House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Labour spokesman Lord Kennedy of Southwark condemns the new planning framework as "timid and with the wrong focus" and "too little, too slow".

He's particularly concerned that "council housing is not mentioned at all" and the government is relying too much on developers to provide affordable homes.

Lib Dem Baroness Pinnock accuses the government of playing "a blame game in which the blame is on local planning authorities, blame is on developers" and "nothing will change" without action from ministers.

Housing Minister Lord Bourne defends the statement, noting: "We're all committed to a neighbourhood approach but that doesn't mean the government doesn't have a policy."

He says in response to Baroness Pinnock, "it's about everyone playing a part," and suggests she was herself playing a blame game directed at the government.

House of Commons
Parliament

Rebecca Long-Bailey says it is also "ambiguous" as to whether the proposed cap in the legislation would stay in place after 2020.

The draft at the moment only says Ofgem must review whether "effective competition" has been established by then, she says.

Tory MP Mark Pawsey intervenes to ask whether she supports the time-limited cap included in the bill, or whether she wants to see a "permanent price cap for ever".

Ms Long-Bailey replies that she considers the bill a "sticking plaster" rather than "an answer" to high prices in the energy sector.

Labour wouldn't be "openly against" including a so-called sunset provision in this bill, she says, but they might dispute how it is drafted at committee stage.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow energy secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey says she welcomes the bill but is exasperated that it has "taken so long to get to this point".

A price cap "should have been in place this winter", she adds, criticising the government for "dithering and delay".

She also says she is pleased to see the Conservatives embrace a policy they "previously denounced as Marxist".

However, she says the bill in its current form "doesn't go far enough", adding that the procedures that Ofgem must follow are currently "ambiguous".

Theresa May previously promised to knock £100 off bills for 17m households, she says, but there is "nothing at all" in the bill to ensure that actually happens.

House of Lords
Parliament

Housing Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth is repeating a statement made yesterday in the Commons by Sajid Javid on the launch of the draft National Planning Policy Framework.

The new framework will contain new rules to determine how many homes councils must build - taking into account local house prices, wages and key worker numbers.

Higher targets will be set for areas where house prices outstrip annual earnings.

BBC Parliament

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The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has called on the British government to respond to escalating violence and the suppression of peaceful protests across the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The leader of the Anglican community talked of "prevailing anarchy" and "immeasurable suffering" in the country, and urged the government to help strengthen the United Nations Mission for the Stabilisation of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco) in order to "find ways of serving the poorest and most desperate".

Religious authorities in DR Congo have been a voice of opposition to President Kabila.

The country's powerful Catholic Church has organised a number of protests in recent months, the latest of which saw security forces use tear gas and live bullets against demonstrators, killing at least two people.

Speaking to the UK's House of Lords, Archbishop Welby asked what would be done to ensure the commitment to ensuring elections is honoured.

President Joseph Kabila remains in power despite the fact his second mandate ran out more than a year ago, and plans for elections have repeatedly been delayed prompting widespread anger and protests.

Government spokesman, the Earl of Courtown, told Archbishop Welby that the UK is working with the UN to "ensure protection of civilians is a priority and to make Monusco a more effective force".

The UK will "support its work in restoring stability", he added.

Read more: DR Congo country profile

House of Lords
Parliament

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At question time in the Lords, Lib Dem Baroness Randerson predicts "additional breaucratic hurdles for pilots and planes" making journeys in Europe after Brexit.

She asks if it's true, as reported in the FT, that the US will offer only a standard bilateral agreement for aviation after Brexit, which she says would be "a problem to our major airlines".

Transport Minister Baroness Sugg points out that Theresa May said this week it's her intention to seek continued membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency.

She tells peers they have yet to start detailed negotiations in this area and she "doesn't recognise" the FT's report.

"They've actually been very positive," she adds.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative Sir Bill Cash asks David Davis to "get it across to Mr Barnier" that Article 50 changed the EU.

"Article 50 gives us a right to leave and that is a fact," declares Sir Bill Cash.

"I know that wasn't a question chairman," jokes David Davis, adding: "I take the view that public aggression in negotiation doesn't work well."

That's where the evidence session ends. Mr Davis is off to catch a flight to Malta.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Business Secretary Greg Clark says the bill is "focused narrowly on a significant problem" - that for the poorest households 10 per cent of their annual expenditure is on energy.

