House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Following a question on post-Brexit support for farmers, shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman says government figures "show 64% of farmers earn less than £10,000 a year and eight supermarkets control almost 95% of the food retail market".

She adds that farmers "receive less than 10% of the value of their produce" and calls this an "inequitable and unsustainable situation".

Environment Secretary Michael Gove is in the United States, so minister George Eustice answers.

He says it is important to support farmers to get a fair price for their produce, if they are not to be reliant on subsidies, and points to government measures such as introducing a "statutory code" for dairy products.

House of Commons
Parliament

Welcome to our coverage of Thursday in Parliament. The Commons kicks off at 9.30am with questions to environment ministers.

That's followed by a brief question and answer session with the Church Commissioner - an MP who acts as a link between the Church of England and Parliament - and with the Public Accounts Commission, which oversees the public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office.

An urgent question from Labour's Barbara Keeley follows at 10:30am. The shadow mental health minister will ask about the Care Quality Commission’s review of children and young people’s mental health services.

Next is the weekly statement by the Commons Leader, Andrea Leadsom on future Commons business.

After that, Home Secretary Amber Rudd will update MPs about the attempted murder of the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, she said it was key to "keep a cool head" and allow police to carry out a full investigation before the crime was attributed to anyone.

The rest of the day is taken up with a debate to mark International Women's Day.

This week's session of Prime Minister's Questions coincided with the arrival of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the UK.

It gave the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn a chance to raise human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, asking whether the prime minister would be raising them "when she makes her arms sales pitch" to the Saudi leader.

Mrs May defended the UK's "historic and important" links with Saudi Arabia but added: "I will raise human rights concerns with the crown prince when I meet him later."

Concerns about the visit continued after PMQs when the Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Vince Cable, secured an urgent question about the visit, saying that "the dictatorial head of a medieval, theocratic regime is being given the red carpet equivalent of a state visit".

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt responded that there were "difficult aspects" to the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia but the country's future was "changing markedly".

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour spokesperson Baroness Hayter signals her party's support for greater scrutiny of the creation of public bodies under the bill.

"The very way we establish those bodies... affects how they do their job," she asserts.

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan tells peers he cannot accept the amendment as the government needs to "retain the power until we can be confident of achieving all necessary legislative changes without it".

Shortly after that, the House adjourns. Peers will return on Thursday at 11am.

House of Lords
Parliament

Lib Dem Lord Newby presents an amendment designed to ensure public bodies are created via primary legislation.

He says without this their "powers and scope will not be subject to adequate debate".

The bill may be used to create new public bodies covering areas such as environmental protection.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour Brexit spokesperson Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town introduces an amendment to remove the discretion for ministers to decide what is a deficiency to be addressed through delegated powers.

Lib Dem Baroness Ludford complains that the bill sends conflicting messages on ministers' ability to determine a deficiency.

Government spokesperson Baroness Goldie says the intention is to "tighten any slack" and "make sure they're not capable of too much or too little", and Baroness Hayter is persuaded to withdraw her amendment.

Earlier in the day we reported an Environment Committee investigation into how some clothing sold as fake fur actually contains real fur.

Journalists, animal rights campaigners and retailers gave evidence to the committee this morning.

Here's a report by Mandy Baker for Today in Parliament on BBC Radio 4.

House of Lords
Parliament

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan responds to the widespread calls for tougher curbs on ministers' powers under the bill.

He tells peers the delegated powers are "time-limited" and "strictly limited as to what they can be used for.

"The situation this bill responds to is unprecedented," he continues, and the powers created "must match that".

Use of the word "appropriate", he says, "does not give unlimited discretion but should be appropriate to address the deficiency they are meant to meet".

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Labour spokesman Lord Goldsmith also supports placing a necessity test on the exercise of Henry VIII powers, pointing out that "'necessary' is a term well understood by the courts".

He highlights the "unanimity" of the House tonight in support of the amendment.

He goes on to say that if ministers believe they can exercise these powers because it is "helpful" that is "not what this House should be allowing them to do".

