Summary

  • Commons day starts with environment questions

  • Urgent question on review of children's mental health services

  • Home secretary makes statement on attempted murder of ex-Russian spy

  • MPs celebrate International Women's Day

  1. Cooper calls for review of other 'suspicious deaths'published at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs Committee, says there are another "14 cases" of "suspicious deaths".

    "There are serious questions about whether the police investigations were thorough enough," she says, calling for further investigation and review.

    Boris Johnson says he will discuss the matter with the Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

  2. Are steps to tackle Russia working?published at 13:08 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Conservative Keith Simpson, who chairs Parliament's intelligence and Security Committee, asks about Russia's "direction of travel" and refers to their "ability to murder people they regard as traitors".

    He asks Mr Johnson whether any measures the government is taking is "having any effect whatsoever on Putin".

  3. How do we protect people? - SNP MPpublished at 13:02 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    SNP defence spokesperson Stewart McDonald ask Boris Johnson if the incident in Salisbury will lead to a review of how we protect people in similar circumstances.

    Mr Johnson says it is not something he can comment on in the House of Commons, but the government does its best to give individuals protection.

  4. Thornberry: Time to back asset-freezing for rights abuserspublished at 13:01 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Emily ThornberryImage source, HoC

    Emily Thornberry says "we all hope for the recovery of Mr Skripal and his daughter" and agrees the case has "disturbing echoes" of the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko.

    However, she adds that it is too early to speculate whether the Salisbury incident really is a similar case.

    She says the government should support the "Magnitsky amendment" to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, named after Sergei Magnitsky, an auditor at a Moscow law firm, who died in custody in November 2009.

    Boris Johnson says the bill as it stands would tackle human rights abuses but adds that the government is happy to consider calls from the House to "go further".

    The cross-party amendment would enable the freezing of UK assets of those suspected of abusing human rights.

  5. Boris repeats the line 'too early to say'published at 12:53 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

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  6. Committee chairman says Russia is waging 'soft war'published at 12:51 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tom TugendhatImage source, HoC

    Tom Tugendhat says the foreign secretary has provided a "tour of the world and the various abuses" which are linked to Russia.

    "We are seeing a pattern here," the chairman of the foreign affairs committee tells the House.

    Russia is conducting "a form of soft war", he argues.

    Boris Johnson describes Russia as "in many respects, a malign and disruptive force" in his reply.

  7. 'No attempt to take innocent life will go unpunished'published at 12:49 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris Johnson says the UK will continue to press for the extension of sanctions against Russia, which have "inflicted considerable damage" on the Russian economy.

    It is "too early to speculate" about the Salisbury incident but "members will have their suspicions", the foreign secretary adds.

    "No attempt to take innocent life on UK soil will go unsanctioned or unpunished," he insists.

  8. Johnson says UK will respond 'robustly' if evidence of Russian involvementpublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question on policy towards Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Boris Johnson rises to reply to the urgent question, saying there is "much speculation about the disturbing incident in Salisbury".

    Police and other agencies are investigating, Mr Johnson says, and "should evidence emerge" linking the Russian state to incident, the UK government will "respond appropriately and robustly".

  9. Background: Sergei Skripalpublished at 12:43 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Russian spy Sergei SkripalImage source, Associated Press

    Sergie Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, in her 30s, are critically ill in hospital after being found unconscious in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on Sunday.

    Russia insisted it had "no information" on what could have led to the incident, but said it was open to co-operating with the police investigation if requested.

    Former agent Mr Skripal, whose wife, son and older brother have all died in the past two years, was granted refuge in the UK following a "spy swap" in 2010.

    Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, told journalists that Moscow was prepared to help with the investigation.

    "We see this tragic situation but we don't have information on what could have led to this, what he was engaged in," he said.

  10. Russia has 'no information' on former agentpublished at 12:41 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Urgent question: Russia

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Conservative chair of the foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat is asking an urgent question in the Commons with the careful title: "government policy on Russia".

    It comes after a former Russian agent, convicted of spying for Britain - Sergei Skripal - was found slumped on a bench alongside his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

    Mr Skripal and his daughter are both critically ill in hospital.

    The UK police are trying to find out what "unknown substance" harmed the pair.

    Russia insisted it had "no information" on what could have led to the incident, but said it was willing to co-operate in the police investigation.

  11. Speaker sure Boris Johnson 'not stuck between Islington and Camden'published at 12:37 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Justice questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris Johnson arrivesImage source, HoC

    Justice questions are nearly at an end but Speaker John Bercow says that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has not yet arrived to take an urgent question on Russia.

