House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan argues the EU Protocol on animal sentience "only applies to limited policy areas" and there are exemptions for "religious and cultural traditions, such as bull-fighting and foie gras".

He insists there's "no question that this government regards animals as sentient beings" but he believes "we can do much better" than the EU regime.

Baroness Jones is persuaded to withdraw her amendment without a vote.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

The Labour front bench, represented by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, gives its support to the Green Party amendment on animal sentience.

She calls the government's alternative plan "vague and ambiguous", suggesting "it's a bit of a stretch" to believe it will come to pass.

She adds there are "huge challenges" for animal welfare arising from Brexit, including the transport of animals across borders, a potential shortage of vets, and the risk of lower-quality food imports.

The prime minister wants more homes built in England and will make land banking harder to do.

House of Commons
Parliament

Martin Vickers, the Conservative MP for Cleethorpes, says the housing need is different in northern Lincolnshire compared to the south of England.

He calls on ministers not to "put local planning authorities in a straitjacket of guidelines".

Mr Vickers also urges ministers to ensure that required "infrastructure" is in place to deliver essential services to new housing development.

Sajid Javid says he accepts that the housing market varies across the country and hopes his Tory colleague "will welcome the Housing Infrastructure Fund".

According to the government,, external "the £2.3bn Housing Infrastructure Fund offers funding to local authorities on a competitive basis, for infrastructure to support up to 100,000 new homes".

Andrew Selous, the Tory MP representing South West Bedfordshire, says no resident "will collect keys" for homes at a development in his constituency, because of the time it takes to secure utility supplies.

The housing secretary agrees that utilities should not hold up development.

Select Committee
Parliament

Questioning returns to David Jones, who asks Philip Hammond whether there is "no question" of extending the transition period beyond a fixed date agreed with the EU.

The UK and EU have both said the period "would have to be fixed", Mr Hammond replies, and there is no appetite for an open-ended transition.

However he says contingency planning will have to take account of the "possible" but "rather unlikely" scenario in which no long-term deal is agreed before transition period ends.

The government has "no plans" to make provisions for extension, he adds.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

SNP MP Phillipa Whitford asks if Philip Hammond recognises "how unhelpful" people on the island of Ireland have found recent criticism of the Good Friday Agreement from some pro-Brexit MPs.

The criticism of the agreement has not "created a good atmosphere to try to get solutions", she adds.

Mr Hammond replies that Theresa May "could not have been clearer" that the UK government is committed to the Agreement and "no infrastructure at the border".

If they are "tempted to listen to others", he says, he would advise critics of the Agreement to "focus on what the prime minister has said very clearly".

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Brexit-supporting Labour MP Kate Hoey says that "about six months ago" HMRC said there is "no issue really" when it comes to avoiding a hard border.

It has only "suddenly" become a big issue over "the last month or two", she says.

She adds that there seems to be "something stopping" the Irish government from sitting down with the UK government and looking for solutions to the issue, instead negotiating through the EU.

Philip Hammond replies that after Brexit the Irish border will change from an excise border to a customs border and "that does create new challenges".

British ministers are "working very effectively" with the Irish government, but he adds that it is "not the case" that it can be solved bilaterally between the Irish and UK governments.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

A quick check in with the EU Scrutiny Committee where Tory MP and former Brexit minister David Jones asks whether the UK government intends to produce its own legal draft of the withdrawal agreement "at this stage".

In reply Philip Hammond says ministers are "not planning" to do this ahead of a summit of EU leaders at the end of this month.

"So the end draft that will be worked to will be the draft that has been produced by the European Commission?" asks Mr Jones.

Mr Hammond replies that ministers "respond to" the text, but adds: "we certainly don't expect to be delivering an alternative legal text" ahead of March.

However the UK government could "look to" producing its own text if it felt that this was the "best way forward", he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

A Conservative Crispin Blunt seeks confirmation that the new planning framework is "explicit that housing need doesn't trump" issues such as sites of special scientific interest and the green belt "so councils can't be forced to amend green belt boundaries".

The Housing Secretary Sajid Javid gives an assurance that it's "absolutely clear" that brownfield sites "should be the absolute priority".

Any councils that want to "look beyond" brownfield sites would have to demonstrate they have looked at all "reasonable opportunities".

