on her ongoing review into building regulations and fire safety, with a focus on high-rise tower blocks.

The review was launched in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in which 71 people died and a final report is expected next spring.

In her interim report, external Dame Judith said she was “shocked” by some practices and called for better enforcement to hold to account “those who try to cut corners”.