    Opposition MPs protest but Mr Bercow jokes that he is sure Mr Johnson isn't currently "between Islington and Camden" - a reference to recent comments by the foreign secretary likening the Irish border to the borders of London boroughs.

    There are cheers when Mr Johnson arrives in the chamber.

  12. Information chief in pledge to 'pull back curtain' on data usepublished at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Fake news inquiry

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Elizabeth DenhamImage source, HoC

    Up next to give evidence to the committee is UK information commissioner Elizabeth Denham.

    She says her office's ongoing probe into the use of private data in political campaigning will try to "pull back the curtain" on what happens to personal information in political advertising.

    She says they will also take "enforcement action" against companies who break data protection rules.

    Committee chair Damian Collins asks whether social media companies are co-operating with her investigation.

    Ms Denham replies that she "expects" to get the information she needs.

  13. Expert in warning over 'deep fakes' in politicspublished at 12:12 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Fake news inquiry

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Edward LucasImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Brendan O'Hara asks for a prediction of what is "coming down the road" from Russia.

    "It's going to be a lot worse", says Edward Lucas in reply.

    He says so-called 'deep fake' technology - which allows people to manipulate video and audio - could allow adversaries to "create our public figures saying or doing things that are disgraceful".

    "We're not remotely ready for this", he tells the committee.

  14. Labour says 50% of judges should be womenpublished at 12:02 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Justice questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Gloria de PieroImage source, HoC

    Shadow justice minister Gloria de Piero says an appearance in court can be "bewildering" and "can often feel like a different planet".

    For women appearing in court, the experience is "not helped" by the fact that 72% of judges are men, she adds.

    Ahead of International Women's Day, which falls on Thursday, the Labour MP calls on ministers to "commit to a timetable" to ensure that 50% of judges are women.

    Justice Minister Phillip Lee says he agrees with Ms de Piero's aim but "cannot commit to a timetable".

  15. Foreign secretary to answer urgent questionpublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

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  16. Are court closures harming 'access to justice'?published at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Justice questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David GaukeImage source, HoC

    Kicking off justice questions, two Labour MPs - Ruth George and Helen Hayes - both ask about "the effect of court closures on access to justice".

    Justice Secretary David Gauke says decisions to close courts are "not taken lightly" and adds that "online solutions and video hearings will make access to justice easier".

    Ms George says the closure of Buxton court in Derbyshire means a journey of up to 40 miles for her constituents to reach Chesterfield court.

    But Mr Gauke replies that 41% of courts and tribunals were less than half capacity in 2016 and 2017.

  17. Should social media sites carry 'health warnings'?published at 11:46 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Fake news inquiry

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Giles WatlingImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Giles Watling says that in a previous evidence session, Twitter had "denied responsibility" for what people said on the website.

    He asks whether the panel thinks social media sites should contain a "health warning" reminding readers that what they see "might not necessarily be true".

    "Absolutely," replies security expert Edward Lucas.

    "I think we have the right to ask them to be more transparent," he says - adding that platforms should "open themselves up" to greater scrutiny from academic and third parties.

    Social media companies should be told to "stop being so arrogant", he continues, and to look for ways to match their commercial obligations with their "public hygiene ones".

  18. 'Why are you still here?'published at 11:35 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Fake news committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Conservative Giles Watling asks Bill Browder, who has claimed the Russian government wants him dead why he thinks he is "still here".

    "That's a good question," replies Mr Browder.

    "I believe that they want to kill me. But they want to kill me and get away with it."

    "If they kill me in a very brazen way and don't get away with it, there will be big repercussions", he explains.

  19. Commons gets under waypublished at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Commons chamber is under way with questions to the Justice Secretary David Gauke.

    That's followed by an urgent question from the Conservative chair of the foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat on government policy towards Russia.

    Then, there's an urgent question from Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott about Yarls Wood immigration removal centre.

    Next, there's a statement on the disruption of the water supply by the Environment Minister, Therese Coffey.

    After that MPs hold their first full debate on the Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill. The bill will set a limit on how much energy suppliers can charge.

  20. Witness calls for voluntary authentication scheme onlinepublished at 11:28 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2018

    Fake news committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Edward LucasImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Ian Lucas asks how the committee can actually assess the influence of fake social media accounts - 'bots' - and individuals paid to spread propaganda.

    Security specialist Edward Lucas says he will reply in detail in writing.

    However on the general issue, he calls for a system that would allow individuals and organisations to voluntarily authenticate themselves online.

    The idea could "build on" schemes like Twitter's blue-tick system, he adds. People are "quite used to" the need for authentication in other areas of life, he says.

    He stresses that he would not want this to be an obligatory system, but just that anonymity online need not be a "default" setting.