House of Commons
Parliament

Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, updates the House on changed business for the coming week.

The general debate tabled for this evening on housing, will no longer take place. The second reading of the Laser Misuse Bill, external will now take place on Wednesday.

Shadow leader of the House, Valerie Vaz, says it is disappointing that the government has not given government time in Parliament to debate the Syria air strikes.

A debate in government time would have respected conventions, democracy and Parliament, she states.

Ms Leadsom says that the prime minister did seek an urgent debate today, but that wasn't granted. She adds that the prime minister has now answered questions for three and a quarter hours.

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The statement has been going on since about 4.15pm - and the prime minister is still answering questions...as the Mail Online's deputy political editor points out.

House of Lords
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Earlier in the Lords, peers got their say on the statement given by the home secretary on the immigration status of Windrush generation children.

Lib Dem Baroness Benjamin told the House the situation they've been put in is "distressing, inconsiderate and heartless".

"I came to this country in 1960 as a British citizen, a Windrush generation child, who was told I was part of the motherland, I would be welcomed. Luckily I had my own passport as I travelled without my parents, otherwise I too would be having to prove my status."

She said those without passports have been subject to "unbelievable incompetence and lack of compassion - they are being treated as criminals".

She asked "who amongst us can provide their school reports and payslips from 50 years ago?" and added that it has created "a feeling of resentment, rejection and mistrust".

Labour's Lord Boateng tells peers that Commonwealth citizens have "lived their life in this country, paid their taxes, helped this country grow and develop - they have been insulted, they were insulted as children, my generation was described as 'wide-eyed grinning piccaninnies' [by Enoch Powell] and to that insult has been added this injury in their old age".

He said "what we want is not warm words" but compensation for those whose jobs have been affected and no more deportations.

Former home secretary Lord Howard of Lympne related that he has observed this "lamentable state of affairs with concern and bewilderment" and the Bishop of Coventry expressed "real concern" on behalf of the bishops.

Government spokesman the Earl of Courtown responded that there will be no removals or detentions, but some information is still unknown as part of this "shameful exercise".

He says the government wants to "build up a picture... to enable those individuals to be here" but immigration officials are seeking National Insurance numbers, not school reports, as Baroness Benjamin suggested.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence said eight Storm Shadow missiles had been launched by four RAF Tornados at a former missile base, 15 miles west of Homs.

It is thought President Bashar al-Assad's regime had been stockpiling materials used to make chemical weapons there, it said.

There has been no confirmation of any civilian casualties. The MoD has stated the facility was located "some distance" from "concentrations of civilian habitation".

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Image source, HoC

Labour's Stephen Pound asks what the "endgame" is if the UK and its allies are not aiming for regime change in Damascus.

Theresa May says she wants to see "parties coming together to agree the future of Syria" including "not just the Syrian regime but its backers", a clear reference to Russia and Iran.

She says the UK wants a "proper solution for Syria...in the interests of all its people".

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Labour's Pat McFadden says today's exchanges and the action taken at the weekend have been "coloured" by the vote against action in Syria in 2013, following an earlier use of chemical weapons.

He asks how many times chemical weapons have been used in Syria since that vote.

Theresa May says they have been used on "a number of occasions" and that despite Russian promises to help dispose to Syrian chemical weapons "that did not happen".

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Labour's Laura Smith asks Theresa May when she was instructed by the US president that strikes would take place.

This prompts jeers and complaints from the benches opposite.

Theresa May replies: "The answer to her question is - at no point at all. I took this decision because it was the right thing to do."

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Former Conservative leader Michael Howard says that had Parliament voted for air strikes in 2013 it "might well have been unnecessary to take action now".

Ex Lib Dem leader Lord Campbell says the strikes were "targeted and lawful" but the government "made a mistake...in not recalling Parliament".

Lord King of Bridgwater, who was defence secretary during the first Gulf War, sounds a rare note of dissent on the idea of consulting Parliament.

He says that the UK can't get out of its obligations by "ducking behind" a vote of Parliament and goes on to commend the "courage of the prime minister" in taking the decision to join the action without the backing of Parliament.

Jeremy Corbyn says this weekend's military action in Syrian is "legally questionable".

Britain took part in military air strikes in Syria because it could not wait to “alleviate further humanitarian suffering” caused by chemical weapons, says Theresa May.

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Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas says that the legal basis on which the government performed these strikes was if there is no other alternative to the use of force.

She asks when the information of these buildings being utilised for chemical weapons was reported to the OPCW, and whether the UK has asked the OPCW to inspect both sites.

Mrs May says the government would like the OPCW to be able to investigate sites in Syria, and for accountability for use of those chemical weapons.

She states that last Tuesday, a resolution was brought before the UN which would have properly investigated the use of chemical weapons, the resolution was vetoed by Russia, she adds.

The Commons Library has published a briefing on parliamentary approval for military action.

It outlines that:

The briefing also notes that in 2011 the government acknowledged that a convention had emerged whereby the House of Commons would have the opportunity to debate the deployment of military forces, prior to doing so, except in the event of an emergency.

Read more., external

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Labour’s Liz Kendall is the first from the opposition to back Theresa May's decision to launch missiles into Syria, saying that "Assad's use of chemical weapons weapons cannot go unanswered".

Her comments are echoed by party colleague Chris Leslie, who says "those who seek to take the moral high ground by doing nothing should also be held accountable for once today".

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The Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, has repeated the prime minister's statement and the leaders of the major parties in the Lords are responding.

Labour's leader in the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, chooses not to attack the government for following the "whims" of President Trump as her party's leader did in the Commons, but she does ask for more clarity on the legal case and asks for the UK to help ensure the OPCW investigation into the apparent chemical attack can take place.

She also criticises the government's lack of consultation with Parliament while preparing for the strikes.

The Lib Dem leader in the Lords also criticises the government over the involvement of Parliament.

Lord Newby says it would have been possible to recall Parliament last week to allow the strikes to be debated.

Last week both the Commons and the Lords were in recess for the Easter holidays.

Image source, HoL

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Conservative chair of the Defence Committee Julian Lewis asks for an absolute guarantee that the use of air strikes now will not be allowed to lead to the RAF acting on behalf of the "jihadist-led" opposition forces in Syria.

Theresa May confirms the strikes are not aimed at regime change - they are "about the use of chemical weapons and prevention of human suffering".

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Conservative Dominic Grieve says that the current situation means that, with the support of an "amoral" state on the UN Security Council, a state can commit genocide with "total impunity".

He asks if she agrees that in these circumstances, the rules-based system "would be dead".

Mrs May states that she agrees with him.

If the UK says it is only prepared to act when it has UN support, then anybody, any tyrant, could determine that they can "act with impunity". The use of such weapons must stop, she says.

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Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat congratulates the prime minister on taking that was legitimate, right and urgent.

He asks if she will reinforce the efforts of the Foreign Office, in promoting the issues put forward by the UK government. He says that the responsibility of the Foreign Office is to promote British values, and not to wait for a veto from Moscow.

The UK government is responsible for its own foreign policy and must not hand over its foreign policy to a Russian veto, Theresa May replies.