Select Committee
Parliament

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Zelda Perkins says she was not allowed to own a copy of her own non-disclosure agreement or any paperwork related to it.

Conservative MP Maria Miller goes through a number of suggestions that Ms Perkins has made to improve non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Ms Perkins says that one of them - getting CEOs to sign off on NDAs - would not have helped her because "it would never have got to the board".

She continues that she feels let down by the law, and there should be a "disincentive" for lawyers to sign such agreements.

The Conservative Philip Davies asks about payments made to Zelda Perkins and her colleague.

Ms Perkins has said she was paid £125,000.

She tells Mr Davies: "I was told that the only way I would get the things I wanted to happen was by asking for money."

Mr Davis wonders whether, during the long hours of negotiations on the non-disclosure agreement, "how big a focus" there was on "knocking down" the money or the conditions attached to the agreement.

Perkins says negotiations on the NDA did not start until the financial settlement was agreed "otherwise the negotiations would be about the money".

Select Committee
Parliament

Ms Perkins is asked how the whole episode effected her career.

She says that within the industry, there was a "fear of being involved" with her and her colleague.

"I couldn't combat any of the rumours that were circulating," she says adding: "I left the country for five years."

She concludes that her non-disclosure agreement "didn't do anything" so there should be "scrutiny" of how NDA are used.

"The problem is they are used abusively," she says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Zelda Perkins signed a non-disclosure agreement, which she has stuck to for 20 years.

Jess Phillips asks whether she felt "pressure" to sign it.

"Yes, I was unhappy with the entire process and the entire agreement," Zelda Perkins says.

She says she tried to make the agreement as "restrictive as possible" on Harvey Weinstein's behaviour.

But she says she believed "we had done the best we could in stopping his behaviour".

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP and committee chair Maria Miller begins the sitting by saying Harvey Weinstein was offered the opportunity to provide evidence to the committee but has declined.

First up, Labour MP Jess Phillips asks Zelda Perkins to outline why she decided to resign from Harvey Weinstein's company.

Ms Perkins replies that this was because he "sexually assaulted and attempted to rape" one of her colleagues, who she says had only been at the company for a month.

"Obviously when somebody comes to you saying that's happened, there's not much choice of what you should do," she says - adding that she considers herself constructively dismissed.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of another busy day in Westminster.

We’ll be turning our attention to the Commons from 11.30am, when the day begins with questions to Cabinet Office ministers.

At noon it’s the final session of Prime Minister’s Questions before the Easter recess.

But first this morning, the women and equalities committee will hear from a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein as part of its inquiry into sexual harassment.

The Oscar-winning producer has been accused of multiple sexual assaults. Mr Weinstein insists sexual relations he had were consensual.

MPs will also hear from several lawyers, and the chair of the employment caw committee at the Law Society.

At a four-hour session of the culture committee, MPs heard some explosive claims from former Cambridge Analytica employee - turned whistle-blower - Chris Wylie.

Mr Wylie suggested there was "cheating" by the Leave campaign during the EU referendum with Vote Leave and other pro-Brexit groups having a "common plan" to get round spending controls.

He told MPs they all used Aggregate IQ, a "franchise" of Cambridge Analytica, to target swing voters, using information drawn from CA's databases. But CA said Mr Wylie stopped working for the firm long before the 2016 poll.

The conduct of Vote Leave was also the subject of an emergency debate in the Commons, secured by the Liberal Democrat Tom Brake. He raised allegations, being investigated by the Electoral Commission, that Vote Leave exceeded spending limits in the referendum by channelling money to associate groups.

Last but not least, Theresa May gave evidence to the Liaison Committee, a group of senior MPs, where she announced a new long-term funding model for the NHS.

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Questioned by Labour chair of the Public Accounts Committee Meg Hillier, Theresa May says "by definition we're giving the NHS more money".

Ms Hillier welcomes Mrs May's undertaking to allocate money to the NHS on the basis of the pressures it faces.

Shortly after that, the session draws to a close.

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister has announced the government is to set out what she called a "multi year funding settlement" for the National Health Service in England.

Addressing the Liaison Committee of senior MPs, Theresa May said she recognised the need for "a long term plan for the NHS" and "we need to get away from the annual approach to the budget" for the health service and the need for "annual top ups."