House of Lords
Parliament

Conservative former Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay of Clashfern, who's supported the government so far on the bill - backs the move to make Henry VIII powers subject to test of necessity rather than appropriateness.

He notes the "huge task that is involved in trying to put EU and UK law together" and argues "we must ensure solutions are practical so statute book is right".

House of Lords
Parliament

Former Lib Dem leader Lord Campbell of Pittenweem says the Brexit bill gives ministers levels of discretion "you wouldn't give to the manager of a golf club".

He tells the chamber that when Leave campaigners argued for "taking back control" they didn't add "take it back so we can give it to 109 ministers and public authorities".

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Conservative Lord Lang of Monkton gives his backing to the amendment, saying he's concerned about the delegated powers' impact on the constitution.

The bill as drafted gives ministers "excessive influence", he argues, and "cries out for tighter control".

He accuses the government of "ignoring" the new powers had to be acconmpahnied by tighter controls.

He concludes this is "not the time to allow the corrosion of the law-making process".

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Peers resume debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Crossbencher and former head of the civil service Lord Wilson of Dinton introduces an amendment which would mean ministers can only use delegated powers created in this bill where necessary - at present, the wording is "appropriate".

Delegated powers do not have to pass through the full parliamentary scrutiny process.

He calls the extent of Henry VIII powers in the bill "breathtaking", "repugnant" and "what tyrants dream of".

He describes the bill as "a Frankenstein's monster" giving ministers "the power to snip away at EU law and UK law to get them to fit together".

He urges peers to "lean against" these powers as firmly as possible.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Lord Prescott says he's "shocked" by allegations of blagging at the Sunday Times and "this is why Lord Leveson has made it clear he wants the inquiry to continue".

Lord Keen responds that the claims are indicative of criminal behaviour and should be investigated by the police.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour spokesman Lord Stevenson of Balmacara says reports about the Sunday Times indicate the practice of blagging was "more widespread and affecting more people" than previously thought.

He argues this demonstrates the need for the Leveson Inquiry to continue.

Lord Keen responds that the government has to decide what is "proportionate and in the public interest" and it has concluded that Leveson part two does not meet that test.

House of Lords
Parliament

Ministry of Justice spokesman Lord Keen of Elie is repeating an answer to an urgent question on the allegations of blagging at the Sunday Times and the relevance of these to Leveson part two.

It comes after an ex-private investigator who was used by The Sunday Times has spoken about the criminal activity he was involved in to obtain information for the paper.

He said his methods included "blagging" or pretending to be a bank or utilities account holder to get information.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs that the allegations relate to behaviour that is "totally unacceptable and potentially criminal" and are a matter for investigation by the police.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour foreign affairs spokesman Lord Collins of Highbury complains that the UK's representations to Saudi Arabia are "so subtle they are clearly not being heard".

He asks the government to "demand" a ceasefire in Yemen.

In reply, Lord Ahmad pledges the UK will "continue to push for a political settlement" in Yemen.

He says reforms made by the Crown Prince may seem like "a small step forward" but it is "a starting point" to build on.

House of Lords
Parliament

Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon is repeating an answer to an urgent question asked earlier in the Commoms on the UK's diplomatic and economic relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is starting a three-day visit to the UK amid protests planned against his country's role in the war in Yemen.

Theresa May says she will be "raising concerns about human rights" in Saudi Arabia when she meets the country's crown prince later, and the Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt specified they would discuss Yemen.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Brexit Minister Lord Callanan deals with Lord Wallace's bid to place extra safeguards on existing equality protections.

He stresses the government has "a commitment to maintaining existing equality and human rights legislation" and the amendment is "misplaced".

It would create new rights, he continues, which would raise "difficult questions" about interpretation.

"We don't need to be part of the EU to sustain that excellent record [on human rights]," he says.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Brexit spokesperson, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, backs Lord Wallace's amendment.

She says we need a "safety net" of our own to replace that provided by the EU.

This will prevent us from being "April Fools" after Brexit day next year, she adds.