He says the cap on prices will be in place until the end of 2020 when the energy regulator, Ofgem, will conduct a review.

He adds that the government has "no wish for the cap to be a permanent feature of the landscape".

Select Committee
Parliament

How do we give EU nationals the surety that whatever is decided now can't be repealed, asks SNP MP Philippa Whitford.

"Firstly it will be part of a treaty," replies the Brexit Secretary David Davis.

"Historically British governments have not repudiated treaties in a cavalier manner," he adds.

He says that it will not be possible for the treaty to be "accidentally" repealed.

Image source, PA

MPs now move to a second reading debate on the government's new Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill.

MPs will be able to debate the general principles of the bill as a whole - possible amendments are considered at a later stage.

The legislation will allow energy regulator Ofgem to limit how much companies can charge customers for their standard variable tariffs.

Around 11 million households are on this kind of tariff - typically, it is the rate customers are moved on to automatically when their fixed-term deal ends.

The move is an admission that encouraging consumers to regularly switch providers to pay less has not been as successful as hoped.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Kate Hoey asks for "absolute clarity" on fishing.

"During the implementation period, there's nothing to implement in terms of fishing", she says.

"It's an implementation period on which we're still negotiating", explains David Davis.

"We haven't engaged on fishing yet."

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Stephen Kinnock says he wants to talk about EU agencies.

Theresa May has said she envisaged continued close co-operation in many areas after the UK leaves on 29 March 2019 - including remaining a member of medicines, aviation and chemicals agencies.

Mr Kinnock says that the "founding statutes" of the European Medicines Agency will need to be rewritten, because they do not take into account so-called third countries.

"We may or may not be able to do it. That's why we're exploring it", says David Davis.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Toby Perkins seeks clarification of Boris Johnson's remarks - in his statement on Russia - appearing to call into question England's involvement in the World Cup 2018.

He asks for the foreign secretary to come back to the Commons and explain.

The Speaker John Bercow says that Boris Johnson "ruminated on the possibilities in the event of no improvement in the (Russia) situation".

Mr Bercow continued: "It wouldn't be right to say that he made a statement of policy."

House of Commons
Parliament

Another Labour MP Andy Slaughter says the water leaks are "not just the result of the recent snow and ice".

The problem is, he says, that "private monopoly utilities" like Thames Water have "neither carrot nor stick to undertake necessary repair work".

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour Angela Smith calls for "urgent action", saying that problems with the water industry will not be addressed by nationalisation.

it would be better, she says, to see whether Ofwat has the necessary powers to regulate the water industry.

The Environment Minister Theresa Coffey replies that "by and large, Ofwat is doing a good job".

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Geraint Davies asks what would happen if - in the meaningful vote - Parliament votes down the negotiated Brexit deal.

"That's been dealt with at length at the dispatch box," David Davis tells him.

"I recommend you go back to my comments - they're all in Hansard."

Select Committee
Parliament

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Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee Sir Bill Cash kicks things off by saying there is "limited time" to question the Brexit Secretary David Davis.

He asks him what the main points of contention are with the legal text, other than the Northern Ireland border issue.

David Davis replies that Ireland is, obviously, the biggest issue.

Issues that will still be in play in the implementation period will be the arbitration mechanism and citizens' rights, he explains.

House of Commons
Parliament

Environment Minister Therese Coffey points to £140bn of investment in infrastructure but acknowledges "more needs to be done".

"It is important we have a regulated water industry," she observes, and defends the work of Ofwat in this respect.

She says the government will continue to apply pressure particularly in the case of Thames Water.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, JAMES CROCKFORD/SEVERN TRENT

Shadow environment minister Holly Lynch says efforts to restore water supplies have "now descended into chaos".

She accepts that weather conditions have been "challenging" but asks: "Where is the resilience in the system?"

Leakages continue and water bills "have risen 40% since privatisation", she adds.

Meanwhile, the boss of Severn Trent Water, which asked Jaguar Land Rover to close temporarily to prioritise water supplies elsewhere "took home a total of £2.45m last year".

House of Commons
Parliament

Environment Minister Theresa Coffey now updates the house on loss of water supplies following the recent cold weather.

She tells MPs she has held meetings with water companies and the regulator and they are "working to restore supplies as quickly as possible".

she encourages residents and business owners to report burst pipes on private property, as well as on "public highways".