Instead, she said, a "sustainable long term plan" was needed. Mrs May said she was happy to meet some of the 102 backbenchers who had written to her recently setting out their ideas for the future structure and funding of the NHS.

She also told MPs that as a diabetic "I rely on the NHS every day."

There was no extra information about funding in addition to what has already been announced, nor how additional money in the future might be raised.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Liaison Committee Chair Sarah Wollaston says that backbench MPs have asked the government to take a "whole system approach" to health and social care.

He asks the prime minister for her response to the letter on the matter signed by 102 MPs.

Mrs May says she will respond to the letter in due course - but that her support for the NHS should not be questioned as she relies on it every day as a diabetic.

The government has already committed £10bn in new funding for the NHS, which builds on new funding since 2010, she adds.

She tells MPs that health and social care are not integrated enough.

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Labour chair of the Brexit Committee, Hilary Benn, asks about the future of the Galileo space project.

Theresa May says as long as the UK is in the EU "our rights as a member should still be afforded to us".

She says she believes the UK should maintain a role in the project, as it played "a leading part in its development".

Select Committee
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Treasury Committee Chair Nicky Morgan asks the Prime Minister for her views on overseas states creating bot accounts to intimidate MPs.

Mrs May says it is an issue that extends beyond Parliament, and actually goes to candidates standing for elections too.

She says such abuse has no place in UK democracy, people should be able to put forward debates without fear of bullying, she adds.

Ms Morgan says HMRC has previously estimated that preparing for a proposed customs partnership will take five years.

Mrs May says the government is looking at different possible customs arrangements, and these are being investigated in more detail.

Sometimes on greater inspection, timetables that have originally been set can turn out not to be necessary "when you actually start to look at the detail".

Select Committee
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Mary Creagh asks if, through associate membership of EU bodies after March 2019, the UK will be "getting what is being passed but sitting outside the door".

Theresa May replies: "we want to work with the EU to see what our relationship with the EU chemicals agency should be".

He adds: "it's for us to discuss what that associate membership could look like".

Select Committee
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Labour chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Mary Creagh, says new environmental protections will be required to "plug the gaps" left by withdrawing from EU rules

Theresa May declines to comment on what will be in the next Queen's Speech, before stressing the UK already has a "strong legal framework" for environmental protection and the government has committed to a new watchdog in this area.

Ms Creagh asks about her vision of the environment and planning after Brexit.

Mrs May says she wants to "improve the environment over a generation".

Select Committee
Parliament

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Chair of the Northern Ireland Committee Andrew Murrison says that Northern Ireland is having difficulties in communicating their concerns on Brexit due to the lack of a functioning executive.

Mrs May says that she would like to see Northern Ireland have a government voice in sitting around the Brexit negotiating table.

She says she is making sure that Northern Ireland will have more of a voice for the next round of talks.

Dr Murrison says that Scotland and Wales are both sending ministers to Brussels, which in the current situation, Northern Ireland cannot.

Mrs May says that the government is talking to people across the United Kingdom.

Select Committee
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Neil Parish wants to know if Brexit will progress in a way which will ensure good quality food standards.

Theresa May says the government is committed to "not just a thriving agri-food industry but abiding by high standards" and it's "important for consumers to have a choice".

She also hails opportunities which may arise from replacing the Common Agricultural Policy.

Select Committee
Parliament

Chair of the Environment Committee, Conservative MP Neil Parish, asks if enough of an effort is being made to prepare for customs arrangements after Brexit to prevent delays at the border.

Theresa May underlines her determination for goods to enter and leave the country in a "frictionless way".

She insists "a lot of effort is being put in" to preparation by HMRC, which is talking to different parts of business and industry about this.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Welsh Affairs Committee Chair David TC Davies asks the prime minister to confirm that the government is not taking powers back from the Welsh Assembly.

Mrs May agrees, and says Brexit is about giving more powers back to Cardiff.

Mr Davies says he is surprised at how many powers are being given back to the Welsh Assembly.

He says he does have concerns for Welsh sheep farmers, as they are very reliant on imports and exports to the EU.

Mrs May says the UK will be able to trade around the world, and explore new markets. The UK is also known for its high animal welfare standards, she adds.