Another Conservative James Morris seeks similar assurances that the green belt will be protected.

House of Commons
Parliament

A Labour Karen Buck asks the Housing Secretary Sajid Javid why he allowed affordable housing funds to be "handed back" to the Treasury rather than spent on "critically needed affordable homes".

Mr Javid replies that £65m was "returned by the GLA (the Greater London Authority) because they didn't spend it".

He suggests that Karen Buck ask the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan why he has returned funding.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Conservative former environment secretary Lord Deben backs the Green Party amendment to keep the EU Protocol on animal sentience.

He says it's not enough to take it on good faith that the government will legislate in the future and the public will be "appalled" if ministers do not act to protect animals.

Brexit Minister Suella Fernandes makes an appearance at the Bar as he speaks.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's shadow planning minister Roberta Blackman-Woods says the government's proposals "tinker with the planning system" in a "vain attempt" to deal with the housing crisis.

She says the number of rough sleepers in England has almost trebled since 2010 and adds that many people on average wages are unable to afford to buy a house of their own.

Ms Blackman-Woods says that Labour wants to "empower communities", putting them at the heart of decision-making.

She says her party would invest in a new generation of garden cities and new towns.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid says his planning reforms "will help get the country building".

"It cannot happen soon enough," he adds.

Mr Javid says that it is hard for people to feel like they have a stake in society without a home, and that the current government inherited a situation in 2010 that housebuilding had fallen to its lowest level in peace time.

"We know there is still a lot more to do to deliver 300,000 homes a year in England by the middle of the next decade," he continues.

Sajid Javid says that his reforms will provide homes "at the heart of strong, thriving communities".

House of Commons
Parliament

The lengthy question and answer session with Theresa May comes to an end and the Housing Secretary Sajid Javid begins his statement on the launch of the government's draft national planning policy framework.

Earlier today, the prime minister made a speech in London on housing in which she said that firms which have been slow to build new homes could be refused planning permission in future.

She warned developers that they needed to “step up and do their bit”.

She also said that young people without family wealth were "right to be angry" at not being able to buy a home.

Mrs May said home ownership was largely unaffordable to those without the support of "the bank of mum and dad".

House of Commons
Parliament

Over 90 minutes into Theresa May's statement and there a reference to the prime minister's housing speech this morning - in front of a brick wall.

The backdrop has attracted a lot of attention and comment on social media.

Picking up on all that, the SNP MP Kirsty Blackman says that the prime minister finds herself between a rock and a hard place - "or perhaps two brick walls".

She ask whether Mrs May expects GDP to be hit, and by how much.

The prime minister says that according to recent figures, growth has increased.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Geraint Davies says the Treasury has said the UK is "likely to lose something like £45bn a year in tax receipts".

He asks whether this means people should be "given a vote on the final deal".

In response, Philip Hammond says he's "not sure where those numbers are coming from - but I don't think they are Treasury numbers".

Following up, Mr Davies asks Mr Hammond for his prediction of the "annual loss of tax receipts from hard Brexit".

The Chancellor replies that Whitehall departments are carrying out "analysis in support of the negotiation process" but this should not be made public.

He also says that the referendum decision has been made.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Green peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb introduces an amendment designed to maintain the EU Protocol on animal sentience.

This became the subject of controversy when MPs voted down a similar amendment in the Commons, prompting a backlash from voters and a pledge from Michael Gove to introduce a separate bill to protect animal rights.

She contends that this new legislation won't be good enough because it will be "weaker than the EU law" and can be overridden by "other matters of public interest".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Wes Streeting says the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has written "memos entertaining the prospect of a hard border" in Ireland, which he has not published.

He urges Theresa May to "jab him as hard as necessary to get that memo out of him".

The PM declines to jab her foreign secretary, saying Mr Johnson has been "clear" that there will be no hard border.

House of Commons
Parliament

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake argues that the majority of people in the UK "do not want the disastrous hard Brexit".

He calls for a second referendum - "a meaningful vote, including the option of staying in the EU".

Mr Brake urges the prime minister not to be "dragged down by the inconsequential and deluded men who sit on her front bench" and become "the third Conservative prime minister to be brought down" by party splits over the EU.

The PM insists that there will be "no exit from Brexit", adding: "We are leaving the EU, we are delivering on the vote of the people."